As cargo ships get bigger, shipping lines unite and world trade grows only slowly, seaports are facing growing pressure to offer faster service at lower rates to lure major customers to their docks.
Some 140 port experts from around the nation met in Fort Lauderdale this week to discuss ways to boost port productivity in a conference that drew attention to upgrades at nearby Port Everglades.
“We in the United States are somewhat lagging compared to the rest of the world,” said Doug Tilden, a ports veteran and senior adviser at Brookfield Asset Management. Seaports elsewhere often move more shipping boxes per hour, with more cranes per vessel through port channels at deeper depths”, he said.