The Port of Virginia said carriers using its Truck Reservation System (TRS) are seeing continued reductions in turn times at the two main container terminals.
“Drivers that are taking advantage of this technology are getting in-and-out of our terminals quicker than ever before,” said John F. Reinhart, the CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. "TRS allows us to better manage flow at our gates; it gives even greater visibility to cargo owners and has matured into an important planning tool for us and everyone who moves cargo by truck.”
Since the TRS debuted on March 1, 2018, there have been 292,588 reservations completed, resulting in a 16% reduction in turn times at Norfolk International Terminals and 32% reduction at Virginia International Gateway.
The system is in use at the port from the time the terminals open (5 a.m. at NIT and 3 a.m. at VIG) until 1 p.m. TRS appointments cover more than 70% of available truck gate capacity at both terminals.
“Rush-hour is not an option,” Reinhart said. ‘Spreading out the truck volume across the day is the only way to achieve efficiency, and we’ve developed an innovative, fair, easy and useful means of accomplishing that.”