Port Operations Glossary – Port Authority of NY & NJ
Key Performance Metrics
- Turn Times: The amount of time a truck spends inside a marine terminal to complete a transaction (measured in minutes).
- Single Moves (Mins): The average time required for a truck to complete a single transaction, such as picking up or dropping off one container.
- Double Moves (Mins): The average time required for a truck to complete two transactions in a single terminal visit (e.g., dropping off one container and picking up another).
- Total Moves (Units): The total number of container transactions completed at the port terminals during the reporting period.
- Number of Trouble Tickets: Exceptions or issues requiring special handling or resolution during terminal operations.
- Unique Truck Visits: The total number of individual truck entries to port terminals during the reporting period.
- Terminal Departure Dwell (Days): The average number of days a container remains at a marine terminal after vessel discharge until it leaves via truck or rail.
- Import Rail Departure Dwell (Days): The average number of days a container destined for rail transport remains at the terminal before departing on a train.
- Number of Containers: The total count of shipping containers present at the port during the reporting period.
Operational Terms
- Gate Activity: The movement of trucks in and out of marine terminals, typically measured by RFID readers at terminal gates.
- YoY (Year-over-Year): A comparison of metrics between the current reporting period and the same period in the previous year.
- PortTruckPass: The system used to track and manage truck movements within the port complex.
- RFID Readers: Radio Frequency Identification technology used to scan and record trucks entering marine terminals.
- Intermodal: Transportation involving multiple modes (e.g., ship to rail to truck) with containers transferred between these different transportation systems.
- Intermodal Connectivity: The efficiency of transfers between different transportation modes, particularly between marine terminals and rail facilities.
- Intermodal Transfer Bottlenecks: Points of congestion or delay in the process of transferring containers between transportation modes.
- Last-Mile Distribution: The final stage in the delivery process from a distribution center to the end customer.
Global Shipping Terms
- Red Sea/Suez Canal Vessels: Ships that would normally transit through the Suez Canal to travel between Asia and Europe/East Coast North America.
- Cape of Good Hope Rerouting: Alternative shipping route around the southern tip of Africa, used when the Suez Canal route is unavailable or problematic. This route adds significant time and distance to voyages.
Infrastructure & Projects
- PSCI (Port Street Corridor Improvement): Infrastructure project to enhance transportation corridors servicing the port.
- Infrastructure Utilization: The degree to which physical port assets (cranes, berths, yards, gates) are being used relative to their capacity.
- Supply Chain Resilience: The ability of the port and related logistics networks to adapt to and recover from disruptions.
Statistical Terms
- Weekly Average: The mean value of a metric calculated over a seven-day period.
- Percentage Points (pp): Unit used to express the arithmetic difference between two percentages (e.g., a change from 10% to 15% is an increase of 5 percentage points).
- Growth Rate: The percentage increase in a metric compared to a previous time period.
Executive Summary
This comprehensive analysis examines the Port of New York and New Jersey’s operational performance across three distinct timeframes: weekly (comparing March 2, 2025, vs. February 23, 2025), monthly (comparing March 2, 2025, vs. February 2, 2025), and yearly (comparing March 2, 2025 vs. March 3, 2024). This multi-dimensional approach provides a holistic view of port performance trends and reveals both immediate operational shifts and longer-term structural changes.
Year-over-year analysis reveals concerning trends in operational efficiency, with processing times increasing by 7.3% for single moves and 12.1% for double moves, despite a relatively modest 4.9% growth in truck visits. Most notably, rail departure dwell times have surged by 86.1% compared to the previous year, indicating a critical bottleneck in intermodal connectivity that demands urgent attention.
The monthly comparison shows mixed results, with improvements in some areas and challenges in others. While dwell times have improved significantly over the past month (terminal dwell -17.9%, rail dwell -17.8%), truck visits have increased by 9.5%, and processing times remain elevated compared to early February.
The weekly analysis reveals a significant rebound in port activity, with truck visits increasing by 23.2% and total moves by 22.5% compared to the previous week. However, this higher volume has been accompanied by increased processing times, with single moves taking 18.9% longer and double moves 9.2% longer than the previous week.
As the new administration’s policies begin to take effect, this multi-timeframe analysis provides a crucial baseline for evaluating impacts on this vital component of the national supply chain. The findings suggest that while recent operational adjustments may be yielding some benefits, more fundamental structural changes are needed to address the significant year-over-year deterioration in key efficiency metrics.
Weekly Performance Analysis (Week Ending March 2, 2025 vs. Week Ending February 23, 2025)
One-Week Comparison
The table below compares key performance metrics for the two most recent reporting periods:
| Metric | Week Ending 2/23/2025 | Week Ending 3/2/2025 | Change | % Change |
| Turn Times | ||||
| Single Moves (Mins) | 40.95 | 48.70 | +7.75 | +18.9% |
| Double Moves (Mins) | 69.74 | 76.17 | +6.43 | +9.2% |
| Total Moves (Units) | 84,372 | 103,392 | +19,020 | +22.5% |
| Trouble Tickets | 5,895 | 6,386 | +491 | +8.3% |
| Truck Visits | ||||
| Weekly Truck Visits | 64,696 | 79,733 | +15,037 | +23.2% |
| YoY Growth vs. 2024 | -3.3% | +4.9% | +8.2pp | – |
| Import Inventory & Dwell | ||||
| Number of Containers | 29,660 | 27,395 | -2,265 | -7.6% |
| Terminal Dwell (Days) | 3.48 | 3.58 | +0.10 | +2.9% |
| Rail Dwell (Days) | 3.82 | 3.61 | -0.21 | -5.5% |
Note: pp = percentage points
Weekly Analysis Findings
The week-over-week comparison reveals a significant rebound in port activity following a dip in late February:
- Volume Recovery: Total truck visits increased by 23.2% and total moves by 22.5%, indicating a substantial increase in port activity. This growth reversed the negative year-over-year comparison from the previous week (-3.3%) to a positive growth rate (+4.9%) in the current week.
- Processing Efficiency Challenges: The increased volume has been accompanied by disproportionate increases in processing times, with single moves taking 18.9% longer and double moves 9.2% longer than the previous week. This suggests potential challenges in scaling operations efficiently to handle volume fluctuations.
- Trouble Ticket Management: While trouble tickets increased by 8.3%, this growth is lower than the increase in volume (22.5%), indicating a relative improvement in operational reliability on a per-move basis.
- Container Flow Efficiency: Container inventory decreased by 7.6% despite higher processing volumes, suggesting improved throughput and reduced dwell time for containers at the terminal.
- Mixed Dwell Time Trends: Terminal dwell time increased slightly by 2.9%, while rail dwell continued to improve, decreasing by 5.5% from the previous week. This divergence suggests improving intermodal transfer efficiency, which helps to process containers more quickly for rail transportation.
The weekly data shows that while the port is handling significantly more volume than the previous week, there are efficiency challenges in processing this increased activity, particularly in the time required to complete container moves.
Monthly Performance Analysis (Week Ending March 2, 2025 vs. Week Ending February 2, 2025)
One-Month Comparison
The table below provides a month-over-month comparison of key performance indicators:
| Metric | Week Ending 2/2/2025 | Week Ending 3/2/2025 | Change | % Change |
| Turn Times | ||||
| Single Moves (Mins) | 46.51 | 48.70 | +2.19 | +4.7% |
| Double Moves (Mins) | 75.89 | 76.17 | +0.28 | +0.4% |
| Total Moves (Units) | 100,645 | 103,392 | +2,747 | +2.7% |
| Trouble Tickets | 7,064 | 6,386 | -678 | -9.6% |
| Truck Visits | ||||
| Weekly Truck Visits | 72,785 | 79,733 | +6,948 | +9.5% |
| YoY Growth vs. 2024 | +2.0% | +4.9% | +2.9pp | – |
| Import Inventory & Dwell | ||||
| Number of Containers | 27,937 | 27,395 | -542 | -1.9% |
| Terminal Dwell (Days) | 4.36 | 3.58 | -0.78 | -17.9% |
| Rail Dwell (Days) | 4.39 | 3.61 | -0.78 | -17.8% |
Note: pp = percentage points
Monthly Analysis Findings
The month-over-month comparison reveals several noteworthy trends and developments:
- Volume Growth: Truck visits increased by 9.5% over the one-month period, while total moves showed a more modest increase of 2.7%. This suggests a potential shift in the ratio of productive to non-productive truck trips.
- Processing Time Stability: Despite the increase in volume, processing times have remained relatively stable on a monthly basis, with single moves increasing by only 4.7% and double moves by just 0.4%. This indicates better scaling of processing capacity compared to the weekly trend.
- Significant Dwell Time Improvements: Both terminal and rail dwell times have improved dramatically over the one-month period, declining by 17.9% and 17.8%, respectively. This suggests the successful implementation of initiatives aimed at improving container flow through the port.
- Trouble Ticket Reduction: The number of trouble tickets has decreased by 9.6% over the one-month period, from 7,064 to 6,386, indicating improved operational reliability despite volume increases.
- Strengthening Year-over-Year Growth: The year-over-year growth rate has improved from 2.0% in early February to 4.9% in early March, suggesting accelerating demand for port services.
The monthly data suggests that while the port has experienced increased activity, it has simultaneously made significant strides in improving dwell times and reducing exceptions. These improvements offset the slight increase in processing times, resulting in a net positive trend in operational efficiency over the one-month period.
Year-over-Year Analysis (Week Ending March 2, 2025 vs. Week Ending March 3, 2024)
One-Year Comparison
The table below provides a comprehensive year-over-year comparison between the corresponding weeks in 2024 and 2025:
| Metric | Week Ending 3/3/2024 | Week Ending 3/2/2025 | Change | % Change |
| Turn Times | ||||
| Single Moves (Mins) | 45.38 | 48.70 | +3.32 | +7.3% |
| Double Moves (Mins) | 67.92 | 76.17 | +8.25 | +12.1% |
| Total Moves (Units) | 98,885 | 103,392 | +4,507 | +4.6% |
| Number of Trouble Tickets | 5,215 | 6,386 | +1,171 | +22.5% |
| Truck Visits | ||||
| Weekly Truck Visits | 75,990 | 79,733 | +3,743 | +4.9% |
| YoY Growth Rate | +7.4% | +4.9% | -2.5pp | – |
| Import Inventory & Dwell | ||||
| Number of Containers | 25,794 | 27,395 | +1,601 | +6.2% |
| Terminal Departure Dwell (Days) | 3.22 | 3.58 | +0.36 | +11.2% |
| Import Rail Departure Dwell (Days) | 1.94 | 3.61 | +1.67 | +86.1% |
Note: pp = percentage points
Key Year-over-Year Findings
The year-over-year comparison reveals concerning trends in operational efficiency alongside modest volume growth:
- Disproportionate Efficiency Declines: While volume metrics (truck visits, total moves, container inventory) show modest growth of 4-6%, efficiency metrics have deteriorated at higher rates. Processing times have increased by 7-12%, trouble tickets by 22.5%, and dwell times by 11-86%.
- Critical Rail Dwell Challenges: The most concerning metric is the 86.1% increase in rail departure dwell times, from 1.94 to 3.61 days. This dramatic deterioration indicates significant challenges in intermodal connectivity that have emerged or worsened over the past year.
- Growth Rate Moderation: The year-over-year growth rate in truck visits has moderated from 7.4% (2023-2024) to 4.9% (2024-2025), suggesting a potential normalization of volume growth after a period of rapid expansion.
- Trouble Ticket Proliferation: The 22.5% increase in trouble tickets despite only 4.6% growth in total moves suggests growing operational complexity and exception management challenges.
- Red Sea/Suez Canal Impact: Both periods show 100% of the Red Sea/Suez Canal vessels rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, but the number of expected rerouted vessels has increased from 2 to 7, suggesting increased disruption from this ongoing global shipping challenge.
The year-over-year analysis reveals what appears to be a systematic deterioration in operational efficiency that transcends normal volume variations. This suggests fundamental structural or process issues that require strategic rather than tactical responses.
Cross-Timeframe Analysis and Implications
Convergent Findings Across Timeframes
Analyzing the port’s performance across weekly, monthly, and yearly timeframes reveals several consistent patterns:
- Volume Resilience with Efficiency Challenges: All timeframes show relatively stable or growing volume metrics coupled with deteriorating efficiency indicators. This pattern holds true whether examining week-over-week, month-over-month, or year-over-year comparisons.
- Intermodal Connectivity Issues: While recent weeks show some improvement in rail dwell times, the year-over-year comparison reveals a dramatic deterioration that remains a fundamental challenge despite recent progress.
- Operational Complexity Growth: The consistent increase in trouble tickets across timeframes (except for the monthly comparison) suggests growing operational complexity that transcends normal volume variations.
- Volatility in Weekly Performance: All timeframes show significant week-to-week variations in port metrics, indicating a dynamic operational environment that requires adaptive management strategies.
Divergent Findings and Recent Improvements
While the overall trends show efficiency challenges, there are some encouraging signs in the more recent data:
- Dwell Time Improvements: The monthly comparison shows significant improvements in both terminal and rail dwell times, suggesting that recent initiatives may be starting to address some of the challenges identified in the year-over-year comparison.
- Trouble Ticket Reduction: The monthly comparison shows a 9.6% reduction in trouble tickets, indicating progress in exception management despite the concerning year-over-year trend.
- Stabilizing Processing Times: While processing times have increased significantly on a weekly basis, the monthly comparison shows relatively stable processing times, suggesting potential adaptation to higher volumes over a longer timeframe.
Implications for Stakeholders
Port Authority and Terminal Operators
- Process Standardization Need: The disproportionate growth in trouble tickets and processing times suggests a need for enhanced process standardization and exception management protocols.
- Intermodal Investment Priority: The dramatic deterioration in rail departure dwell times highlights the critical need for focused investment in intermodal connectivity infrastructure and processes.
- Capacity Planning Considerations: While growth has moderated, the port continues to handle increasing volumes that will require strategic capacity planning to accommodate.
Shippers and Logistics Providers
- Buffer Time Requirements: The increased processing and dwell times suggest that shippers should incorporate additional buffer time into supply chain planning to account for port delays.
- Modal Diversity Strategy: The significant challenges in rail connectivity may warrant consideration of alternative transportation modes for time-sensitive cargo.
- Peak Planning: The observed weekly volatility in port performance metrics suggests benefits from planning shipments to avoid peak periods when possible.
Policy Implications
- Infrastructure Investment Focus: The identified operational challenges, particularly in intermodal connectivity, highlight specific areas where infrastructure investment could yield significant benefits.
- Resilience vs. Efficiency Balance: The ongoing impacts of global shipping disruptions suggest a need for policies that balance efficiency with resilience considerations.
- Data Integration Priority: The complex patterns observed across different timeframes underscore the value of improved data sharing and visibility across the port ecosystem.
Recommendations
Operational Enhancements
- Intermodal Connectivity Improvement: Address the critical rail dwell time increases through:
- Enhanced coordination between terminal and rail operations
- Investment in additional handling equipment for rail transfers
- Process optimization at the terminal-rail interface
- Workforce allocation adjustments to support intermodal operations
- Process Standardization Initiative: Reduce trouble tickets and processing time variations through:
- Root cause analysis of common exceptions
- Process standardization and staff training
- Technology deployment for early issue identification
- Performance monitoring and continuous improvement protocols
- Volume Volatility Management: Develop strategies to manage the observed weekly volatility in port activity:
- Dynamic workforce allocation systems
- Extended gate hours during peak periods
- Truck appointment system optimization
- Enhanced communication with trucking companies and shippers
Strategic Initiatives
- Data Integration Platform: Develop enhanced data-sharing capabilities across the port ecosystem to improve visibility and proactive decision-making.
- Capacity Expansion Planning: While growth has moderated, continued investment in capacity expansion remains essential to accommodate long-term volume growth.
- Alternative Gateway Development: Consider developing supplementary entry points or processes to diversify port operations and reduce concentration risks.
- Stakeholder Collaboration Framework: Establish formal collaboration mechanisms among port authorities, terminal operators, rail providers, and major shippers to address systemic challenges.
Conclusion
The multi-timeframe analysis of the Port of New York and New Jersey’s performance reveals a complex operational landscape with significant challenges but also signs of improvement. The year-over-year comparison highlights concerning trends in operational efficiency, particularly regarding rail departure dwell times and trouble ticket volume. However, the monthly and weekly comparisons show some positive developments, including reductions in dwell times and improved throughput.
The recent improvements observed provide encouraging signs that operational adjustments may be yielding benefits. However, the significant year-over-year deterioration indicates that more fundamental changes may be needed to restore and enhance the port’s operational efficiency.
As the new administration’s trade and infrastructure policies begin to take effect, this analysis provides a crucial baseline for monitoring impacts and evaluating intervention effectiveness. The port’s central role in regional and national supply chains makes addressing these challenges a priority not only for port stakeholders but also for the broader economy.
The coming months will be critical in determining whether recent improvements represent the beginning of a sustained recovery in operational efficiency or temporary fluctuations in a challenging operational environment. Continued monitoring across multiple timeframes will be essential to distinguish between short-term variations and fundamental trends.
