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 analysis compares the performance of the Port of NY/NJ for the week ending March 30, 2025, with previous periods including the prior week (ending March 23, 2025), the beginning of the month (week ending March 2, 2025), and year-over-year data from March 2024. Key metrics examined include truck visits, turn times, container volume, dwell times, and operational efficiency.
The most recent data shows a significant rebound in truck visits (+16.9% week-over-week) and total moves (+15.7% week-over-week) after a notable dip in the week ending March 23. Year-over-year comparisons reveal substantial increases in container volume (+32.9%) and dwell times (terminal: +32.3%, rail: +77.9%), indicating potential congestion issues despite efficiency improvements in turn times.
Truck Visit Analysis
Weekly Trend Analysis
Truck visits at the Port of NY/NJ showed considerable fluctuation throughout March 2025, with a significant recovery in the final week of the month:
- Week ending 3/30/2025: 77,363 truck visits (up 12.6% vs. 2024)
- Week ending 3/23/2025: 66,189 truck visits (down 3.3% vs. 2024)
- Week ending 3/16/2025: 75,345 truck visits
- Week ending 3/9/2025: 78,998 truck visits
- Week ending 3/2/2025: 79,733 truck visits (up 4.9% vs. 2024)
The substantial 16.9% week-over-week increase for the week ending March 30 indicates a strong recovery from the previous week’s dip, though still remaining 3.0% below the beginning of the month.
Year-over-Year Comparison
When comparing the latest week with March 2024 data:
- Current truck visits (77,363) show a 13.0% increase compared to March 2024 (68,464)
- This growth aligns with the overall increase in container volume (32.9% year-over-year)
Operational Efficiency
Turn Times
Turn times for the week ending March 30, 2025, show significant improvement over prior periods:
- Single Moves: 38.78 minutes (down 9.5% week-over-week, down 20.4% month-over-month)
- Double Moves: 63.23 minutes (down 18.3% week-over-week, down 17.0% month-over-month)
Compared to March 2024:
- Single Moves: 24.4% faster (38.78 vs. 51.32 minutes)
- Double Moves: 21.6% faster (63.23 vs. 80.63 minutes)
This consistent improvement in turn times suggests enhanced operational efficiency at the terminal level, potentially attributable to technological improvements or streamlined processes.
Total Moves and Trouble Tickets
The week ending March 30, 2025, saw:
- Total Moves: 100,411 units (up 15.7% week-over-week, but down 2.9% month-over-month)
- Trouble Tickets: 6,688 (up 20.1% week-over-week, up 4.7% month-over-month)
Year-over-year:
- Total Moves increased by 13.1% (100,411 vs. 88,743)
- Trouble Tickets increased by 30.0% (6,688 vs. 5,144)
The proportional increase in trouble tickets (30.0%) exceeding the increase in total moves (13.1%) suggests growing operational challenges despite efficiency improvements.
Container Volume and Dwell Times
Container Volume
Container volume for the week ending March 30, 2025:
- 25,454 containers (down 5.8% week-over-week, down 7.1% month-over-month)
- 32.9% increase year-over-year (25,454 vs. 19,150)
The decline in container volume toward the end of March 2025 indicates a potential seasonal shift in import patterns.
Dwell Times
Dwell times for the week ending March 30, 2025:
- Terminal Departure Dwell: 3.56 days (down 8.0% week-over-week, marginally down 0.6% month-over-month)
- Import Rail Departure Dwell: 3.54 days (up 1.7% week-over-week, down 1.9% month-over-month)
Compared to March 2024:
- Terminal Departure Dwell: 32.3% increase (3.56 vs. 2.69 days)
- Import Rail Departure Dwell: 77.9% increase (3.54 vs. 1.99 days)
The substantial year-over-year increase in dwell times raises concerns about congestion and capacity constraints, despite the improvements in turn times.
Year-over-Year Performance Overview
The comprehensive year-over-year comparison reveals significant changes across all key metrics, with mixed implications for port operations:
- Positive developments: Improved turn times (24.4% faster for single moves, 21.6% faster for double moves)
- Concerning trends: Increased dwell times (terminal: +32.3%, rail: +77.9%), higher trouble ticket volume (+30.0%)
- Growth indicators: Higher container volume (+32.9%), increased truck visits (+13.0%), more total moves (+13.1%)
Conclusion and Recommendations
The Port of NY/NJ shows strong performance in operational efficiency as evidenced by improved turn times, but faces growing challenges in managing increased volume as indicated by the substantial rise in dwell times and trouble tickets.
