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
Port operations for the week ending April 6, 2025, showed significant changes compared to previous periods. Total truck visits decreased by 4.67% from the previous week, with 73,754 unique truck visits compared to 77,363 in the week ending March 30. Container volume also decreased by 15.30% week-over-week, with 21,560 containers processed compared to 25,454 the previous week. Despite the decrease in volume, single move turn times increased by 9.08%, rising from 38.78 minutes to 42.30 minutes, while double moves remained relatively stable with a slight increase of 0.79%. The number of trouble tickets showed a notable improvement, decreasing by 19.74% from the previous week.
Year-over-year comparisons reveal a mixed picture. Truck visits increased by 2.58% compared to the same period last year, while container volume decreased by 16.52%. Processing efficiency shows improvement for both single and double moves, with decreases of 4.73% and 3.82% respectively in turn times. However, dwell times have increased significantly, with terminal departure dwell up 7.36% and import rail departure dwell up 103.68% compared to the same period last year.
Truck Activity Analysis
Weekly Truck Visit Trends
Truck visits for the week ending April 6, 2025, totaled 73,754, representing a decrease of 4.67% from the previous week and 6.64% from early March. This continues a fluctuating pattern observed throughout March, where truck visits peaked at 78,998 during the week of March 9 before dropping to 66,189 during the week of March 23, then rebounding to 77,363 for the week of March 30. Despite the recent decline, current truck visit volumes remain 2.58% higher than the same period last year.
Turn Time Performance
Turn times for the week ending April 6 show mixed results:
- Single Moves: Increased to 42.30 minutes from 38.78 minutes the previous week (+9.08%). This is still better than the 46.33 minutes recorded in early March and shows a 4.73% improvement compared to the same period last year.
- Double Moves: Remained relatively stable at 63.73 minutes, a slight increase of 0.79% from the previous week’s 63.23 minutes. Year-over-year, double move efficiency has improved by 3.82%.
- Total Moves: Decreased to 90,620 units from 100,411 the previous week, a 9.75% reduction that reflects the lower overall truck and container volume.
The increase in single move turn times despite lower volume suggests potential operational challenges or resource allocation issues that warrant further investigation.
Container Volume and Dwell Times
Container Volume Trends
Container volume has shown a consistent downward trend since early March, decreasing from 30,610 for the week ending March 9 to 21,560 for the week ending April 6, a 29.57% decrease over this period. The most recent week-over-week decrease was 15.30%. This significant reduction may indicate seasonal patterns, supply chain adjustments, or shifts in global trade flows.
Year-over-year comparison shows a 16.52% decrease in container volume compared to the same period in 2024, which handled 25,826 containers. This suggests broader changes in trade patterns or economic conditions affecting import volumes.
Dwell Time Analysis
Dwell times for the week ending April 6 show a mixed pattern:
- Terminal Departure Dwell: Decreased slightly to 3.50 days from 3.56 days the previous week (-1.69%). However, this remains 12.18% higher than early March figures and 7.36% higher than the same period last year.
- Import Rail Departure Dwell: Decreased to 3.32 days from 3.54 days the previous week (-6.21%). While this represents an improvement over the previous week, it is still significantly higher (+103.68%) than the 1.63 days recorded for the same period last year.
The substantial year-over-year increase in import rail departure dwell time is particularly concerning and may indicate persistent issues with rail connections, capacity constraints, or coordination challenges.
Operational Efficiency Indicators
Trouble Tickets
The number of trouble tickets decreased significantly to 5,368 for the week ending April 6, a 19.74% reduction from the previous week’s 6,688. This improvement suggests better operational execution or fewer exceptional situations requiring intervention. However, the year-over-year comparison shows a 9.33% increase from the 4,910 trouble tickets recorded during the same period in 2024.
Year-over-Year Performance Metrics
Key year-over-year performance metrics for the week ending April 6, 2025, compared to the week ending April 14, 2024:
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
| Truck Visits | 71,897 | 73,754 | +2.58% |
| Single Moves (mins) | 44.40 | 42.30 | -4.73% |
| Double Moves (mins) | 66.26 | 63.73 | -3.82% |
| Total Moves (units) | 92,875 | 90,620 | -2.43% |
| Containers | 25,826 | 21,560 | -16.52% |
| Terminal Dwell (days) | 3.26 | 3.50 | +7.36% |
| Import Rail Dwell (days) | 1.63 | 3.32 | +103.68% |
Recommendations and Outlook
- Investigate Single Move Efficiency: The increase in single move turn times despite lower overall volume suggests potential operational issues that should be examined to prevent further deterioration.
- Address Rail Dwell Times: The significant year-over-year increase in import rail departure dwell time requires immediate attention. Coordination with rail partners and review of handoff procedures may be necessary.
- Monitor Container Volume Trend: The consistent decline in container volume over the past month should be analyzed in the context of seasonal patterns and broader economic indicators to determine if this represents a temporary fluctuation or a longer-term shift.
- Build on Trouble Ticket Improvements: The reduction in trouble tickets is a positive development. Identify the factors that contributed to this improvement and implement them more broadly across operations.
- Prepare for Potential Volume Fluctuations: Historical patterns suggest that port activity can fluctuate significantly week to week. Maintaining operational flexibility will be crucial to efficiently manage these variations.
The port continues to show improved efficiency in several key metrics compared to the previous year, particularly in turn times for both single and double moves. However, the significant increases in dwell times and the downward trend in container volume warrant close monitoring and potentially targeted interventions.
