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 report analyzes the Port’s operational performance for the week ending April 13, 2025, compared to the previous week (April 6, 2025), the previous month (March 16, 2025), and the same period last year (April 14, 2024). The analysis focuses on key performance indicators including turn times, truck visits, container inventory, dwell times, and trouble tickets.
Key findings include:
- Turn Times: Significant improvement in both single (39.42 mins) and double move (61.93 mins) turn times compared to all benchmark periods
- Container Inventory: Sharp increase of 39.03% from last week to 29,974 containers
- Truck Visits: Slight decrease of 0.78% from last week but 1.79% improvement year-over-year
- Trouble Tickets: Reduction of 4.92% from last week, suggesting operational improvements
- Terminal Dwell: Decreased by 6.00% to 3.29 days compared to last week
Weekly Performance Dashboard
Weekly Comparison Analysis
Turn Times and Efficiency Metrics
The week ending April 13, 2025 showed notable improvements in truck processing efficiency:
- Single Moves: 39.42 minutes, decreasing by 6.81% from last week (42.30 mins) and 13.06% from last month (45.34 mins)
- Double Moves: 61.93 minutes, improving by 2.82% from last week (63.73 mins) and 6.83% from last month (66.47 mins)
- Total Moves: 88,381 units, representing a slight decrease of 2.47% from the previous week
These improvements indicate enhanced operational efficiency at the terminal gates, likely attributable to recent process improvements and reduced congestion. The consistent reduction in turn times across both single and double moves suggests systemic improvements rather than temporary fluctuations.
Container Volume and Truck Traffic
- Container Inventory: Weekly average of 29,974 containers, representing a substantial increase of 39.03% from last week (21,560)
- Truck Visits: 73,182 unique truck visits, down marginally by 0.78% from last week’s 73,754 visits
- Year-over-Year: Truck visits are up 1.79% compared to the same week last year (71,897)
The significant increase in container inventory despite slightly fewer truck visits indicates larger cargo loads per truck and possibly increased vessel arrivals during the week. This surge should be monitored closely as it could impact future dwell times if not managed properly.
Key Performance Indicators
Monthly and Annual Comparisons
Month-over-Month Analysis
Compared to the week ending March 16, 2025 (one month prior):
- Turn Times: 13.06% improvement in single moves and 6.83% improvement in double moves
- Trouble Tickets: Significant 22.83% reduction from 6,614 to 5,104 tickets
- Container Inventory: 18.63% increase from 25,266 to 29,974 containers
- Truck Visits: 2.87% decrease from 75,345 to 73,182 visits
The substantial reduction in trouble tickets combined with improved turn times reflects enhanced operational efficiency over the past month. System improvements implemented in late March appear to be yielding positive results.
Year-over-Year Analysis
Compared to the same week in 2024 (week ending April 14, 2024):
- Turn Times: 11.22% improvement in single moves (from 44.40 to 39.42 mins)
- Container Inventory: 16.06% increase from 25,826 to 29,974 containers
- Rail Dwell: Significant 104.29% increase from 1.63 to 3.33 days
- Truck Visits: 1.79% increase from 71,897 to 73,182 visits
The most concerning year-over-year metric is the rail dwell time, which has more than doubled. This suggests significant challenges in rail operations or intermodal connections that require immediate attention. Despite this issue, the overall efficiency metrics show improvement compared to last year.
Operational Trends and Insights
Recent Truck Visit Trend Analysis
Examining the past five weeks of truck visit data:
- Week ending 4/13/2025: 73,182 visits
- Week ending 4/6/2025: 73,754 visits
- Week ending 3/30/2025: 77,363 visits
- Week ending 3/23/2025: 66,189 visits
- Week ending 3/16/2025: 75,345 visits
This data reveals fluctuating weekly volumes with a peak in the week of 3/30/2025. The current week’s slight decrease (-0.78%) from last week appears to be a continuation of normalization after the late March peak rather than a concerning downward trend.
Dwell Time Analysis
- Terminal Dwell: Decreased to 3.29 days (6.00% improvement from last week)
- Rail Dwell: Holding steady at 3.33 days (0.30% increase from last week)
While terminal dwell time has improved, the rail dwell time remains virtually unchanged from last week and significantly higher than last year. This persistent rail dwell issue should be addressed through coordination with rail operators and review of intermodal transfer processes.
Conclusions and Recommendations
- Celebrate Efficiency Gains: The improvements in turn times and reduction in trouble tickets demonstrate operational enhancements that should be recognized and maintained.
- Monitor Container Surge: The 39.03% weekly increase in container inventory warrants close attention to prevent potential congestion issues in the coming weeks.
- Address Rail Dwell Times: The rail dwell time of 3.33 days represents a 104.29% increase from the same period last year. This should be investigated in coordination with rail partners to identify bottlenecks.
- Continue Process Improvements: The reduction in trouble tickets suggests that recent process improvements are having a positive impact and should be continued.
- Prepare for Seasonal Variations: As we approach summer shipping season, the port should prepare for potential volume increases based on historical patterns.
