Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT) handled a record number of container volumes without disruption to its customers following its January 2017 upgrade to the N4 terminal system. The move to Navis N4 is part of PNCT’s $500 million infrastructure modernization project that is expected to nearly double the terminal’s capacity by 2019.
Located within the Port of New York and New Jersey—the largest port on the East Coast and third largest in the U.S.—PNCT is among the most important terminals responsible for moving cargo throughout the nation and abroad, handling 1.3 million TEUs annually.
With the region’s massive project to raise the Bayonne Bridge near completion, larger vessels will be able to call at PNCT for the first time. As a result, PNCT has undergone a $500 million terminal redevelopment project—a move expected to increase container capacity to 2.3 million TEUs by 2019. This anticipated surge in container volumes, combined with the need to move cargo faster and more efficiently than ever before, drove the decision to upgrade to N4.
“The implementation of N4 provides us the foundation and platform that will allow PNCT to expand our data and service offerings to not only benefit carriers, but other critical stakeholders such as shippers/forwarders by providing tailored solutions that meet the needs of today’s supply chain,” said Chris Garbarino, VP of Operations, PNCT.
PNCT selected N4 due to a variety of reasons, including its enhanced data, billing and reporting capabilities; the sophistication of its optimization modules; configuration and data analytics capabilities; and its proven integration and compatibility with other advanced terminal technologies, including PDS, OCR and gate management systems. As part of the implementation, PNCT worked in close partnership with Navis to ensure a seamless upgrade to N4 with no disruption to its active operations or customers. Coordination between its operations and IT groups, significant and thorough early testing and configuration, as well as live testing integrating various technologies and vendors with N4 resulted in not only a successful upgrade, but also enabled the terminal to rapidly optimize its operations following the January 2017 go-live.
“We experienced significant volume surges in Q1 2017 requiring the system to perform optimally in an exceptionally small period of time,” Garbarino continued. “The enhanced N4 system enabled PNCT’s terminal operations to deliver weekly records for vessel lifts and rail lifts during and in the two-to-three weeks immediately following the go-live period.”
“While many container terminals around the world are actively preparing for greater container volumes over time, for PNCT, this surge is very real as it prepares to double its capacity in just a few short years. Its decision to not only upgrade to N4 now, but also invest in other industry-leading terminal solutions and equipment, signals its commitment to modernizing its infrastructure, enhancing operations and delivering the best service experience possible for its customers,” said Chuck Schneider, Vice President and General Manager of the Americas, for Navis, LLC. “The go-live success and early milestones are incredible achievements, and we look forward to further partnering with PNCT to ensure it achieves long-term optimized terminal performance.”
