Visitors learned about the benefits of a CILTNA membership through literature provided at the booth along with chats with CILTNA members and student volunteers from Capilano University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Two draws were made for prizes donated by the Port of Vancouver.

CILTNA Conference Session: What it takes to be Big Ship Ready

Interest was high for the CILTNA Pacific Chapter’s session: What it takes to be Big Ship Ready, at the Cargo Logistics Conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre February 7, 2019. A four-person panel, moderated by Session Chair Robert Lewis-Manning, addressed a sold-out room on the issues facing the cargo transportation chain in preparation for Ultra Large Container Ships arriving at Canada’s sea ports. Among challenges facing port terminals, rail and truck stakeholders, and inland destinations were common themes of expansion: terminal ship berths and container yards; increased rail and trucking capacity; increased labour; and information technology solutions. Tony Boemi, Vice President, Growth and Development at the Port of Montreal, said the port was now focused on developing artificial intelligence to predict port activity. Jordan Kajfasz, Assistant Vice President of International Intermodal and Automotive at CP Rail, identified the need to have sufficient land reserved at inland destinations to avoid failure in the supply chain. Tabare Dominguez, Commercial Director for DP World’s ocean terminals in British Columbia described expansion plans at ports in Vancouver and Prince Rupert.  Jude Correa, Vice President, Risk and Insurance, Seaspan Ship Management Ltd., Jude Correa, Vice President, Risk and Insurance, Seaspan Ship Management Ltd., provided the audience with a detailed examination of the engineering and design changes that have taken place in recent years to develop the new Ultra Large Container Ships, some of which carry more than 22,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units).

CILTNA (Pacific Chapter) member, Harbour Link Container Services Inc., donated a grand prize for a draw at the end of the panel session: a sight seeing airplane flight over Vancouver’s port facilities on the Pacific Coast and the Burrard Inlet waterway.

Photos courtesy of Cargo Logistics Canada