Is there such a thing as a map of ports outlining the pros and cons of each port as well as port capacity and constraints? So much as been written about the Panama Canal expansion and how that might affect the ports in North America…would be interesting to see how the ports rate in terms of rail and road access, navigational issues (i.e. low bridges, tides etc), labor relations, bulk shipping and intermodal service capacity etc.
Ulrich,
Most, if not all Class I carriers show the ports they serve on their websites. Virtually all of the ports have a website that touts their facilities and advantages. You will not see much about constraints. For example the Port of Portland Oregon will not mention that the reason they do next to no intermodal containers is the fact theat steamships have to run 100 miles up the Columbia River and that the river’s draft is less than that of nearby Seattle and Tacoma. Seattle and Tacoma will not tell you that the reason their container volume has been flat for at least the last 10 years has been diversion of the growth to Vancouver BC.
I know of nothing that does what you ask. You could do some of it yourself, but would take a lot of hours and the good details will not be on a public website.
Mac McCulloch
Yes, I realize that Mac… I was hinting ever so subtly that this might be an interesting Trains map…in almost every issue there’s a map of something… i…e. a map of passes through the Rockies etc. The map would, of course, not be exhaustive in its detail, but may however provide a summary of tonnages, growth/decline over the last ten years, intermodal capabilities, union/ nonunion, which carriers serve it, and any known negatives… (like Port of Saint John with its pronounced Bay of Fundy tides). Just an idea…
That would be an interesting map or maps…in quadrants of North East (including Canada), mid-Atlantic to Florida, Gulf Coast, West Coast Contiguous, West Coast Canada and Alaska, and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence.
OK I said quadrants. Before I wrote the sentence. There are 7 sections with my add ons!.
A few years ago (like 3 - 4), I recall that I saw a study of this sort, by a consullting firm for a governmental agency of some kind (perhaps Canadian ?). Likely each port has such a study, if only to know how they stack up against their competition. It would take some Internet digging, but it’s out there, I’m confident.
- Paul North.
Ha ha…I will google “million dollar govermnment studies” to see what comes up… Most that I’ve seen reaffirm conclusions that can be derived through the use of commonsense.
Thanks Greyhounds…that’s good start… and an eye opener. I didn’t realize LA and Long Beach were THAT big in comparison to the others. Will have to study these further.
Dr. Robert Leachmann’s study is very useful
Thanks for the link. I see they also have maps under “Press Room”.
As information, Dr. Leachman is a former Union Pacific employee who writes regularly for “The Steamliner” which is the publication of the Union Pacific Historical Society.
IIRC, he’s on the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley and does consulting work.
He recently wrote a very good two part series about the UP’s last efforts to hang on the the California carload perishable business. He detailed how the government literally forced the railroads out of the market (The ICC) while another part of the government was encouraging the UP, SP, etc. to go after the business as a productivity improvement.
Greyhounds and Beaulieu, thank you for your interesting links.
Ulrich, to help with your research I have found the following item which deals with individual bulk commodities which you may be able to integrate with your other data. Natural Resources Canada (Government of Canada) publishes something called the Canadian Minerals Yearbook. The newest data they have is for 2009.
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/minerals-metals/business-market/canadian-minerals-yearbook/4033
Bruce