CONTAINER COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES OF TWO ATLANTIC PORTS

With large new-generation container ships "load centering" at fewer ports, competition between ports for container traffic is expected to reach fever pitch. The level of business required to justify massive investments in modern port facilities will be attained only if efficient port and inland transport services at competitive rates are aggressively produced and marketed. The contrasting strategies of the ports of Halifax and New York and New Jersey (NY-NJ) for attracting containerized cargo are reviewed in light of their respective markets, transport characteristics, regulatory constraints, and competitive postures. Although both ports are investing heavily in new facilities and pressing for modified labor rules, NY-NJ has pursued and reached agreement with railroads on double-stack container services. Halifax, on the other hand, is giving priority to establishing alternative rail services on the Montreal route to create effective competition with Canadian National Railways (CN Rail). Although CN Rail has experimented with double-stack container cars, no innovative inland transportation arrangements have been consummated. Without greater efficiency in overland movements to and from Halifax, Montreal will probably continue to significantly constrain Halifax's competitive position until large container ships that cannot reach Montreal begin to dominate the trade, which will further stiffen competition from NY-NJ.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1986/1061/1061-001.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=CONTAINER+COMPETITIVE+STRATEGIES+OF+TWO+ATLANTIC+PORTS&author=C.+Shaw&author=C.+Banks&author=W.+Delaney&author=D.+Shuman&publication_year=1986
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Freight Transportation Planning and Marketing. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Shaw, Charles E
  • Banks, Charles H
  • Delaney, William W
  • Shuman, David J
• Publication Date: 1986

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1-6
• Monograph Title: Freight transportation
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1061
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Competition; Containers; Freight transportation; Ports; Railroad transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Double stack container cars
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Highways; Railroads; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00474181
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309040558
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 31 1988 12:00AM