MCS’s terminal in Newark, NJ
Marine Container Services (MCS), headquartered in Newark, NJ, four miles from PT Newark, is a good example of a logistics provider that offers many services to shippers utilizing the port terminals encompassing the Port of New York/New Jersey. Consequently, its president and founder, Joe Noonan, also has insight as to the many issues the port currently faces.
A logistics provider, the company operates as a full service company with 48 State common, contract and brokerage authority.
“We are one of the few pier carriers that have company owned and operated tractors,” comments Noonan. “In addition, our company drivers are equipped with radiophones for instant communications.”
MCS, which was founded in 1978 and previously known as Rail Head Transfer, has a current Customs House License in New Jersey (NWK269). This allows the company to function as a bonded carrier between states. In addition, MCS has a liquor license for the transportation of liquor within New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Sister company, Management Consultant Brokerage (MCB), is a licensed Customs Broker and NVOCC that prepares all documentation to clear or transport a client’s cargo in bond to its destination. It provides both ocean and air freight quotes to and from the United States for all international import and export cargo. It also prepares all documentation to clear or transport a client’s cargo in bond to its destination.
“We work with ports throughout the United States via Remote Location Filing (RLF) to reduce fees and expedite clearance,” he says.
MCS offers complete warehousing services, including transloading, export consolidation, import distribution, loading of flat racks, banding of cargo/storage and special projects requiring “heavy lifts.” Its warehouse has 102,000 square feet of space and 25 loading/unloading doors.
“We have one drive-in door if automobile loading is needed and for oversized cargo,” Noonan describes.
MCS also has a secure container parking area, which is an excellent benefit for importers and exporters using MCS for their cargo.
In addition, MCS provides transloading, export consolidation, import distribution and storage.
“We can also handle special projects that require heavy lifts – capacity is 10 tons,” he adds.
The company handles all size loads. “We provide load truck load, flat bed, and step deck services from our Newark terminal,” he says. In addition, the company has its own fleet of chassis which includes both 20 and 40-foot tri-axles for the movement of overweight containers.
“We handle special cargo that requires heavy lifts and banding of cargo,” Noonan adds. “We also provide truckload, flat bed and step deck services from Essex and Hudson counties to 48 states.”
Its trucking services have 48 state common, contract and brokerage authority. “We are running both company owned equipment and owner operators,” Noonan explains.“And our transportation management software (TMS) allows our customers on line access to their cargo with an automated event management email system that notifies our clients on the status of their container cargo.”
That system provides website access, email event management and EDI data exchange for MCS customers.
MCS also has completely automated its dispatch and warehouse operation to better service its clients. “Our Mobilecomm system updates container status as our drivers complete their assigned moves,” he says. “Our auto tracing system checks container availability every hour electronically.”
Location Helps
According to Noonan, the company’s Newark location gives MCS a tremendous advantage of pulling containers out of the port’s three main terminals each day.
“We normally can arrive earlier in the morning than most truckers and have the ability at the end of the day to try and get that last move out since we are so close to the port,” says Noonan.
Most of the cargo the company handles is imports. “We handle commodities like furniture, beer, spirits, wines, construction material, and light bulbs,” he says. “We handle windmill turbine parts and various crates of machinery, including elevator parts.”
MCS has the capability to lift up to 26,000 pounds with its forklift equipment.
“We also do export flat racks that require inspections by the National Cargo Bureau prior to the equipment being returned to the piers,” Noonan adds.
To date, the company has seen a slight increase in cargo volume. Nearly all of the cargo MCS handles is for the New York/ New Jersey market. “We have 48 state ICC authority, but normally only transport containers under 150 miles from Newark, NJ,” Noonan reveals.
Port Issues
Currently, Noonan sees pier congestion as the biggest impediment to moving cargo in/out and around the New York/New Jersey area and PT Newark.
“Port congestion delays our trucks from picking up containers in a timely manner,” he says. “It’s important that the pier terminals provide a quick turn time for our drivers to pick up loads and return empties within a responsible period of time.”
When drivers are delayed at piers for long period of times it is a no win situation for all. “Our customers are delayed in getting their goods, pier terminals are faced with long lines, and roads are congested, which creates a dangerous situation,” Noonan says.
Say nothing of the fact trucks are idling and, thereby, causing air pollution. “Meanwhile, both the truck drivers and trucking companies are losing money,” he adds.
Noonan attributes a shortage of labor to the major reason for the delays at the pier terminals.
Noonan sees the Port of New York/New Jersey as facing an ever changing process right now.
“Terminals are opening and closing at different times,” he states. “Steamship lines require the return of empty containers to different terminals each day.”
In addition, he points out that short term road worthy chassis are not always available at every chassis depot.
“I believe the solution to the problem would be to have the pier terminals open for gate activity 16 hours per day at the same times with the proper man power for gate activity,” he remarks. “Making sure that a truck can be processed within 1 hour or less upon its arrival at the pier would keep the cargo moving quickly and benefit all parties.”
Noonan also maintains that the truck gate should be as important to the stevedores as is vessel loading and unloading.
“Currently the vessel operation has priority over the truck gate,” he states.
“Both operations should be considered important to improve services at the Port of New York/New Jersey.”
