b'8American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comMPPs: A fleet in transition From Excel to AI: While the project industry is in flux facing geopolitical challenges,A tech breakthrough the MPP fleet is shaping a new course as the vessels being built are a new generation of ships, representing a major departure fromfor project logisticsthe existing MPP fleet.AI digitizing the undigitable. By George Lauriat, AJOTWhether they are called MPPs (Multi orToepfer Transport, a Hamburg Germany- By Luke King, AJOTMultiple Purpose) carriers or MPVs (Multi orbasedshipbroker,isamongthebestatana- Its an oft-repeated mantrawifts Nova platform, allows Multiple Purpose) vessels, these are the shipslyzing and tracking the MPP fleet, with theirthatprojectlogisticsistoouserstointerrogatetheir that are the workhorses for the ocean move- ToepferTransportMultipurposeShippingdifficultandtoocomplextologisticsdatausingnatural ment of oversized cargo and project freight.Index (TMI) and the quarterly Toepfer Mul- digitizebut that mission haslanguagecommands,much Generally, the MPP ships are on the smallertipurpose Shipping Report. The TMI is a keytaken a big step forward withlike widely used applications sizeofaround12,000dwt-14,000dwt[Ftool in following the MPP sector as it repre- the rollout of a dedicated arti- such as ChatGPT.Class] relative to the dry bulk carriers and Ro/ sentsthemonthlyaveragetimecharterrateficialintelligence Ros (roll-on/roll-off) equipped with self-sus- assessment for 6-12 months for a 12,500 tonstool designed espe-taining cranes [geared]often specificallydeadweight MPP/HL F-Type vessel. cially for industrial-designed to handle oversized cargo loads. (TRANSITIONcontinued on page 10) scale operations.The AI tool has beendevelopedby Dubai-based Logis-wift, which is active intheUSwithits ownoperationin Houston, and counts projectforwarders andmajorshippers amongitsglobal clients.ItsnewAILogiswift CEO Ziad Abourizkchatbotisdesigned tosimplifydataanalysisYou can ask Nova Chat-forprojectcargooperators,bot,Whataremydelayed addressingwhatCEOZiadshipmentsoverthelastfive Abourizk calls the industrysdays? Or Can you build me a Excel problem. (TECHcontinued on The AI tool, part of Logis- page 16)FLORIDAS BREAKBULKDISTRIBUTION HUBClosest port to Floridas largest and fastest growing market Five post-Panamax gantry cranes with plans for two moreMore than 500,000 SF of warehouse and transit shedExpanding lumber, perishable, container, project cargo, and capacity heavy-lift businessMore than 7,000 feet of berth New and expanded container services with Central Floridas largest steel port America, South America, Mexico, and AsiaWWW.PORTTB.COM'