Web-based Virtual Container Yard software going to market
A Web-based container tracking and organization software service first used to make the Alameda Corridor a success is now being offered to the general market.
The InterTurn service is the first available to automate the 'virtual container yard' concept, in which empty containers are moved directly to the next loading point instead of first being drayed back to a terminal or rail ramp, maker International Asset Systems said in an announcement Wednesday.
IAS estimates that at any given moment, 30 percent to 40 percent of intermodal trucks are hauling empty containers back to port terminals or depots — the result of an inefficient system. InterTurn eliminates those empty trips by matching available containers 'on the street' with shippers' needs for equipment, so that empty containers can be delivered directly to the shippers for loading.
InterTurn also cuts down on gate fees, storage charges and terminal handling fees.
The first VCY program, sponsored by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together with the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority in Southern California, uses IAS technology and has been operating since July 2006. In the program, IAS is working in partnership with eModal.
A central feature of InterTurn is the ability to integrate it with ocean carriers' equipment management systems. As the carrier's system updates the status of each container, the information is transferred to InterTurn and made available to approved trucking companies via the InterTurn Web site.
Only trucking companies authorized by each ocean carrier are able to see available containers; however, trucking companies can use InterTurn to view available boxes from several container operators at once.