"Competitiveness" has become a hot topic for US states, municipalities, and ports. With slower post-recession economic and trade g

Going into 2018 the container shipping industry faces a fundamental problem: too many large vessels. The carriers have invested heavily in “megaships” to reduce slot costs and emissions, and continue to take delivery of ever-larger examples. The oversupply of vessels overall and large vessels in specific creates a double-edged problem: -Oversupply has depressed rates and profitability in an era of slow trade growth, despite partial recoveries by some carriers in some trades.

Vessel dwell time is a hot button for the container shipping industry. Besides the cost involved on both the land side and the water side, there are serious concerns about the ability of terminals to handle new megaships promptly and efficiently. The Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmits precise vessel location data and speed data, giving operators, government agencies, and industry analysts far better and more complete information on vessel movements and dwell time