Ports vs Terminals
A port can be described as a geographical location, that may extend over many square kilometres. Ports are divided into terminals: depending on its size, a port can have from a couple to several dozen terminals.
A terminal can be described as a set of docks, each with its own purpose. Each terminal of the port is operated by one or more competing private operators, which have obtained a concession or lease to load and unload ships for a certain number of years. These operators are solely responsible for all loading and unloading activities. In contrast, the port authority (often a public entity, but sometimes private) manages the port’s external infrastructure to ensure that goods can easily enter and leave the port on land.
Shipping containers are a common sight at ports. The standard container length is either 20 feet (fitting two standard-size cars) or 40 feet. How much container traffic a port can handle is measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). It’s common for a port’s traffic to be in the millions of TEUs.
Main activities at a container terminal
- Quay operations: the entrance and departure of the ship from the port
- Crane operations: the transport of containers from the dock to the stacking zone
- Yard operations: stacking the containers
- Gate operation: the loading of containers on trucks or trains
The abovementioned activities also take place in reverse.
Types of Terminals
