I recently had the opportunity to visit Panama again to co-present Manzanillo International Terminal’s (MIT) automatic stacking crane (ASC) project with Stacy Hatfield, MIT’s general manager. The Terminal Operators Conference (TOC) of the Americas was held in Panama City on October 13-15, and focused on automation and the expected impact of the larger vessels that will soon transit the expanded Panama Canal. Our talk was well received This was my first time attending a TOC conference, and also my first time speaking in front of this type of audience. I was proud to present with Stacy about a project that we were very closely involved with, but I think I may have bored all but a few numbers geeks in the audience!
I heard from folks whose experience span the industry including a colleague that we often work with at Tideworks, John Bressi. He spoke about the new Tuxpan Port Terminal project. During the session, I heard concerns from other speakers over additional rail infrastructure needed to support the flow of cargo to inland destinations. Many talks concerned the Panama Canal expansion, deployment of bigger ships, and the “Cascade Effect,” which sends larger vessels to visit smaller terminals because the newest largest vessels are taking over the highest volume routes.
Attending a TOC is fun. I got to operate a simulated gantry crane, and I rode the Tideworks virtual reality roller coaster via an Oculus Rift visor. You should too!
See Tideworks next year at the TOC Events Worldwide in Germany and Cancun!
