Tropics Update & Drayage Empty Pickup Appointments Process

Dear Clients,

We are starting off 2021 with an early tropical disturbance.  The APM Terminals Mobile, AL staff does not anticipated disruptions to terminal operations at this time.  If anything changes, we will utilize Terminal Alerts to provide updates.  Do not expect any further communication on the current storm that is expecting landfall on Saturday well west of Mobile, AL.  

Any changes to vessel schedules/arrivals will be updated in our live Vessel Schedule as soon as we get that change.

A reminder to APM Terminals Mobile, AL tropical storm processes. The Mobile, AL works directly with local weather, University of South Alabama staff, US Coast Guard, and AL State Port Authority staff to stay up to date with the very latest information on storm predictions.  APM Terminals utilizes this email service to provide the very latest updates.  As soon as APM staff internally has discussions concerning a storm and has new information, we like to share that information.  If there are any decisions to adjust gate hours we will utilize Terminal Alerts. 

Drayage Empty Pickup Appointments Process

Mobile, AL currently has off site empty depots for CMA and MSC.  If a driver will be making an empty pickup or empty drop off to those sites, please do NOT have that empty transaction within the driver's APM Terminals appointment. 

If a driver has an empty appointment, but does NOT complete that appointment (or have it cancelled prior to leaving the facility) this appointment is left "hanging" in the system and incomplete.  Hence if that driver arrives back at the terminal for a future appointment, the system will be confused on why a driver is attempting to make a new transaction, when the previous transaction is still active.  This causes the driver to be delayed at the second in-gate transaction (and any subsequent transactions throughout the day). 

This not only delays your driver each arrival, but then results in a ripple of other drivers waiting for additional time.  We have seen an increase in this issue within the past few weeks.  While we have seen less than 5 of these on any given day (therefor not causing any substantial delay), we did want to educated drayage providers to the process.  We appreciate everyone's continued efforts in keeping cargo flowing during the past year.  Mobile, AL has been proud to provide consistent turn times while many other ports around the world have seen elevated turn times over the past several months.