Utah, Oakland sign deal to improve cargo flow

The Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) and the Port of Oakland signed a deal to improve cargo flow to and from the Northern California gateway and the Utah logistics system, officials from both organizations said earlier this month.

The agreement aims to reduce congestion and cost associated with goods movement through the corridor by optimizing Oakland’s existing on- and near-dock rail system to reduce dwell times and improve the speed and consistency of rail deliveries to and from Utah. UIPA will, in turn, develop transloading capacity—the process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another—within its jurisdiction to accept those imports and increase export capacity from Utah businesses, officials said.

Both parties said the deal is part of a larger goal of improving fluidity and velocity of goods as they move inland from Western cargo gateways. They also said they will work togther to deploy “emerging and innovative fuel and energy technologies” along the corridor, to reduce air pollution and improve energy efficiency.