Planning for the TraPac Automated Container Terminal

TraPac operates B135-147 at the Port of Los Angeles. As part of a recent terminal expansion, TraPac decided to convert operations on a major portion of the terminal from conventional operations to a highly-automated system of container handling. In order for this conversion to be effective, a great number of issues had to be resolved by TraPac and POLA during the terminal planning process. The shape of the terminal was not rectangular, so lessons from most existing automated terminals could not easily be directly applied to TraPac. TraPac, like all terminals in Southern California, moves a great deal of cargo via rail. This was another major difference from automated terminals in Europe, where rail cargo is typically a much smaller fraction of vessel moves. The unique shape and goals of TraPac resulted in a final plan that features many innovations, including robotic shuttles, a combination of parallel and perpendicular rows, and direct access to the railyard by robotic transport vehicles.