The new program, dubbed OakPass, is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, pending review by the Federal Maritime Commission. The terminals have submitted their proposal to FMC by way of the Oakland MTO Agreement. They said they are currently working to ensure that enough labor will be available to operate the new gates. The group has established OakPass LLC, a not-for-profit company, to manage the Saturday gate program. OakPass president John Cushing said the port and its terminals spent more than a year evaluating options, including night gates. They determined that the Saturday operation is "the most practical and cost-effective method to increase capacity in a way that meshes with availability of truck drivers and longshore workers, and serves the entire supply chain," he said. To help pay for the cost of the new gates, the terminals will begin collecting an Extended Gate Fee of $17 per 20-foot equivalent unit, or $34 for a typical 40-foot container. The fee will be assessed on loaded boxes entering or exiting the terminals during the peak hours of 7:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
