Contact Information:
1. Jason Stenglein, Sr. Trade Development Representative, Port of Milwaukee, 414-286-8150; jsteng@milwaukee.gov.
2. Mike Bolda, Terminal Manager, Milwaukee Intermodal Terminals, LLC. 414-489-2580.
3. Dennis Schmidt, Canadian Pacific Railway, 630-990-7149
4. Rob Voigt, Sr. Account Executive, Hapag Lloyd, 630-328-1482, rob.voigt@hlag.com
In 2001, the CPR has instituted a Milwaukee stop on their Vancouver, BC to Chicago container train, and stops in Milwaukee before Chicago. The Milwaukee stop handles both import and export cargoes to/from the Far East with this service.
FAR EAST SERVICE VIA VANCOUVER
Local companies have seen a benefit for this service. "It's a great transportation alternative for us" according to Gregg R. Smith, Import Manager of Weyco Group, Inc. Clearing the freight through U.S. Customs here is better for us than clearing it in Chicago. The timing of the inland transportation is comparable and the convenience of getting our container from Milwaukee is another cost savings."
Another major advantage for Wisconsin importers: They do not have to pay the Harbor Maintenance Tax when their cargo is routed via Vancouver. The U.S. Treasury Department charges a tax of $0.125% on the value of the cargo to use U.S. ports. "This can add up when you have several hundred containers in a year, especially if they have a high value," said Mimi Rodriguez of PLS Custom Brokers in Wisconsin.
The intermodal yard at the Port of Milwaukee is on 10 acres of property along the inner harbor of Jones Island. Ideally situated for short sea shipping this property known as the City Heavy Lift Dock also features a 70-ton gantry crane and a 200-ton stiff leg derrick.
EUROPEAN SERVICE VIA MONTREAL
The Port of Milwaukee has had a daily train to/from Montreal since 1986, serving the European market. This service was recently improved with the CP's change in the way they broke out the train in Chicago. "There used to be as many as two or three days transfer time between Chicago and Milwaukee, but now its less than a day," said Mike Bolda, Terminal Manager for Milwaukee Intermodal Terminals.
Milwaukee Intermodal Terminals
Milwaukee Intermodal offers value added services such as stripping and stuffing, repair and sales of shipping containers. Heavy container moves are a specialty in Milwaukee becauses local exporters are able to maximize the weight of the containers, saving the shipping costs of as much as one container for every three shipped. CP Rail will works with all shiplines calling Montreal or Vancouver to serve Milwaukee and the Wisconsin market.
"This service makes sense for Wisconsin importers and exporters. Our Milwaukee facility can efficiently deliver containers to the sorrounding community with a more than competitive routing when using the Port of Vancouver versus the routing from U.S. West Coast ports to Chicago," said Jim Dolan, CP's Manager of International Marketing and Sales."Milwaukee is closer to the customer and offers excellent value-added services not available in Chicago," according to Zachary Felknor, Manager of Milwaukee Intermodal Yard (M.I.T.), which operates the CPR yard in Milwaukee.
M.I.T. unloads the containers from the Railroad and reloads them onto truck for final delivery. M.I.T. offers stuffing and lightening of containers at the rail site. One truck can deliver up to four loads from Milwaukee, to local customers but usually only one out of Chicago, due to M.I.T.'s close proximity to the customer and its ability to load trucks quickly.
The Canadian Pacific Railway offers intermodal container service from Montreal and Vancouver, B.C. to the Port of Milwaukee