A major maritime cargo port recently replaced its conventional diesel cranes with state-of-the-art automated electric gantry cranes, reducing the time required to load and unload containers from a vessel at berth by 40 percent per ship. However, in the six months following the deployment of the new cranes, the average turnaround time for cargo vessels—measured from when a vessel enters the port's harbor to when it departs back to open sea—increased by 15 percent. Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy described above?
- The rapid unloading rate of the new cranes overwhelmed the port's inland customs clearance and truck dispatch facilities, causing severe harbor queuing where ships had to wait at anchor for days before an open berth became available.Answer
- BThe new automated electric cranes require far less scheduled routine maintenance per month than the older diesel cranes required.
- CThe port authority paid a premium price to purchase and install the automated electric cranes compared to traditional equipment.
- DShipping lines operating at the port recently expanded their global trade routes to include several new international destinations.
- EThe electricity needed to power the new gantry cranes is generated primarily from clean, renewable energy sources.
Answer
The statement explaining that rapid unloading created a bottleneck at inland customs and truck dispatch, causing ships to wait longer at anchor before reaching a berth, resolves the paradox.
The correct answer resolves the paradox by differentiating between time spent loading at the berth and total time spent in the harbor. If the increased speed at berth causes a downstream bottleneck in customs and truck dispatching, berths cannot clear incoming traffic fast enough, forcing ships to wait at anchor. The prolonged waiting time at anchor outweighs the time saved at berth, causing net turnaround times to rise.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Resolving Paradoxes: Scope Gaps & System Bottlenecks