All of us who have looked at a map of the United States can determine very easily that Maine’s manufacturers are as far away from their markets as anyone can get and still be in the U.S.

Sears Island, as a container port or intermodal terminal, could make a tremendous difference in access to U.S. and world markets. Perhaps definition of “container port” would be good. A container port is one where containers that are basically semi-trailers without wheels that arrive by ship, rail or highways are loaded for further shipment. An “intermodal terminal” is a container port with the ability to load containers between semi-trailer chassis, ships and special rail cars and ships or vice versa.

The containers are made in lengths from 20 feet to 53 feet, all are about the same size in other dimensions and can be stacked on trains and ships. Visualize one of our manufacturers such as makers of newsprint, printing papers, waferboard, studs, furniture and many other items being loaded into a container at the manufacturers’ plants. The product then would start its move by highway or train to Sears Island where it could be stored outdoors in the weatherproof containers until a ship load is accumulated without warehousing or handling of individual items or skids.

On the other side of the coin, incoming containers of manufactured goods or raw materials would arrive by ship, be loaded on intermodal trains or semi-trailer chassis for the balance of the trip to their destination. Use of the intermodal train would cut highway traffic on roads that are already crowded and allow shipment to the interior of the United States creating jobs for railroads and supporting personnel. Very long intermodal trains are evident all across the western U.S.

Better transportation means the ability to distribute products more economically to a wider area which will in the long run create more employment. Gerald L. Harvey Holden