THE PORT OF TOLEDO OHIO, U.S.A.

[Music] [Music] my [Music] the port of toledo has been a large bulk handling port for nearly a half century even before the opening of the new saint lawrence seaway large lake vessels made thousands of visits to the toledo harbor each year this helicopter scene shows hundreds of railroad cars containing up to 300 types of soft coal carefully arranged and waiting to be emptied into ships today toledo is one of the largest bulk handling ports in the world a large contributor to the toledo harbor's reputation as a coal port is this mammoth loader built by the chesapeake and ohio railway this highly sophisticated machine dumps two cars of coal per minute and has a capacity of six thousand tons per hour it is one of the world's fastest and largest coal loaders a typical lake crater carrying 000 tons can be loaded and on its way in three and a half hours the coal moves on a series of conveyor belts a computer scale registers the weight automatically the principal belt is eight feet wide [Music] the conveyor belts deliver the black mineral into a large telescopic chute through which it falls into the holes of the ship it fills each hold of a vessel while the ship remains stationary [Music] the loader itself moves along the dock on rails in addition there are six other loaders in the harbor each handles one car per minute before the new seaway opened in 1959 small ocean ships also visited the port [Music] this private terminal formed 10 years before the new seaway is still in operation the first overseas ship to bring in general cargo following world war ii was served at this location today it specializes in handling rolls of newsprint weighing nearly a ton each [Music] even before the new deep draft seaway opened in 1959 harbor installations included excellent capabilities for ship building and repair [Music] next to the shipyard is one of the largest pig iron plants on the great lakes its waterside location permits the discharge of iron ore and coal directly from the vessel [Music] oil refining is a vast and growing industry in the toledo area over a million tons of refined petroleum products leave the port each year the new seaway brought with it greater export opportunity for famous name toledo products shown here libby glass de vildus spray guns toledo scales and champion spark plugs [Music] residents of the toledo area were among the first to realize the need for a new deep draft waterway which would effectively link the industrial and agricultural core of the united states to the great ports of the world [Music] in 1959 this great dream became a reality now three-fourths of the world's maritime fleet are able to reach the port of toledo each of the seven locks between montreal and ogdensburg new york is 80 feet wide 800 feet long and 30 feet deep [Music] one man at this control panel operates the gates at the eisenhower lot all locks of the saint lawrence seaway system are filled and emptied by gravity vessels up to 730 feet long 75 feet wide drawing 25 feet 6 inches of water are permitted [Music] the size of the locks can accommodate nearly 80 percent of the world's merchant marine only extremely large and highly specialized ships are excluded vessels are raised 570 feet on their way to the port of toledo higher than the washington monument in the nation's capital the seaway development was a joint project of the united states and canada in 1955 shortly after the seaway project was authorized things began to hum at the port of toledo plans were completed and construction began in 1958 most of this area was merely marshland by the time the seaway opened one year later the toledo lucas county port authority had already completed construction of 28 acres with two ship berths located below all bridges this international cargo facility now encompasses 125 acres with 4 100 feet of straight-line warp let's drop down for a closer look you are now circling above the first general cargo terminal to be located on the port authority site after several expansions the firm now leases 21 acres which includes 2000 feet of wharf and has a 105 000 square foot transit shed two company-owned gantry cranes are capable of operating along the entire length of the wharf [Music] this open birth maintained by the port authority ensures access to unleased areas [Music] the second general cargo terminal leases a 50 000 square foot transit shed two ship berths and eight and a half acres of land from this vantage point it is easy to see the highly desirable open storage area behind the wharves an asset which is lacking at so many ports [Music] notice how this entire waterfront facility has been designed for quick and efficient movement of cargo the dock apron along the 8th berth wharf is 50 feet wide gantry rails straddle two railroad tracks both freight car and truck loading docks are at the rear of the warehouses it is possible to move transient cargo straight through the transit sheds to either rail car or truck cargo can be loaded fast efficiently and without congestion at ship's side forklift trucks which can hold up to 20 tons mobile cranes and other essential equipment can easily spot most cargo in any of the storage areas on the 125-acre site coming into view at the upriver end of the site is one of two privately owned gantry cranes which were mentioned earlier [Music] having the advantage of building a completely new hoodie the port authority anticipated rapid tonnage growth and provided for sufficient cargo accommodations access to 30 acres of paved open storage area is as close as 500 feet from the water although only 18 acres are shown here there is a total of 30 acres for holding commodities fencing and lighting ensure cargo safety specialized equipment can move containers to and from the dock our helicopter is now passing over the roof of the building which contains the foreign trade zone as construction proceeds let's go upstairs for a better view the only operating foreign trade zone or free port on the great lakes is situated within a nine acre area on the port authority site the 235 000 square foot building is used for both foreign and domestic merchandise goods of every description may be stored sold repacked assembled and sorted or they may be graded manipulated and manufactured products in the zone are not subject to payment of customs charges until withdrawn from the exempted area prior to the opening of the zone at the port of toledo similar services were confined to coastal locations [Music] [Applause] [Music] a liquid storage terminal is also a tenant of the port authority tanks are served by pipelines which connect the facility with the warp color coded for various liquids 12 tanks have a capacity of 7 million gallons [Music] big lucas the port authority's heavy lift gantry crane travels on rails along the entire 4100 feet of warp it can place 110 tons on the deck of a ship or 80 tons into the hole big lucas is based on an open birth and can be switched from the main tracks for maximum flexibility when more than one crane use another example of foresight in planning the investments in the remodeling building and expansion of waterfront grain loading facilities the new seaway opened in 1959 in the ensuing six years direct overseas exports increased by more than six thousand percent the grain shipment picture at the port of toledo may well reflect one of the most impressive growth rates in the world soft red and white wheat corn and soybeans from the rich farmland of the midwest are sent from the port to points all over the globe each of the three installations is capable of filling a ship's hold at the rate of 50 000 bushels an hour [Music] hydraulic dumpers lift and empty a truck in minutes the outlined area on this map depicts the prime trading territory of the port within or near these boundaries are many of the united states most important industrial installations in cities such as cincinnati indianapolis and fort wayne [Music] using cincinnati as a focal point it is 655 miles to new york but it is only 201 miles to toledo with ship charges almost the same on most commodities whether you use the east coast or toledo just think of the savings that can be realized through reduced inland transportation costs goods moving from the west can profitably stop at toledo [Music] at this crossroads of america major highway arteries serve the port harbor installations are on or within minutes of north south east and west expressway systems and turnpikes [Music] while 2000 trucks tractors and trailers are available daily the port of toledo is also the hub of a vast network of railroads that connect it with the major industrial and agricultural areas of the midwest railroads serving the port are all connected by a belt line which encircles the city trucks and railroads are vital to hinterland users [Music] at findlay ohio the house of guests imports tons of ollies from spain each year new idea farm equipment company exports farm machinery here workers are making corn pickers on shipments of this product alone new idea saves nearly forty dollars per unit when new idea workers put together an export shipment routed through toledo they are building a competitive advantage for their company this ingenious device which ties packages of all sizes is made by national bundle tire company of blissfield michigan up to 30 percent of its business is done overseas a local cartage firm takes the shipments directly to dockside and the company saves nearly thirty dollars on each machine it routes through the port of [Music] a toledo and more inexpensive type of packaging is made possible through the use of these special containers further their use usually results in lower ship charges earlier you saw a port of toledo areas suitable for handling units of this type [Music] these are volkswagens at wolfsburg germany leaving for their port of exit over a million new vehicles flow annually from volkswagen plants overseas thousands of these popular automobiles arrive at the port of toledo each year from this central point units are consigned to outlets in midwestern united states by making toledo a major distribution point the company has saved hundreds of thousands of transportation dollars here again you see some of the ports capacity for temporary outside storage virtually at waterside by the end of 1965 the port of toledo had handled more than 100 000 volkswagens [Music] the port of toledo has also proven to be economical for the export of vehicles world-famous jeep units have been shipped from the toledo harbor at an average savings of about thirty dollars each when compared with shipment through atlantic coast ports seen here is the kaiser jeep corporation's wagoneer station wagon the white coating over the gleaming paint job provides protection for its trip overseas [Music] military units with that familiar profile stand ready and processed for overseas delivery this cargo and all other fine products and international trade could not however be moved without dependable vessel service more than 40 lines visit the port of toledo many such as the vessels shown here are veterans in the great lakes service [Music] now that the advantages of the seaway system are becoming fully realized new high-speed vessels have been specially built for voyages into the great lakes ever increasing world recognition of the port of toledo's outstanding geographical location superb inland transportation and modern facilities will provide many more exciting chapters in the story of the port of toledo ohio usa a story which has no ending [Music] you