System and process for improving container flow in a port facility

A container handling facility having a landside for receiving vehicles and a waterside for servicing marine vessels and having quay cranes in a quayside area for loading and unloading containers from the marine vessels, said container handling facility comprising:

• multiple container stacks, each of said container stacks having first and second distinct and spaced access areas, said first access area being disposed adjacent the waterside to facilitate the transfer and buffering of containers between marine vessels and said container stacks, and said second access area being disposed adjacent the landside to facilitate transfer of containers between vehicles and said container stacks;
• each of said container stacks having first and second mobile cranes mounted on a common track to move containers in and out of the container stack, under normal operating conditions said first mobile crane servicing said first waterside access area and said second mobile crane servicing said second landside access area of its respective container stack;
• a plurality of intra-facility waterside vehicles to lift and transport containers along variable routes between the quayside area and said first waterside access areas of said container stacks;
• and
• an electronic intra-facility vehicle identification system to identify an intra-facility vehicle to receive at least one container at one of said first waterside access areas.