Patent ID: 6902368

Claim:
A method of transferring cargo between a ground transport and a marine vessel, said method comprising the steps of: a) transporting land-transported cargo in said ground transport to a land-side cargo apron of a first marine terminal equipped with an automated retrieval-and-storage system (ASIRS), a cargo sled storage structure, and a cargo sled that is movable into and out of said cargo-sled storage structure by said automated retrieval-and-storage system; b) removing said land-transported cargo from said ground transport; c) loading said land-transported cargo onto said cargo sled and moving said cargo sled into said cargo-sled storage structure; d) moving said cargo sled from said cargo-sled storage structure onto a marine-side cargo apron and loading said cargo sled into a marine-side cargo container; e) loading said marine-side cargo container onto said marine vessel; and f) transporting said marine-side cargo container to a second marine terminal.