<p>The Port of Tauranga is launching an internet service which allows companies to preselect delivery times for containers arriving at its inland port, Metroport, by train.</p> <p>The port’s Sulphur Point container terminal manager Mike Pohio said the service, Shuttle Select, could be likened to airline online ticket booking systems.</p> <p>The software is based on a series of constraints, such as the weight and time limits of trains and containers, and the arrival times of ships.</p> <p>Companies logging onto the system can see a detailed plan for each train leaving Tauranga bound for Metroport, including a delivery time for each container on board.</p> <p>"Our customers will now have complete control over when they want their imported goods to arrive, enabling them to better plan their own unloading and distribution processes and prioritise urgent deliveries," Mr Pohio said.</p> <p>The software was developed in 1993 in the UK and is used across a range of industries.</p> <br />