Pier 39 Obsolete for Shipping?
Today, break-bulk cargo is almost non-existent. The modern method of shipping is to use containers, where giant cranes can have a huge freighter in and out of port in as short a time as four to eight hours.
With the end of break-bulk cargo, piers like Pier 39 became obsolete for shipping. Containerized shipping requires a vast area of back-up space adjacent to the shoreline to accommodate the large containers. With the downtown area and office buildings at the base of Telegraph Hill stretching almost to the water's edge, the San Francisco Port had no opportunity to convert the finger piers to containerization capability.
Most shipping moved across the Bay to Oakland, which had foreseen the move to container shipping and had prepared the facilities. The Port of San Francisco began to concentrate its shipping efforts on the Southern waterfront, where more than enough back-up space is available, and is only now beginning to regain its reputation as one of the major shipping capitals of the world.
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 37° 48.665′ N, 122° 24.652′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Fisherman's Wharf. Marker can be reached from Pier 39 north of The Embarcadero. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Francisco CA 94133, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Big Pier 37 Fire (within shouting distance of this marker); The $25 Reward That Cost $2,416,825. (within shouting distance of this marker); Kids for Hire. (within shouting distance of this marker); Deep Pockets - But Not Deep Enough. (within shouting distance of this marker); San Francisco's Most Popular Postcard. (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Rare Moment of Cooperation (about 600 feet away); Our Legal Hassles. (about 700 feet away); A Fisherman's Tale (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
More about this marker. The marker is located on the upper level of Pier 39, all the way to the rear of the complex.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 2, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 169 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 2, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
