Access to transport

Most ports have both railways and roads entering. Areas are needed where road trucks and railway wagons can be loaded and unloaded. The trucks need areas where they can wait and areas with enough space to turn around. The gates need to be large to allow trucks to enter and leave at the same time.

Road trucks need to get to major highways. It is much better if they don’t need to drive past people’s homes and shopping areas.
Trains need enough room as there may be dozens of container wagons, coal wagons or grain wagons waiting to be loaded. Coal and grain wagons are designed like hoppers. The bottom opens and the contents spill into a pit below where conveyors move it to storage facilities.  

Ports that handle wet bulk cargo such as oil and chemicals are serviced by pipes that take the liquids to storage containers and sometimes refineries.