Technology: Long Beach, Oakland

 

The Port of Long Beach and GE Transportation are collaborating to improve cargo flow at the busiest port complex in North America. As cargo volumes and the complexity of port operations increase, the Port of Long Beach is launching a pilot program with GE Transportation to increase visibility, enhance real-time decision-making and optimize cargo movement through the Port. 

 

Building on the success of its pilot with the Port of Los Angeles, where the solution is helping to increase visibility of incoming cargo from two days to two weeks, GE Transportation, a division of the General Electric Company, will implement the Port Optimizer™ solution at marine terminals including Total Terminals International and Long Beach Container Terminal for a two- to three-month pilot. 

 

Port Optimizer™ is cloud-based software that enhances supply chain performance and predictability by delivering real time data-driven insights through a single portal to stakeholders across the supply chain. Integrating data from across the port, combining machine learning and deep domain expertise, it helps the supply chain monitor and respond to dynamic conditions, align people and resources, and proactively communicate across functions – enabling maximum port cargo flow and delivery performance.

 

 

Port of Oakland will develop a digital shipping platform by mid-year to speed up global trade flows. The port said it’s building an online portal for transactions that range from tracking to transporting containerized cargo. The move aligns with an industry migration toward digitalization of international supply chains for the sake of efficiency. 

 

The port previewed its portal - called a digital collaboration platform - at AAPA's Smart Ports Conference in Oakland last week. Port officials said it would provide a single window for cargo owners or freight haulers who want to:

• Get personalized cargo status updates;
• Check ocean vessel schedules;
• Pay freight-handling fees; or
• Make appointments to pick up containerized cargo.

Development of the portal is already underway and it will roll out in phases, the port said. It projected a third-quarter 2018 launch date for the site.

 

The port said it’s working with New Jersey-based logistics software provider Advent Intermodal Solutions LLC to create the portal. The firm’s eModal port community system is already used by every marine terminal operator in Oakland. That will make it easier to roll out a common platform, the port explained.

 

Terminals are the pivot point of containerized trade. That’s where ships, trucks and trains converge to transport cargo. According to the port, Advent will aggregate information from Oakland’s four terminals to create a harbor-wide community portal. 

 

Ports nationwide are considering digital portals to accelerate freight transport.  Oakland said it intends to be one of the first to go live with the new technology. It could also be one of the few with an online portal that’s used by every terminal operating within a port.

 

The port said shippers would be better able to manage international supply chains once its portal is in place. For instance, cargo owners would know with greater precision when to expect merchandise. Trucking companies would know exactly when and where to dispatch drivers for container pick-up. Marine terminals would benefit from more efficient movement of cargo in and out of the port.