World Distribution Services (WDS), a Cleveland-based warehouse logistics solutions provider, on Oct. 10 announced the opening of a new 300,000-square-foot Tacoma, Washington distribution facility. The new facility is the company’s first on the West Coast and its fourth new location in less than two years. Fully staffed and operational, the WDS Tacoma facility offers cross-dock and transload services, distribution and fulfillment and e-commerce capability. “With a 36-foot clear height, 46 dock doors, a state-of-the-art warehouse management system and parking for trailers, the new location offers a variety of storage and distribution solutions to the region and acts as a gateway…

Elliott Bay Design Group, in partnership with clean energy company e1 Marine, recently hosted a half-day educational session in Seattle to present green-energy fuel options for the maritime industry, EBDG revealed Oct. 10. The event brought together more than 100 representatives from across the industry including owners, operators and technical experts, the naval architecture and marine engineering firm said. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA 2nd District) kicked off the event with a welcoming message and an update on state and federal efforts supporting transition to low and zero emission ferries and related infrastructure. EBDG founder and principal John Waterhouse then followed…

A.P. Moller-Maersk announced Oct. 5 that it has ordered a six additional large ocean-going vessels that can sail on green methanol. The vessels will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) with a nominal capacity of about 17,000 twenty foot equivalent containers. They are set to replace existing capacity in Maersk’s fleet. All six vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2025 and would come with dual-fuel engines able to operate on green methanol. They would eliminate about 800,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually, according to Maersk. “Our customers are looking to us to decarbonize their supply chains, and these…

Los Angeles-area logistics company Performance Team has deployed its first Class 8 battery-electric trucks from Volvo Trucks North America in Southern California in response to customer demand for sustainable short-haul warehouse and distribution center operations, the company announced Oct. 6. The Volvo electric trucks are designed to handle local and regional distribution with a range of up to 275 miles on a single charge, Performance Team said, adding that it expects to deploy 126 Volvo Electric trucks in North America by the third quarter of next year. “Customers are looking for more tangible, sustainable options in their supply chain to…

The Port of Seattle Chapter of the International Propeller Club has been named the 2022 Port of the Year by the International Propeller Club, which encompasses 83 clubs around the world, including 58 U.S. ports and 25 international ports. The Seattle Propeller Club promotes maritime commerce in the Puget Sound region. “The Seattle Propeller Club was recognized for a variety of accomplishments, but particularly our resiliency and creativity throughout the pandemic to remain active, as well as our recent, strong growth in membership,” Club President Tosca Pinder said. “We were also recognized for our community outreach and support of local…

Mid-year statistics that were released by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority on Sept. 22 show that overall cargo volumes at the Port of Vancouver have declined 11% to 68.3 million metric tons.  That’s compared to 76.4 million metric tons over the same period last year. The drop, according to the port authority, reflects the impacts of a poor Canadian grain harvest, congestion caused by 2021 flooding in British Columbia and global and national supply-chain challenges. “As global ports continue to face an array of supply-chain challenges, Vancouver’s port community has met the complex and layered challenges of early 2022 with…

BNSF Railway on Oct. 1 announced plans to invest more than $1.5 billion to construct a state-of-the-art master-planned rail facility in Southern California to help relieve congestion at the San Pedro Bay Port Complex.  The project is, according to BNSF, the first of its kind to be developed by a Class 1 railroad and would create 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, as well as reduce port and freeway congestion around the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports.  “The significance of BNSF’s investment to improve the supply chain here in California cannot be overstated,” Trelynd Bradley, the Deputy Director of Sustainable…