October 2021 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

Fugro Helps NOAA Update Alaska Nautical Charts for Improved Maritime Safety

Geo-data specialist company Fugro this summer completed field work on a hydrographic survey project for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to update nautical charts off the northern coast of Unimak Island, Alaska. The island, located in the Bering Sea, supports multiple fisheries, a major transit route, and at sea cargo transfers. Existing charts in the region don’t meet current navigational needs, with data in some cases predating the 1940s. Netherlands-based Fugro is helping NOAA address the data deficiencies with new, high resolution bathymetry over five sites totaling about 1700 km2. The Geo-data will be used to produce new…

Maersk Subsidiary Purchases 16 Battery-Electric Trucks for SoCal Fleet

Performance Team, a Los Angeles-area based subsidiary of shipping company Maersk, is adding 16 new, Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 trucks to its transportation fleet to replace 16 diesel trucks as part of Maersk’s Environment Social Governance (ESG) strategy to decarbonize logistics, the company confirmed in late August. The order reflects the company’s responsible procurement efforts to integrate ESG into its business activities, the company says. “We’re seeing a 30% growth rate in our Warehousing & Distribution business. Customers are looking for more truck power to meet high volume delivery demands,” Performance Team Executive Vice President of Operations Jason Walker…

Top Transportation Leaders Discuss Future of Trade at Port of Oakland

Port of Oakland executives recently discussed collaboration and transparency with Federal Maritime Commissioner Carl Bentzel and California State Transportation Agency Secretary David Kim. The pair joined nearly two dozen shipping leaders at the end of August for a roundtable on Oakland’s future as a global trade gateway. Port officials stated public/private sector collaboration would be key to strengthening Oakland’s place in the global supply chain and to strengthen the state and federal economies. It asked for support from maritime leaders to streamline seaport operations and collaborate on making the supply chain transparent for customers and operators. “Together we can build…

Lynden International Rebrands as Lynden Logistics

Lynden International has begun operating under the name Lynden Logistics, Inc. in order to, the company says, more accurately reflect its range of capabilities and services. The name change went into effect Sept. 20. Since its inception in 1977, Lynden International has expanded from a pure air freight forwarder to a full-service provider of logistical services and solutions that support the entire supply chain. The company has said that adding ‘Logistics’ to its name also represents Lynden’s ongoing commitment to invest in technologies that help customers manage and streamline their transportation and logistics processes. “We are excited about the change…

New Maersk Transload Facility Opens in Vancouver

North American importers and exporters are expected to gain more cross-dock transload capacity in their Pacific Northwest supply chains during the 2021 peak season thanks to a newly opened transload facility in Vancouver, British Columbia. Danish shipping company Maersk and Class I railway Canadian Pacific first announced the construction of the new facility in September 2020, touting ideal connectivity to the Port of Vancouver via truck or rail directly into the warehouse. The 117,000 square foot, 103 door facility opened Sept. 9. The ability to cross-dock into domestic 53-foot trailers enables customers to achieve overall cost savings (per cubic meter)…

Dividing Up the Pacific: New Study Looks at Competing Ocean Uses

The U.S. Coast Guard is looking to potentially modify the routes that commercial vessels use while transporting goods along the West Coast. On June 29, the U.S. Coast Guard published a notification and request for comments for a new port access route study (PARS) from Washington state to California. The USCG has said that it wants to reconcile the need for safe access routes with “other reasonable waterway uses, such as construction and operation of renewable energy facilities and other uses of the Pacific Ocean in the study area.” There have been other access route studies within the Pacific, but…

SAFE Boats, Diverse Marine Sign Partnership Focusing on Offshore Wind

Bremerton, Wash.-based boat builder SAFE Boats International has reached a formal partnership agreement with United Kingdom-based ship builder Diverse Marine to bring Diverse Marine’s Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) designs and experience to the U.S. offshore wind market. This new arrangement comes after SAFE Boats having worked with Diverse Marine promoting SAFE Boat designs in European markets the past three years. “In support of the Biden Administration’s call to build a clean energy economy, the domestic offshore wind market is burgeoning with rapid approvals primarily in the northeast,” SAFE Boats stated in its late August announcement. “This commitment was emphasized in…

Battling Bottlenecks: Congestion Rises at West Coast Ports

It’s no secret that the West Coast freight surge is building toward an even more feverish pace this fall. And why freight surged is also no secret to anyone who pays attention: the consumer-driven U.S. economy was supercharged after COVID-19’s effects waned. Why congestion resulted is no secret either: not enough equipment and people and space for cargo, along with too many mismatches in efficient handoffs of freight pickups and deliveries. Major carriers’ decisions to temporarily restrict shipment flow for hours or days to balance their own freight networks were a factor, too. Those inside the industry recognize both some…

New Services Come to Port of Portland’s Terminal 6

A year-and-a-half after weekly container service returned to the Port of Portland’s Terminal 6—thanks to South Korea-based carrier SM Line—more container service is arriving to help address supply chain issues for local businesses, farmers and consumers. The new business at Terminal 6 includes: An SM Line expansion that will add two additional vessels per month; An additional weekly container service operated by MSC, the second-largest carrier in the world, and; New private charter vessels and domestic 53-foot containers. “Terminal 6 is productive and busy at a time of economic recovery that is so important to our regional economy,” Port of…

San Pedro Bay Ports Announce Measures to Speed Cargo Throughput

The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in mid-September announced new measures to improve freight movement and reduce delays through the ports as they continue to experience record volumes. The ports say that the measures are expected to enhance their landside operations to help meet the unprecedented growth in cargo volume moving through the San Pedro Bay. Specifically, both ports say they’ll expand the hours during which trucks can pick up and return containers. Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero said that Long Beach will take the first step towards a 24/7 supply chain by maximizing nighttime…