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…

2 New Execs Appointed at Port of Long Beach

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners in late September selected two new leaders for the Port of Long Beach’s Commercial Operations Bureau. First, Samantha Galltin was appointed managing director of the port’s Commercial Operations Bureau, comprising the Business Development, Tenant Services and Operations, and Security Services divisions. She replaces Kenneth Duncan, who left the port earlier in 2021. Galltin joined the port as Assistant Director of Business Development in November 2020 following a 13-year career at BNSF Railway. Her last position at BNSF was Director of Port Business Development, Pacific Southwest and Gulf. During her time at the railroad,…

Alaska & Hawaii: 2021 Update

As those in the know are already aware, there’s potential for growth in the Alaska and Hawaii regions. For years, West Coast companies have been cultivating a presence in the two states, expanding services, investing in new ships and lending their expertise to projects that are expected to bolster the states’ economies. Whether it’s new vessels or infrastructure projects, interesting things are happening in Alaska and Hawaii. Here’s a look at what’s been happening with respect to the maritime industry within the Aloha State and the Last Frontier. Pasha The Pasha Group’s presence in Hawaii is significant, as the…

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…