Key Topics

Ports are embracing diversity in gender and background experience, creating new opportunities and outlooks, especially at the port leadership level. Many of these new executives share one more thing: they happen to be women. * By Sandy Smith * Accountants. Business strategists. Environmentalists. Real estate experts. These are just some of the non-traditional routes to port leadership that recent appointments have ...

Maritime commerce relies not on one single port or terminal, but a system of harbors, ports and waterways that help move goods from suppliers to manufacturers and consumers. Maintaining and improving that system requires sustained federal investment. * By U.S. Congressman Alan Lowenthal, CA-47 * In Congress, I’m honored to serve as the Democratic co-chair of the Congressional Ports Caucus. ...

As yard equipment and cranes that are more efficient, cleaner, safer and more inter-connected come into service, seaport workforces must be ready too. Labor is upgrading skill sets to keep pace with rapid advancements in technology. * By Lori Musser * Cargo handling equipment developments are bringing greater productivity, velocity, safety and even emissions reductions to ports. While automation projects ...

Changes in ship sizes, especially the differences in sizes, are requiring ports to consistently update the way in which these ships are received and processed and the infrastructure needed to do so. * By Mary Lou Jay * Over the past two decades, the largest vessels in the world’s shipping fleet have more than doubled in size. In 2005, the ...

Infrastructure updates continue to change the Western Hemisphere railroad map as well as the scope and scale of train services. In addition, business deals, investments, personnel changes and technology are changing the outlook for train service. * By Bridget Gorman Wendling * Ports are the hubs for the ships, barges, trains and trucks that keep freight moving and advance national and ...

Autonomy, ELD mandates and driver shortages are making headlines, but it is the rising number of fueling options that might have the biggest effect on ports and their relationships with the trucking industry. * By Sandy Smith * The trucking industry is experiencing some monumental changes – and more are expected in the near future. Autonomous vehicle technology, electronic logging ...

Some ports and companies are taking superlatives to a new level. Inspiring and intriguing, it isn’t hard to imagine how they caught our eye as some of the cleanest, largest, grandest, fastest, handiest, deepest and busiest operations around. These information-packed snapshots show how changes in technology and transportation are fueling powerful, attention-grabbing stories and ideas at ports around the world. ...

Despite the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s embrace of technology, there remains a strong need for a trained, professional workforce at the seaports. To fill these vacancies and in anticipation of receiving future funding for even more positions, CBP is aggressively recruiting at all ports, including seaports. * By Todd C. Owen, U.S. Customs and Border Protection * United States ...

Deterioration and corrosion can have a massive effect on a port’s safety, in addition to being debilitating to the bottom line and operations. * By Buddy Reams, NACE International * Port facilities are a critical component of the global maritime transportation system. Most already recognize its importance, having probably felt the impact of unavailable or closed port facilities when gas ...

Twenty-five of AAPA’s member seaports earned awards for exemplary communications projects and programs as part of the 52nd annual AAPA Communications Awards Program. * By Aaron Ellis * APA’s communications competition, which began in 1966, recognizes excellence in the products and services that ports produce to meet their public relations and marketing goals. In mid-June, AAPA announced that 25 of ...