NORTH AMERICA

LA expands digital information portal

9 years ago

The Port of Los Angeles and GE Transportation are expanding their digitised port information portal, which aims to keep cargo flowing efficiently, to include all of the Port of Los Angeles’ container terminals and shipping lines.

The Port of Los Angeles and GE Transportation are expanding their digitised port information portal to include all of the Port of Los Angeles’ container terminals and shipping lines

Both parties have made new commercial agreements worth up to nearly $12m and have extended their relationship for at least five years following the success of an initial pilot of the portal, which offers maritime shipping data to cargo owners and supply chain operators through secure, channelled access.

The deals, which are subject to review by the Los Angeles City Council, will support around 9m teu, over 15,000 truck providers and thousands of cargo importers.

Commenting on the expansion, Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said: “With our container volumes at record highs, the GE digital shipping solution is critical to our future success.

“The GE portal is an investment in the long-term growth of the Port of Los Angeles and tells our stakeholders and customers that we take seriously our responsibility to find new ways to drive efficiencies and optimisation.”

Gaining feedback

To help with the next phase of the partnership, the Port of Los Angeles and GE Transportation surveyed users involved in the project’s pilot.

Results were overwhelmingly positive, with the majority of respondents agreeing that the data in the portal is easy to understand and access.

Based on the results, the port predicts efficiency gains of 8%-12% with the expansion of the system.

Commenting on the pilot, Jamie Miller, president and chief executive at GE Transportation, said: “The initial results of the pilot are resonating with partners and providing an opportunity for us to collaborate on expanding the work.

“It’s a major step toward exploring how a system like this could be developed and implemented for other ports in the US and abroad.”

Commenting on the new system, Weston LaBar, executive director of the Harbour Trucking Association, said: “A trucking dispatcher may visit up to 40 websites a day just to co-ordinate cargo movement into the port complex.

“Having a single portal, a single reference point, will create new levels of efficiency that we’ve been seeking for a long time.”