West Coast Ports

Special Report

that will navigate the supply chain one container at a time, from arrival on the dock to shipment to its final destination. Further information will be released in the coming months.

Emphasizing the importance of data sharing among carriers, terminal operators, truckers, railroads and shippers, Long Beach several years ago unveiled its supply chain information highway through its community portal.

“ The goal was simple, end-to-end visibility via coastto-coast connectivity,” Hacegaba said.

Long Beach will also launch a universal trucking appointment system that members of the Harbor Trucking Association asked for several years ago, he said.

Projects that improve operational efficiency will be another priority, Hacegaba said, particularly those that continue to reduce harmful emissions from vessels, cargohandling equipment, tugboats, trucks, and trains.

“ As we continue our quest to zero emissions, we remain laser-focused on our core mission— moving more cargo more quickly, safely, efficiently, and sustainably,” he said.

email: bill. mongelluzzo @ spglobal. com

Washington State weighs permanent ban on funding port automation

Most of the automation at Seattle and Tacoma( pictured) has gone toward speeding truck gates. Shutterstock. com

By Michael Angell

Longshore workers in Washington State have thrown their support behind a bill that permanently blocks state money from funding port automation, arguing that technology already in place at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma has impacted waterfront jobs.

Local members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union( ILWU) on Jan. 15 testified before a state senate committee about a bill that would allow the use of state money to buy zero-emission cargo equipment but also ban the“ purchase [ of ] fully automated marine container cargo handling equipment.”

The bill is a follow-up to 2021 legislation that also blocked state funding for automated port equipment but was set to expire at the end of 2031. The new bill does not have a sunset clause, and the current expiration date“ is starting to creep toward the present day,” state Sen. Jesse Salomon, the bill’ s sponsor, said during the committee hearing.

“ The point of this is to make sure that as we move forward into the future, humans still are valued for the work that they do, and we don’ t fully automate,” Salomon said.

The bill represents the latest effort by West Coast longshore workers to stem further encroachment of automation technology at ports. Last year, California ILWU members threw their support behind an unsuccessful bill that would have prevented automated cargo handling from connecting to the state’ s power grid.

Dan McKisson, president of ILWU Washington Area District Council representing 5,000 dockworkers statewide, said in his testimony that while the union supports state funding of zero-emission equipment and infrastructure upgrades, marine terminals do not need state money because most of them“ are multi-million international companies or controlled by private equity.”

“ This bill does not prohibit [ terminals ] from purchasing automated cargo handling equipment,” McKisson said.“ International companies benefit from using taxpayer dollars for automated equipment. It does not benefit ports, workers, and the community.”

Most of the upgrades at the Seattle and Tacoma ports have focused on speeding up truck processing at terminal gates. Like nearly all US ports, Seattle and Tacoma have used optical character readers( OCRs) to scan incoming containers for decades, along with remote speaker boxes at gates in place of longshore clerks.

Kesa Sten, the president of ILWU Local 52 that represents clerks and checkers, said such“ computerized auto gates” have meant fewer such jobs and have led to inefficiencies, such as in-gating damaged containers.

“ Private companies wish to use automation to shift labor costs to others in the supply chain and to do the same work with fewer workers,” Sten said, adding that when she started on the job, every gate booth had a clerk. But now,“ one person can do the job of five” checking in truckers.

“ That is fast, that is efficient, but it is also job erosion,” she said.“ We welcome advances that enhance our job, not eliminate them.”

email: michael. angell @ spglobal. com

26 Journal of Commerce | February 2, 2026 www. joc. com