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HOUSTON TRADE AND LOGISTICS
Port Houston moves 73 % of container traffic in the US Gulf Coast and is the fifth-largest container port in the nation.
Port Houston
and waterway safe and running. These include the International Longshoremen’ s Association, US Army Corps of Engineers, Houston Pilots and Coast Guard.
The channel expansion makes navigation easier, safer, more efficient and brings more economic benefits. Vessels of up to 17,000 TEUs— a size aligned with Panama Canal capacity— can now call at Bayport Terminal.
Of course, enhancing efficiency and throughput at terminals always requires additional investment in technology. At Port Houston’ s Bayport and Barbours Cut Container Terminals, an Express Pass reservation system has been fully implemented, increasing efficiencies through deployment of a mandatory appointment system that helps truckers initiate truck transactions prior to their arrival. The system reduces ingate transaction time to 15 seconds or less, minimizes trouble ticket instances and allows optimization of crane activity. The port said the system’ s next step will involve expansion of appointments and time-slot features.
Similarly, yard planning and optimization strategies have become a major focus.
“ We are optimizing yard planning, utilizing technology-driven stacking strategies through our terminal operating system, Navis N4,” said Eric Casey, Port Houston’ s chief operating officer.
Exceptional terminal yard planning and optimization strategies offer significant operational, economic and environmental benefits by improving how cargo is stored, moved and retrieved within a terminal. These strategies have proven essential for handling growing container volumes efficiently while maintaining competitive turnaround times, according to the port.
Investing in people
Another lynchpin for success at Port Houston is labor. An aging workforce and the need to maintain a strong talent pipeline is an industry-wide challenge. The need for skilled operators, planners and maintenance technicians is not going away any time soon.
Port Houston’ s approach to this involves partnerships with training centers and unions to accelerate certification cycles and gain access to simulators for next-generation cranes. Port officials underscore the commitment to maritime education, career exploration, community engagement, and the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education( PHPME) organization. The nonprofit is focused on workforce development in local schools, allowing for extensive programming and collaboration. Students who join the maritime education program gain college credits and access to internships and scholarships.
Environmental efforts paying off
In September, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority announced findings from its latest Goods Movement Emissions Inventory( GMEI) report, which tracks air emissions tied to port operations. Chairman Ric Campo highlighted that despite a 16 % increase in total tonnage and a 28 % rise in container volumes since 2019, greenhouse gas emissions only rose by 10 %. Notably, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions declined by 7 % and 4 %, respectively, while criteria pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act dropped from 9 % to 7 %. The 280 new hybrid cargo-handling units can take a bit of the credit for these declining emissions.
The Commission also approved several initiatives under the Environmental Protection Agency’ s Clean Ports Program( CPP) grant. These include conducting a full inventory of greenhouse gas emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3; developing a Port Area Climate Action Plan; analyzing truck routes; and launching a CPP Trucking Industry Collaborative. Additionally, the port will fund the creation of a dedicated website www. joc. com November 3, 2025 | Journal of Commerce 47