b'12American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comPort of Long Beach rail improvementsPort of Los Angeles Seroka: Supply chain key part of building program crisis shows need for better paid jobsBy Stas Margaronis, AJOT By Stas Margaronis, AJOTMario Cordero, executive directorthefollowingobjectives:IncreaseGene Seroka, executive director,sandmoredrayage(harbor)truckers Port of Long Beach, said the Port hasTerminalCapacity,IncreaseRailPort of Los Angeles says supply chainhere in the ports of Southern California.prioritized rail improvements as part ofCapacity, Improve Operational Effi- dislocationsimpactingports,ware-its 10-year/$2.278 billion Capital Pro- ciency,andImplementZero-Emis- houseandtruckingoperationswillc hinaP oRtS hUtdownSgram designed toimprove velocitysions Infrastructure. be reduced with better jobs includingIn respect to the ongoing issues with in the Port and reduce emissions.The rail upgrades include: better pay and benefits for employees. Chinese ports Seroka said he expects a Theneedforrailimprovements A fourth track at Ocean Boulevard toSerokatoldAJOTinaninter- quickreboundfromanydisruptions hastakenonanewurgencyafterreduce bottlenecks view: I subscribe to the fact that wecaused by COVID shutdowns of Chi-intermodalrailservicebetweenthe Double-tracking from Piers G to Jdont have a shortage of truck drivers,nese ports: Well probably see a brief Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles The Pier B rail improvement project wevegotashortageofgoodjobs.lull due to COVID spikes and eventual to Midwest destinations were delayedThePierBprojectwillprovideTheStateofCaliforniahasissuedshutdownsduetothezero-COVID andinterruptedduetocongestionthefollowingbenefits:newarrivalmore than 661,000 commercial truck- policy in China and that will be matched problemsontheUnionPacificandand departure tracks, a 93,000 ft sup- ing licenses and were still strugglingby a pretty quick reboundyou can Burlington Northern rail lines in 2021. port yard, resupply station for up toto have enough folksSome haverelocateshipstodifferentterminals In an interview withAJOT, Cor- 30 locomotives, realignment betweenleftforcompletelydifferentindus- and different ports, especially in South derosaid:TherailimprovementsPier B and Pico Avenue, and supporttries. Others have gone into the parcelChina. What we saw last year with the will not only help the Port of Longfor 17 trains per day totaling 4.7 mil- service working for the post office orterminal closure in Ningbo, cargo was Beach but will also help the Port oflion TEUs per year. other private sector entities. We havemoved to other (ports). In some cases, LosAngelesbyimprovingrailandAccording to the Ports website,got to find a way to attract and recruittrucked three and a half hours away to terminal velocity for both ports. byallowinglongertrainstobeand retain workers in both warehous- Yongshandeep-seaportinShanghai. Cordero said that the upgrades areassembled with greater frequency, theing and trucking. Theyll have to beBut what we cant move are factories. need based on projections that werenew facility will dramatically stream- better paid and there will be benefitsAnd thats what we are watching most made 10 years ago that the Port wouldline rail operations and minimize theassociated with this. closely. If there seems to be a shutter-process 9 million TEUs. In 2021, theincrease in truck trips as cargo volumeSeroka suggested that transporta- ing of factories across this spread of the Port achieved that goal when it pro- growsThe first arrival, departuretion and cargo-handling jobs need tonext wave of COVID. I dont think there cessed 9.4 million TEUs. and storage tracks are expected to bebe permanent employee jobs not trans- is any cause for alarm. I think they are Cordero also emphasized the needcompletedin2024,withadditionalactional: These jobs cant be trans- resilient and that we will see continual for port operations to move to a 24/7trackscomingonlinein2030,fol- actional or seasonal jobs to the extentmovementofcargothroughoutthe regime. lowed by project completion in 2032. that people want to make careers insupply chain.Byaddingon-dockrailcapac- these segments. Were going to need R ailU PgRadeS ity, the project greatly improves railtorecruitandtrainthetalentwereilwU-PMa c ontRactThe Ports $2.278 billion Capitaloperations throughout the San Pedrogoing to need in the years to come. n egotiationS Programincludes$1.457billioninBay ports complex. More cargo willSeroka said he thought we prob- Serokaishopefulthatcontract rail upgrades. They are designed with(KEYcontinued on page 16) ably need to have 3,000 to 5,000 thou- (JOBScontinued on page 16)Introducing our Ohana ClassWe are proud to soon welcome LNG-powered M/V George IIIand M/V Janet Marie to serve Hawaii.'