b'8American Journal ofTransportation ajot.com(HEADWINDScontinuedof the Port of Oakland presenta-SPONSORED CONTENT from page 6) tion, reiterated that her top pri-another cargo surge. We saw thisority in 2026 is negotiating new PCMC supports new Liebherr shiptype of front loading before tar- lease agreements with the Ports iffs were originally enacted andthree largest terminals: Oakland again when tariffs and reciprocalInternationalContainerTermi-to shore cranes at TraPac/Oakland tariffswerebrieflypausedlastnal, TraPac and Everport.year. This time around, import- We have three primary ter-ers will have to wait to imple- minal operators. And right now, ment any front-loading activitymy number one priority is work-By Stas Margaronis, AJOTasfactoriesin Asiaarecloseding in partnership with those ter-foruptotwoweekstocele- minal operators to get three new Pacific Crane Maintenance Company (PCMC)mechanics responsibility to maintain these cranes. brate the Lunar New Year whichlong-term leases in Oakland. So, basedinLongBeach,CaliforniapartneredwithRight now, our team is building the cranesstarted February 17th. A quitethats going to be the focusterminal operator TraPac to facilitate the acquisi- and then after the end of May, it will also be PCMCunexpectedturnofeventsAs this year comes to a close, tion and installation of two ship to shore cranes atmaintaining these cranes on a daily basis. the war with Iran which startedwere going to have new leases TraPacs container terminal at the Port of OaklandSue Coffey, Vice President, Marketing & Keyon March 2 nd has added morewiththeseterminaloperators including the training of mechanics, according toAccounts said PCMC has worked hard to maintainuncertainty to global trade andthat bring massive investments Isabella Kinkelaar, Director of Marketing & Proj- a high standard of worker safety and the companycontainermovingthroughtheto Oakland, McKenney said.ects, PCMC. has seen a decline in safety incidents over the lastPortofLongBeach.AndasIn January, the Port of Oak-KinkelaartoldAJOT,InNovember2025,three years. Hacegaba noted, Trade policieslandaddedtwonewcontainer PCMCinpartnershipwithLiebherrsent10ThefirsttwocranesarrivedinJanuaryathavefar-reachingimpactsoncranesatitsTraPacterminal, mechanics and three managers, including myself,TraPacs Port of Oakland terminal, marking theUS supply chains, global com- marking the first time Europe-to Killarney, Ireland which is where the Liebherrfirst deployment of European-built ship-to-shorepetitiveness and the movementan-built(Ireland)ship-to-shore ship to shore crane factory is located. And our team,cranes on the U.S. West Coast, according to theofgoodsthroughAmericascraneshavebeendeployedon it was specifically for the mechanics, but also man- Port of Oakland. ports. As global trade continuestheUSWestCoast.Thenew agers who oversee the TraPac terminal so that theyManufactured by Liebherr in Ireland, the newto evolve, we urge policymakersLiebherrcranes,standmore could become trained on the mechanical and elec- cranes represent a major infrastructure investmenttoprioritizepredictable,trans- than 440-feet tall and are fully trical specifics of the Liebherr cranes. thatwillexpandTraPacsabilitytoservicetheparentandcooperativeframe- electric which supports the Port Sheadded,So,itwasimportantthatourworlds largest container vessels while supportingworks that reinforce the Unitedof Oaklands ongoing efforts to mechanicsgethands-onexperiencewiththelong-term sustainability and modernization goals. Statespositionasaleaderincutemissionswhilemodern-Liebherr team to make sure that they have all theAnother first for the West Coast is that theseglobal commerce. izingitsinfrastructure.These knowledge that they need before its these same(SUPPORTScontinued on page 20) new cranes represent an import-P ort ofo akLand ant investment in the future of ThePortofOaklandhan- theterminal,saidCameron dled2,253,976TEUsin2025Thorpe, CEO of TraPac. They nearlyidenticalto2024.improve efficiency today while Unlike nearly every other majorhelping move the Port toward a UScontainerport,thePortofgreener future.Oakland handled almost exactlyAnother new crane is des-50%inbound(normallythetined for Oakland International heavy side of the US port trafficContainer Terminal operated by pattern) and 50% outbound. TheStevedoringServicesof Amer-balanceofimportstoexportsica(SSA).McKenneysaidof andTEUtotalin2025wasthenewgantrycrane,Inthe encouragingunderthecircum- comingyear,wellbeableto stances, as Bryan Brandes, Portalso welcome SSAs new crane ofOaklandMaritimeDirectorandthatcomesontopof said, In an environment definedcranes that they brought in a few by uncertainty, maintaining sta- years ago.bilitymatters,Brandessaid. Our focus throughout the yeart urningB aSinSwasonkeepingcargomovingMcKenney also cited prog-reliably and predictably, ensur- ressinobtainingfederalsup-ingcustomerscouldcontinueport to enlarge existing Turning tomovegoodsefficientlyasBasins that will allow mega-con-trade conditions shiftedtainer ships to better maneuver The Port of Oakland Exec- alongside ship to shore cranes at utive Director Kristi McKenney,(HEADWINDScontinued on PCMC partnered with TraPac to facilitate the installation of two ship to shore cranes at the Port of Oakland. in her February 6 th , 2026, Statepage 32)'