Port of Long Beach’s Cordero says on dock rail and better chassis utilization key priorities

Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero says that new on dock rail investment and better chassis utilization are two key priorities for the Port of Long Beach. 

In an interview with AJOTat the Trans Pacific Maritime (TPM) conference in Long Beach, Cordero said that challenges from the Panama Canal expansion and continued gains by  the Prince Rupert container/rail port in Canada did not prevent the Port of Long Beach from having a record year in 2018. 

However, Cordero said that continued capital investments in on-dock rail upgrades, the completion of the Desmond bridge replacement and the completion of the final stage of the automated Long Beach Container Terminal have helped the Port stay ahead. 

That sentiment was echoed by Tracy Egoscue, president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners who said in her welcoming remarks to TPM conference attendees that capital improvements at the Port have been a key to its competitiveness. 

Both the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach faced congestion problems earlier this year related to the high volume of import shipments arriving in anticipation of the imposition of tariffs on imports from China by the Trump Administration. 

This led to delays in truck pick-ups and deliveries at container terminals and overcrowding at Southern California warehouses. 

Cordero said that “there continues to be a chassis misallocation that needs to be addressed by a neutral gray pool so that there is a sufficient reserve to meet high demand periods.” 

He said that the resolution “requires the political will among port stakeholders to address these bottlenecks and for the Port to be proactive.”