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AMERICA’S LEADING PORTS FROM COAST TO COAST

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AMERICA’S LEADING PORTS FROM COAST TO COAST

What makes a well-functioning port? Let us count the ways. There are a number of factors that contribute to the success of a port. First is location. A port should be in a region with natural resources, access to transportation and enough space for future growth. Second, it should have access to funding through government or private investment. Without this, infrastructure that facilitates the transport of goods can’t be built—tanks, cranes, quays and jetties, for example.

Third, a port should be able to accommodate ships. Does the port provide easy access during low and high tides? How well are the facilities maintained, particularly during flooding, droughts, or in extreme weather? Great ports also have the resources needed to function, including piers, stacking yards, and warehouses. And last, for the ports with an eye toward the future, they should also have access to land that will help with expansion. It will provide easy access to transport—river, rail, road.

A great port is the rare amalgam of art and science—like these leading American ports from coast to coast.

1. Port of New York and New Jersey

With 72 percent of the first port of calls on the East Coast, the Port of New York and New Jersey is the busiest in the region. It has contributed to the New York City area becoming an affluent commercial district nationally and globally. The largest port on the East Coast is also the third-largest in the United States.

It supports 400,000 jobs and has generated almost $8.5 billion in local, state, and federal tax revenues. It has facilitated more than 85 million tons of cargo worth more than $211 billion. Its top exports are wood pulp, wood and articles of wood, and plastics. Top imports are beverages, plastic and machinery parts. New York and New Jersey is No. 3 nationally for the total volume of exports, the highest on the East Coast, behind the West Coast ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

2. Ports of Tacoma and Seattle

The Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma—both located in Washington State and jointly operated by the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA)—is the fourth-largest container gateway. The NWSA, by way of the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma, also ships bulk, breakbulk, project/heavy-lift cargos and vehicles. These ports provide a gateway for major distribution points in the Midwest, Ohio Valley and East Coast.

The NWSA is also a key trade partner with Asia. International trade generated was worth $75.3 billion in 2017. Domestic trade, which includes routes through Puget Sound on the way to Alaska, generated $5.4 billion in 2015, according to the NWSA. The No. 1 gateway for refrigerated exports, the NWSA ports helped generate more than $4.3 billion in revenue for Washington State.

3. Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles isn’t quite located in the city of Los Angeles but is 25 miles south in the San Pedro Bay. Nonetheless, the Port of LA is the No. 1 container port in the U.S. in terms of cargo volume going in and out of the port. It includes 7,500 acres of land and 43 miles of waterfront. The Port of LA has passenger and cargo terminals that accommodate containers, cruise lines, automobiles, dry and liquid bulk, breakbulk and warehouse stage space.

Also, the No. 1 container port in the Western Hemisphere since 2000, the Port of LA moved more than 9.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2019. The port is currently undergoing a $2.6 billion infrastructural redevelopment project to strengthen its economic arm and cargo efficiency. The gateway for trade with Asia has a diverse array of exports ranging from avocados and zinc.

4. Port of Long Beach

The Port of Long Beach is the No. 2 busiest container seaport in the U.S., which is fitting because it operates in concert with its numero uno neighbor the Port of Los Angeles. Long Beach’s port supports one in five jobs in its city and contributes to $200 billion in trade annually. The port handled more than 8 million TEUs in 2018, its busiest year. Its Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project is pioneering sustainable practices through a 10-year construction program. It will redevelop two older terminals to create a more advanced, greener container terminal.

A western gateway to Asia, the port has more than 90 percent of its shipments bound for East Asian countries. The Port of Long Beach boasts 3,520 acres of land, 4,600 acres of water, 10 piers, 62 berths and 68 post-Panamax gantry cranes. It also handles 82.3 million metric tons of cargo per year.

5. Port of Houston

Houston might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think “international city,” yet the Gulf Coast location serves as a gateway to various countries. That explains why its port is built for international trade—to the point that it’s the No. 1 U.S. port in total foreign waterborne tonnage, with imports and exports combined.

The Port of Houston contributes 20 percent of the GDP for the state of Texas, worth $339 billion. With 69 percent of all U.S. Gulf Coast container traffic, the Port of Houston is the largest container port. It also prioritizes air quality in the local region through the use of alternative fuels and low-emission equipment and vehicles.

6. South Carolina Ports

Here are two winning statistics: the South Carolina Ports boast more crane moves per hour than any other U.S. port (37), and it also exported more than 194,000 vehicles in 2019. Opened in 1942, the South Carolina Ports Authority consists of public maritime terminals at the Port of Charleston, the Port of Georgetown, and inland ports in Dillion and Greer.

Deep channels accommodate vessels up to 48 feet, and ships are two hours sailing distance from open ocean to South Carolina Ports. Turnaround times for trucks at the gates are 23 minutes with nine minutes at the interchange gate. Transportation is also amenable with interstate access within two miles of all South Carolina Ports, and rail access through CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads.

7. Port of Oakland

The Port of Oakland waters are 50 feet deep to accommodate vessels that hold capacities of up to 18,000 TEUs. This up-and-coming port has transportation partners that include Union Pacific and BNSF Railway. International accounts for 92 percent of the port’s trade, with 78 percent being with Asia, 11 percent with Europe and 2 percent apiece with Australia/New Zealand and Oceania and other foreign countries. The Port of Oakland is one of the three major container ports in California that account for more than 50 percent of total U.S. cargo volume.

The port contributes to more than 73,000 jobs in the Oakland region, and more than 827,000 in the United States. Growth With Care, a five-year growth plan the port released in 2018, aims to bring in more business, with a goal of 2.6 million TEUs and an 8 percent increase in containerized cargo volume by 2022. Investing in large projects and focusing more on sustainable practices throughout the port are also part of the growth plan.

8. PortMiami

The Port of Miami (a.k.a. PortMiami) is the U.S. container port that is closest to the Panama Canal. It provides global access to Florida and much of the rest of the United States. It’s also the closest East Coast port to Mexico.

More than $1 billion was invested in 2019 to make PortMiami even more accessible globally. It has a deeper dredge to welcome large cargo vessels, and on-port rail provides alternative transportation. The port also has an underwater tunnel that connects to the interstate to keep port traffic off of the highway. PortMiami is located strategically at the nexus of north-south and east-west trade lines.

9. Port of South Louisiana

This 54-mile long port sits at the intersection of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River, which provides easy distribution for products at the domestic and international levels. The Port of Louisiana has three main interstates that connect to the port. It is also served by six major gas and oil lines, transporting more than 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day.

In 2019, the Port of Louisiana had 3,495 calls from oceangoing vessels, and 54,921 barge calls. The total throughput for the year totaled more than 258 million tons of cargo through vessels and barges. Port of South Louisiana’s Foreign Trade Zone 124 was ranked No. 1 by Merchandise Magazine based on admitted products worth $51.8 billion. The port, which is also ranked No. 1 domestically for total throughput tonnage, boasts the largest grain port in America. Air cargo is accessible through the Louis Armstrong International Airport.

10. Port of Corpus Christi

Operating since 1926, this 36-mile Texas port provides a 47-foot deep channel for domestic and international trade. It provides access through rail and road, connecting to two major interstate highways (37 and 181) and three railroads (BNSF, Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific). It is the third-largest port domestically and No. 2 for crude oil exports.

With a warm climate that allows for easy operation year-round, the Port of Corpus Christi is also a part of the Intracoastal Waterway that stretches from Brownville, Texas, to Boston, Massachusetts, along the Atlantic Coast. The port also implements renewable energy practices by using wind energy for breakbulk and heavy-lift cargo.

11. Port of Mobile

The Port of Mobile carries more than $22.4 billion in economic value to Alabama. The only deepwater port in the state, it sits on the Mobile River. It houses 5 million square feet of warehouse and open-yard space and has a channel depth of 45 feet. Its tonnage in 2018 totaled 26.8 million tons.

Major imports for the Port of Mobile include heavy lift and oversized cargo, containers, coal, aluminum, iron and steel. Major exports include heavy lift and oversized cargo, containers, coal, lumber, and plywood. The port has 1,500 miles of inland and Intracoastal waterways. It serves the Gulf of Mexico, the Ohio and Tennessee river valleys and the Great Lakes. It is owned and operated by the Alabama State Port Authority.

12. Port of Greater Baton Rouge

The Port of Greater Baton Rouge sits where the Mississippi River and Gulf Intercoastal Waterway converge. Its 45-foot shipping channel is upheld by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This port also offers access to intermodal transportation via connections to interstate highways.

The Midwest and other U.S. regions can be accessed through the Port of Baton Rouge’s 15,000 miles of inland waterways. The port also provides access to the Gulf of Mexico, Latin America and the Panama Canal. Its bulk and breakbulk cargo include asphalt, aggregates, limestone, barite, carbon black, coal and coffee.

13. Port of Plaquemines

Twenty miles south of the Port of New Orleans (and also in Louisiana) is the Port of Plaquemines, which boasts of more than 100 miles of deep-draft access, with a minimum of 45 feet. It’s within the same Plaquemines Parish where you will find the unincorporated community of Venice, which supports oil and gas tonnage. Venice has pipelines, petroleum infrastructure and draft wharfage with both deep and shallow water to support vessels carrying oil supply.

The Port of Plaquemines, which can be accessed by 33 U.S. states, has annual tonnage exceeding 55 million tons. Popular imports include coke, carbon black feedstock, crude and fuel oil. Exports include coal, grain-corn, soybean and wheat.

14. Port of Metropolitan St. Louis

That is how the city of St. Louis, Missouri’s port authority refers to the important trade hub in the Midwest. The 70-mile port is the second-largest inland port in the U.S. Its cargoes include grain, coal, chemicals, and petroleum products.

Metro St. Louis is also the 17th largest port in the U.S., with an intermodal transportation system that includes six Class One railroads, seven interstates, and two international airports. It has access to two foreign trade zones and contributes to thousands of jobs in Missouri and Illinois. The Port of Metropolitan St. Louis ships more than 36 tons of freight annually. It has 16 public terminals and more than 130 piers, wharves, docks, and fleeting.

15. Port of Portland

Oregon’s Port of Portland may be on the West Coast, but it is a central trade hub for the Midwest, having shipped more than 4 million tons of grain worldwide in 2017. It has been an auto gateway since 1953, importing and exporting vehicles manufactured by Ford, Toyota, Hyundai and Honda. More than 300,000 automobiles were imported or exported through the Port of Portland’s terminals in 2019.

This port’s intermodal transportation includes rail and interstate highways. With three airports, four terminals, and five business parks, the Port of Portland has also helped generate more than $6.4 billion a year for the region. It has also helped spur the creation of 27,000 jobs and contributes to more than $1.8 billion in wages.

16. Port of Pascagoula

More than 32 million tons of cargo pass through this Southeastern Mississippi port each year. The Port of Pascagoula is Mississippi’s largest seaport. This port provides easy access for shipment through the Gulf of Mexico. Shipping lanes can be accessed within two hours from open ocean, and the channels are 42 feet deep.

The Port of Pascagoula is operated by the Jackson County Port Authority. Popular imports are forest products, crude oil, and chemicals. Exports are forest products, paper products, petroleum products, chemicals and project cargo. It ranks No. 23 in total trade—domestic plus international—with a volume of 27 million tons in 2018, according to statistics from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Each of these ports fulfills different factors that help them to successfully function in their respective regions. Whether it’s the depth of the channels to allow for varying size ships to dock or easy access to transportation, these ports help to facilitate domestic and international trade. In turn, they help spur the creation of jobs and stronger local, state and national economies. Overall, these ports are helping to shape the United States economy for the better—one import, one export, at a time.

programs

LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS AWAIT AT HOME AND ABROAD

There are tons of transportation and logistics programs out there. But the question is: Which program will get you from Point A (where you are now) to Point B (where you want to be)? We imagine that where you want to be includes being fully integrated into a global supply system with cutting-edge ideas, and training that helps to bring solutions to the problems of 2020 and beyond.

Here’s our round-up of five transportation and logistics education programs, worldwide. There are plenty more, but these are ones we think are a good place to start.

UNITED STATES

MIT: Masters in Supply Chain Management

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology program takes students from the lab to the real world of transportation and logistics. Students take what they’ve learned from researchers and experts in transportation and logistics, bringing their new knowledge to the global market. The curriculum includes analytical problem solving, communication, and leadership. Courses include: Logistics Systems, Database Analysis/Information Systems/System Technologies, Finance, Economics, Accounting, Leading Global Teams, Technical Communication/Writing, and Analytical Methods. Students in the master’s program undertake a research project (called a capstone or thesis), where they work with industry experts to solve real-world supply chain problems.

This program has two options: a Residential program and a Blended program. The Residential program is a 10-month on-campus program. The Blended program is a five-month program that blends both on-campus and online classes. Accepted applicants have a choice between studying for a Master of Applied Science in Supply Chain Management (MASc-SCM) or a Master of Engineering in Supply Chain Management (MEng-SCM).

Purdue Univerity Karanner School of Management: Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management

The Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management (MSGSCM) helps develop skills in supply chain management, business analytics, and operations. It ranks No. 12 for Top North American Graduate Supply Chain Programs in Gartner’s. Best-Masters.com ranked it No. 2 in the world for Masters Programs for Transportation and Logistics in 2018. This program prepares students for leadership roles through formal and informal education opportunities with industry leaders. A traditional, 18-month program, for those with little work experience, and a 10-month accelerated program for people with 6+ years of industry experience are offered. Courses include: Intro to Operations Management, Supply Chain Analytics, Summer Semester Experiential Learning and Logistics Strategic Sourcing.

PERU

Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru CENTRUM Business School: International Corporate Master in Operations

The International Corporate Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management helps people to have a strategic impact on supply chains. The focus is on service and applying tech and global management standards. This program is open to operations and logistics professionals with 3+ years of experience and is open to looking at things from a global point of view. Courses offered include: Supply Chain Management, Statistics, Tools or Managerial Decision Making, Qualitative Research of Food Marketing, Management of Procurement, Warehouse Management, Management of Data in Organizations, and Research Methodology. Admissions are year-round. Applications, which are processed within two weeks of receipt, include an interview that is set up immediately.

ITALY

MIP Politécnico di Milano Graduate School of Business: International Master in Supply Chain and Procurement Management

The Master In Supply Chain Management helps transportation and logistics professionals build a global supply chain career with a competitive advantage. The program, which provides strategies to increase revenues and lower costs, also champions innovation and novel ideas. Though it takes place in Italy, it is taught in English and is a full-time program over the course of 12 months. Tuition is $17,651 U.S. (or 16,500 Euros). The program is created for graduates with fewer than three years of work experience.

Topics of focus are innovation, technology, and sustainability, with additional training in soft skills. It’s accredited by CIPS, the largest professional organization serving supply chain management. It is also listed at No. 4 for the Top 2019 Best Masters in the Eduniversal Ranking. The average class size is 25 students. Applications are accepted on a year-long rolling basis. The degree awarded after graduation is the First Level University Specializing Master, recognized by Italy’s government. Students should check with their respective countries to confirm that the degree is transferrable. Some of the skills desired in applicants are an affinity for leadership, an openness to learn about a range of areas in procurement/supply chain, and business and analytical skills.

FRANCE

Kedge Business School: MSc in Global Supply Chain Management

On average, graduates of the Kedge School of Management have a salary of 42,800 euros ($45,927.40 U.S.). All who graduate work in an international capacity, 95 percent are offered a job before graduation and 80 percent join a large company. This MSc degree prepares students for the new era of supply chain management, boasts Kedge, which specializes in teaching within a multicultural framework, with students from more than 20 countries. To this end, students have the opportunity to learn from a diversity of experiences and ideas and build skills to overcome cultural differences.

The MSc in Global Supply Chain Management also offers different supply chain workshops, such as seminars for consultancy assignments, where students apply lessons learned to specific conditions. Students also work with business leaders from such companies as LVMH, Amazon, and Renault and also participate in a six-month internship to solidify supply chain education in real-world settings. This program aims to teach students to embrace change and integrate new ideas and approaches. The MSc program is for three semesters and costs 19,500 euros ($20,862 U.S.). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from October to July. Scholarships are awarded to 45 percent of the international students.

These programs in the U.S., Peru, Italy, and France only scratch the surface of all that’s out there for those looking for a way to move to the next level in their logistics, transportation and supply chain careers. All of these programs will give you the tools that you need to move forward in an ever-changing, fast-paced world. And with additional education under your belt, you’ll be able to take your transportation and logistics career to new heights.

vessels PIT

Vessels for Life: Here are the Ships that Make Our Lives more Livable

It’s amazing how interconnected we are as a world—from delivering goods along the supply chain to your local grocery store to the social distancing that has helped to control what we’ll unlovingly refer to as “The Outbreak.” As much as it can be sometimes difficult to be connected, it is this interconnectedness that also allows us to subsist in our day-to-day lives. Toilet paper, cars, and even oil are goods that we can access thanks to the Svengali-esque magic—or organization, rather—of the global supply chain. One could say that it, in fact, makes the world go ‘round.

So today, we’d like to introduce some of the power players in this arena, the unsung voices that help us to have access to different goods each and every day. And these unsung voices are ships, the carriers that are key to our worldwide supply chains.

What follows are five major carriers and eight individual vessels that play an important role in shipping vehicles, cargo containers for manufacturers and other goods and equipment of all sizes that make our lives more livable each day.

MSC Gülsün (MSC)

The MSC Gülsün is a ship in the fleet of the Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC), a world leader in container shipping. The MSC Gülsün is the largest container ship in the world, with a max capacity of more than 23,000 TEUs. (Try that on for size!) It has more than 2,000 refrigerated containers; a hybrid exhaust gas cleaning system; a dual-tower firefighting system; 35 cabins; and double-hull protection.

The MSC Gülsün also has an eye for sustainability, increasing the efficiency of the CO2 emitted by 48 percent. With a hybrid exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS), this ship is also self-cleaning. The vessel can carry 8 million solar panels, more than 47,500 cars, 223 million bananas, nearly 3 million washing machines and 386 million pairs of shoes, MSC boasts.

The ship was built in South Korea at Samsung Heavy Industries. The MSC Gülsün is 400 meters long and 60 meters wide. Despite its size, its engineering reduces resistance from the wind, which leads to lower fuel consumption.

Venus Leader (NYK Line)

The Venus Leader is a vehicle carrier with the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line, a global shipping and logistics company. The roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) division of NYK is the largest worldwide. Built in 2010, the Venus Leader sails under the Japanese flag. It carries up to 15,301 t DWT (tanker deadweight tonnage). Her draught is 7.1 meters. The Venus Leader has a length of 186.03 meters and is 28.2 meters wide.

The NYK line has a fleet of 118, which carries more than 3.4 million cars each year. In addition to cars, the NYK ro-ro division also carries agricultural machinery, plant equipment and specialty cargos such as boilers, transformers and yachts. The company has sustainability goals. For instance, by 2050, it aims to have a zero-emissions ship, the NYK Super Eco Ship.

M/V Liberty (ARC)

The M/V Topeka was re-flagged to American registry and re-named the M/V Liberty on Jan. 31, 2017, to be consistent with the practice of owner American Roll-on Roll-Off Carrier (ARC) to name its ships after American values. M/V Liberty is now among the most capable and militarily-useful vessels in the U.S.-flag commercial fleet, able to carry tracked vehicles, helicopters, trucks, and other military and high and heavy project cargoes. The vessel is 199.99 meters long with a beam of 32.26 meters, a stern opening of 15.2 meters wide and 5.4 meters high, and a stern ramp rated for cargo up to 237 metric tons.

Vessels in the ARC fleet are known for their ramp access and system optimization, which helps with quick reconfiguration that allows for maximum lift capacity. That explains why, besides military cargo, ARC ships carry commercial breakbulk as well as agricultural and construction equipment for developing countries. Considering itself one of one part of its partners’ supply chains, ARC also works with the warehousing capabilities of other countries.

Actuaria, ACX Crystal, ACX Diamond (ONE)

The top three vessels with Ocean Network Express (ONE), based on TEUs, are the Actuaria, ACX Crystal and ACX Diamond. Built in 2009, the Actuaria holds up to 6,589 TEUs and flies under the Portugal flag. Built in 2008, the ACX Crystal carries up to 2,858 TEUs and flies the Panama flag. And built in 2008, the ACX Diamond can handle 2,858 TEUs and flies the flag of Singapore. They are but three of 225 vessels in ONE fleet that travels to more than 120 countries and can handle a total of more than 1.5 million TEUs.

The sixth-largest carrier worldwide as of January 2020, ONE operates under four core values: “Lean & Agile” to be a new definition of what a new reality can be; “Teamwork” that builds new value; “Best Practice” through the collaboration of its partners; and “Challenge” that takes strengths to face challenges without being afraid to fail.

Magleby Maersk and Munich Maersk (Maersk)

Two of the biggest ships of Maersk—the Denmark-based logistics giant—are the Munich Maersk and the Magleby Maersk. The Munich Maersk, which has a TEUs capacity of 19,630, was built in 2017 and sails under Denmark’s flag. It has a draught of 7.1 meters with an overall length of 399 meters and a 58.6-meter width.

The Magleby Maersk, which can handle up to18,270 TEUs, is 398 meters long, 33 meters deep and 73 meters high. Built in the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering shipyard, the ship is engineered with two low-revolution and two long-stroke engines. Each packs 9,785 horsepower. According to Vessel Tracking, Maersk operates 538 container ships, which can ship more than 3 million TEUs.

In short, these are a handful of ships that are making waves in transportation and logistics, playing a major role in moving the goods that keep us going each day. Onward!