The Port of Los Angeles will begin distributing and publishing key dashboard data from Wabtec’s Port Optimizer to give all supply chain stakeholders easier access and the ability to use the forward-looking information to better plan and prepare for inbound cargo.
Launched in 2017 by the Port of Los Angles and GE Transportation, a Wabtec company, Port Optimizer is a cloud-based solution that enables ports and the supply chain to operate more efficiently. Nine of the Port of L.A.’s top 10 carriers are feeding data into the Optimizer.
“We’re giving all of our partners–railroads, chassis providers, truckers, warehouse operators and others in the supply chain–a three-week look at cargo coming into Los Angeles,” Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said. “This planning tool will help make our partners more nimble and efficient, especially during volume surges like we are currently experiencing. This is the forward visibility our stakeholders have requested and we are proud to deliver it.”
Unveiled at last week’s Los Angeles Harbor Commission meeting, “The Port of Los Angeles Signal” is a service of the Port of Los Angeles and powered by the Port Optimizer. It includes a dashboard view of how many shipments will be arriving in Los Angeles over the next three weeks. The data is broken down by container type and includes details on the mode of transportation, whether rail or truck, once it arrives in Los Angeles.
“The Signal” will be updated weekly on the Port’s website, portoflosangeles.org, and shared on the @PortofLA Twitter account and Port of Los Angeles LinkedIn page. It will also be emailed directly to stakeholders. No proprietary information will be shared.
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According to Signal data, import volume measured by the number of 20-foot containers or equivalents (TEU) was up 22.76 percent for the week ended Sept. 5 to 132, 354 TEU compared to the prior week and increased 36.77 percent from a year earlier. The outlook for the week ending Sept. 12 is for import volume to be down 25.3 percent to 105, 619 TEU from the previous week, but to up 8.29 percent from the prior-year period, while for the week ending Sept. 19, volume is set to increase 19.18 percent to 130, 691 TEU, which would represent a 25.85 percent hike from the same week in 2019.
Stakeholders looking for more detailed data can also utilize the Port Optimizer import data page, volumes.portoptimizer.com, which is updated every weekday. The Port Optimizer can be found at track.portoptimizer.com
“We want stakeholders to have every advantage possible to better utilize their assets and plan for labor,” Kareen Gray, vice president of sales and transport logistics for Wabtec, said. “This data can help facilitate better cargo tracking, projections and productivity.”
Weston LaBar, CEO of the Harbor Trucking Association (HTA), said efforts to bring visibility and transparency to the supply chain are appreciated.
“The HTA has been a vocal advocate for using data as an advanced planning and forecasting tool,” LaBar said. “These efforts will help further that cause by providing advanced notification and visibility through the Port Optimizer, which will help facilitate much needed efficiencies we all desire.”
North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $276 billion in trade during 2019.