The economic downturn in recent years has created a “new normal” for operating in our environment, one that continues to call for automation, labor flexibility and responsiveness to rapidly changing customer needs and requirements, a focus on environmental issues, elimination of supply chain bottlenecks and a stronger movement toward public-private partnerships.
Advanced technology employed at terminals globally will be essential to optimize land usage and equipment capacity. This will require greater flexibility and closer collaboration between labor and management, resulting in a superior ability to meet evolving customer needs in service delivery and productivity.
Significant strides have been made with regard to environmental issues. Efforts involving cold-ironing, cleaner trucks, solar-powered warehouses and slow-steaming into port areas have proved beneficial. The future calls for continued efforts in green technologies.
Stakeholder management across the supply chain (railroads, shippers, operators, labor, port authorities, carriers and truckers) will be key in building an efficient and sustainable transport network, one capable of adapting and meeting needs for years to come.
Modernizing aging infrastructure is vital to ensure the U.S. can compete effectively on the global stage. Structural enhancements to at ports and infrastructure expansion are costly. Public-private partnerships will continue to play an essential role in this area, benefiting port authorities, operators, communities and job growth. These partnerships will greatly contribute in preparing for anticipated volume growth, and the larger vessels that will transit the expanded Panama Canal in 2014.