Port of Long Beach Launches Data-Sharing Project with GE Transportation to Improve Cargo Flow Efficiencies Amid Record Volumes

CHICAGO, MARCH 6, 2018 — GE Transportation (NYSE:GE) and the Port of Long Beach are collaborating to improve cargo flow at the busiest port complex in North America. As cargo volumes and the complexity of port operations increase, the Port of Long Beach is launching a pilot with GE Transportation to increase visibility, enhance real-time decision-making and optimize cargo movement through the Port.

Building on the success of its pilot with the Port of Los Angeles, where the solution is helping to increase visibility of incoming cargo from two days to two weeks, GE Transportation will implement the Port Optimizer™ solution at marine terminals including Total Terminals International and Long Beach Container Terminal for a two- to three-month pilot.  

“We experienced record volumes last year, with an 11 percent increase to 7.54 million twenty-foot equivalent units, making 2017 our busiest year ever,” said Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach. “This partnership with GE is providing an important trial for us as cargo and competition grow. We need new and innovative ways to ensure our customers can move their containers from water to land quickly, reliably and at a cost that makes sense for their business.”

“The pilot brings tremendous opportunity for the San Pedro Bay ports customers and supply chain partners,” said Laurie Tolson, Chief Digital Officer for GE Transportation. “With container volumes on the rise, the world’s ports are moving more cargo than ever, making the need for operations optimization even more critical. A uniform, common user portal, like our Port Optimizer™ solution, will enable stakeholders to make scheduling, planning and payment decisions prior to cargo arrival, as well as reduce delays during each handoff between nodes in the supply chain.”

“Boosting the efficient movement of cargo through San Pedro Bay, the nation's premier trade gateway, is key to accommodating future anticipated cargo growth,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum. “It was important to us to ensure this pilot involved multiple container terminals, so we can collect the best data to develop this important tool. This is an intriguing technology and we’re interested to see if it can improve our operations.”

Port Optimizer™ is cloud-based software that enhances supply chain performance and predictability by delivering real time data-driven insights through a single portal to stakeholders across the supply chain. Integrating data from across the port, combining machine learning and deep domain expertise, it helps the supply chain monitor and respond to dynamic conditions, align people and resources, and proactively communicate across functions – enabling maximum port cargo flow and delivery performance.

GE Transportation and the Port of Long Beach, along with other port community members, will discuss innovation in the cargo supply chain during the Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference on March 7, 2018, in Long Beach.

About GE Transportation

At GE Transportation, we move the world and improve the world. We are a global technology leader and supplier of equipment, services and digital solutions to the rail, mining, marine, stationary power and drilling industries. Our innovations help customers deliver goods and services with greater speed and savings using our advanced manufacturing techniques and connected machines. Established more than a century ago, GE Transportation is a division of the General Electric Company that began as a pioneer in passenger and freight locomotives. That innovative spirit still drives GE Transportation today and is strengthened by our ability to serve customers more holistically through the GE Store– a global exchange of knowledge, technology and tools across all GE businesses that ultimately provides better outcomes for customers. GE Transportation is headquartered in Chicago, IL, and employs approximately 9,000 employees worldwide.

About the Port of Long Beach

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in innovative goods movement, safety and environmental stewardship. The Port is served by 175 shipping lines with connections to 217 seaports worldwide. Customer service, community engagement and environmental sustainability are at the core of the Port’s operations. Industry leaders named the Port of Long Beach the Best North American Seaport in 2017, for the 19th time in the last 22 years, in recognition of the Port’s service, innovation and reliability. A major economic engine for the region, the Port handles trade valued at more than $180 billion each year and supports hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs. The Port is undertaking $4 billion in planned capital improvements this decade to support trade growth and strengthen its ability to serve the goods-movement industry, Port clients and the community.