°®¶¹´«Ã½

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Students from Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School watched transportation leaders at the Metrans International Urban Freight Conference, which met just a few miles from the sprawling Port of Long Beach.

The giant ports in Southern California and across the U.S. greatly lag their counterparts in Europe and other regions using digital technology to optimize operations. That was the consensus of a panel discussion at the Metrans International Urban Freight Conference.

Imports continue to dominate the cargo at the nation’s ports, and the nation’s busiest — the Port of Los Angeles — reported its second-busiest April in its 115-year-plus history,

China locking down key port cities because of a new outbreak of the coronavirus could have serious ramifications for trucking in the United States.

The Port of Camden is among the winning projects chosen by the New Jersey Department of Transportation for $30 million in freight impact grants to improve traffic safety for large trucks.

With negotiations expected to begin soon between the 22,000-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, ILWU leaders are expressing confidence that the two sides will reach an agreement — without an interruption in work — before the June 30 deadline for the current contract expiration.

The Rhode Island Trucking Association backs the governor’s request to invest $46 million to add decades to the life of a major East Coast commercial fishing hub in the Port of Galilee while improving freight movements.

HOUSTON — Ports in the United States have a historic opportunity to upgrade aging infrastructure with billions of dollars in federal funding that will prepare facilities for years’ worth of expected growth in freight movement and ready them for a future where many are targeting eventual carbon-neutral operations.

With the largest infusion of direct federal infrastructure spending set to begin, port leaders from around the country say they’re ready to begin rebuilding and upgrading their facilities to keep up with a record number of cargo containers moving through ports.

WASHINGTON — Top White House executives urged port leaders to collaborate with their elected leaders and focus on projects that align with Biden administration goals as they strive to access a share of $1.2 trillion in federal infrastructure funds.