James Spinosa led the West Coast dockworkers union through tumultuous shifts to new technologies over decades. With the shipping industry now pushing for more automation, he reflects on what's ahead.
America runs on diesel. It keeps freight moving, factories humming and farmers planting. But a surge in diesel prices is making everything more expensive.
America runs on diesel. It keeps freight moving, factories humming and farmers planting. But a surge in diesel prices is making everything more expensive.
The Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which was approved unanimously in the Senate after a version was approved in the House late last year, aims to ease shipping backlogs at U.S. ports.
The ship ran aground after it apparently missed a turn leaving Baltimore. The vessel is owned by the same company that owns the Ever Given, the ship that blocked the Suez Canal last year.
The tanker, reportedly carrying a cargo of bitumen, used in road and roof construction, was at anchor, according to the ship's Singapore-based operator.
More than 100 ships of similar size to the Ever Given ply the world's waterways, creating logistical challenges and concerns about mishaps — including "spectacular losses of cargo," one analyst says.
If one of the world's largest container ships had remained solidly lodged in the Suez Canal for much longer, it could have had far-reaching implications.
Efforts to free the Ever Given — as more than 320 ships wait to pass through the blocked canal — have made incremental progress over the weekend, with another refloating attempt set for Sunday.
A century ago, the shipping industry recorded the daily ebb and flow of tides. Now, those records are becoming crucial for forecasting how fast sea levels are rising in a warming climate.
Once the pandemic began, many countries prevented crew members from leaving ships. Some ended up trapped at sea for more than a year. Maritime organizations are pushing for more seafarer protections.
