Port of Los Angeles has introduced a new “Control Tower” data tool as part of its ongoing push to further digitalize the port supply chain and improve cargo efficiency and fluidity at the nation's busiest trade gateway.

In a statement, it said the Control Tower offers real-time views of truck turn times, as well as other truck capacity management information, to help cargo owners, truckers and other supply chain stakeholders better predict and plan cargo flows.

“The Control Tower is a service and digital tool that will help get critical and reliable information to San Pedro Bay port stakeholders so that they can improve decision making and efficiencies,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

“We are currently the only port in North America offering this array of digital tools, but I’m optimistic that this type of data will eventually be more uniformly available at every node of the supply chain.”

Phase one of the Control Tower launch provides users with current snapshots of turn times at all of the Port’s cargo terminals, updated continuously with GeoStamp data and broken down by historical daily and monthly averages.

The Control Tower also provides recent and future trending volume data, as well as historical volumes and trends dating back to 2017, segmented by mode and specificity.

The Port of Los Angeles said the service is being rolled out in phases, with more features added throughout 2021.

“Data is a critical resource in moving goods across the supply chain and into the hands of consumers,” Scott Holland, Vice President of Wabtec’s Network and Logistics business, who worked with the port for the data tool said.

“The Port Optimizer Control Tower is an important step in the journey to connect railroads, chassis providers, truckers, warehouse operators and others across the supply chain, and ensure cargo seamlessly flows in and out of ports. This system’s real-time and historical analytics will help the Port of Los Angeles community optimize their operations, relieve congestion stemming from increased global shipping traffic, and get products to people faster.”