Friday Port of Houston Fact: 1920

Port of Houston  1920:

The Port of Houston's first directory,  Benjamin Casey Allin III, developed and subsequently patented an industrial site and railway access design that ports and maritime industries continue to use today.

Friday Port of Houston Fact: 1919

Port of Houston1919:  

The first directg shipment of cotton to Europe left the Port of Houston on the M/V Merry Mount.  A total of 23,719 bales of cotton was shipped to Liverpool England.

East Coast Port Updates

Port of New York & New Jersey Winter Contingency

Last winter was exceptionally cold and snowy across most of the United States. The Port of New York and New Jersey (NY & NJ) was hit particularly hard with a record snowfall of 61 inches - nearly 33 inches above normal. The weather had a profound impact on the Port's ability to remain efficient and provide reliable service to our customers. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Winter Outlook, which was issued last month, indicates that a repeat of last year's extremely cold, snowy winter is unlikely. However, measures have been taken at the Port to help minimize the potential impact.

Based on the proven success of last year, The Port Authority of NY & NJ will continue to host planning conferences in advance of each predicted weather event. The terminal operators, trucking associations, labor, equipment providers, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will all work together to develop a unified plan to address any weather-related closings and to plan recovery efforts. Any changes in hours of operations (i.e. weather related closures, additional hours, etc.) will be communicated, as early as, possible so that truckers and Beneficial Cargo Owners can better plan for future container recovery.

Happy Birthday!

Happy 100th Birthday

to the 

Port of Houston

Official opening of the Houston Ship Channel

November 10th,  1914

** For the balance of the 2014 year, we'll be sharing Port of  Houston Trivia every Friday,  so be sure to check back and check it out**

West Coast Ports causing Customer Delivery issues

US Ports' Labor Strife Threatening Deliveries

JUSTIN PRITCHARD ON NOV 11, 2014
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Spreading labor strife at major West Coast seaports is exacerbating importers' problems getting products to market, threatening the on-time delivery of some holiday goods.

Until this week, dockworkers and their employers were negotiating a new contract with little of the public drama that characterized past talks.

No longer. The association representing companies that ship cargo in and out of 29 West Coast ports and manage containers once onshore is accusing the dockworkers union of deliberately slowing work to gain bargaining leverage. Their contract expired in July.

The Pacific Maritime Association said Thursday that the union isn't dispatching enough workers at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach who are skilled at loading containers from dockside yards onto trucks and trains. The report comes amid months of unrelated congestion at the ports. On Monday, the association said crane operators with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in Washington state are moving cargo at half-speed.

According to U.S. trade data, cargo worth $892 billion crossed the docks from San Diego to Seattle in 2013, accounting for much of the trade with Asia. A lockout in 2002 cost the economy billions of dollars.

Cargo at Los Angeles and Long Beach, by far the busiest ports in the nation, has been taking unusually long to clear the docks since the summer. Both sides agree a big cause of the congestion is a lack of truck chassis that carry containers off sprawling lots and into the flow of commerce.

Now add what employers term a work slowdown, and the twin ports are approaching "the brink of gridlock," the association said in a statement.

A spokesman for the union did not deny a slowdown, but he also blamed employers for the congestion.

Cargo flow is gummed up for several reasons that predate the recent labor issues, union spokesman Craig Merrilees said. There has been a shortage of not just truck chassis, but also drivers to move containers to distribution centers, an issue Merrilees attributed to poor wages and exploitative working conditions.

Past negotiations have seen work slowdowns. During contract negotiations in 2002, employers locked out longshoremen following slowdown allegations.

Whether the current problems are a prelude to a breakthrough or deeper strife is unclear. At least one outside group with a big stake in the outcome is worried.

"The threat of a West Coast port shutdown is creating high levels of uncertainty in a fragile economic climate," the National Retail Federation wrote Thursday in a letter to President Barack Obama that was signed by 105 trade associations representing an array of industries.

The federation asked that a federal mediator get involved.

The problems come as some importers are trying to hustle a last rush of holiday goods into their warehouses.

Nov 11th -- IMPORTANT NOTICE

I-10 Freeway Closure

Due to an accident yesterday afternoon that had the East Freeway West Bound down to 2 lanes most of yesterday afternoon,  they now have the freeway closed since midnight last night.   This is causing severe traffic congestion in our area this morning, and is anticipated for the balance of the day.

If your trucks are heading into us from the west on I-10,  they should exit Gelhorn, and circle around on the feeder road to our facility.    At this time trucks coming in from the east are being rerouted onto 610 or Market,  both of which are backed up for miles.

From 610  North Loop exit McCarty,  head south to Portwall, turn left onto Portwall and follow it around almost to I-10.  Our gate is the 2nd one past the RR tracks

From 610 East Loop (ship channel area) Exit the East Loop at Market,  turn left onto Market,  just past the Budweiser plant,  turn right onto Gelhorn,  go under I-10 and turn left onto the feeder road,  1st street on Right is Portwall,  turn right and our gate will be the first open gate on the right.

Port-related jobs in Texas!

1,026,820

Port Related Jobs in TEXAS!!!

The Port of Houston Authority has been an active contributor to the Houston local and regional communities for nearly a century.  Through job creation, support of small businesses, environmental stewardship and educational initiatives, we are committed to helping our region reach its full potential.