Port of Long Beach Wins IANA Intermodal Innovation Award

LONG BEACH, USA – The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) selected the Port of Long Beach as the inaugural recipient of its Intermodal Innovation Award in 2025, recognizing the port’s measurable impact on freight fluidity across North America. POLB moved approximately 9.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2024, ranking it among the top container ports in the Western Hemisphere. No single project captured the award; instead, IANA cited POLB’s sustained commitment to infrastructure modernization, digital innovation, operational efficiency, environmental stewardship and supply chain collaboration.

What Are the Technical Innovations?

POLB’s recognized intermodal innovations include the Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT), one of the world’s most automated container terminals with all-electric yard equipment, and the Supply Chain Information Highway, a cloud-based data portal providing near-real-time container visibility to cargo owners, railroads and trucking partners. The port’s long-running Clean Air Action Plan has cut diesel particulate matter by 87% since 2005 while cargo volumes grew. These tools operate alongside on-dock rail facilities that transfer containers directly to major Class I railroads, bypassing local road congestion.

Key Technical Data

Note: Independent verification of the exact monetary value tied specifically to the award-winning innovations was not available at time of publication; figures reflect known public port expenditure (Source: Port of Long Beach Capital Program).

Where Does This Technology Stand in the Market?

POLB’s digital supply chain platform competes directly with the Port of Los Angeles’ Port Optimizer™ and the Port of Rotterdam’s Port Forward digital twin. Port Optimizer, launched in 2021, offers truck-appointment and data-sharing modules that cover roughly 90% of LA-area terminal traffic, while Rotterdam’s Port Forward uses high-fidelity simulation for vessel and yard optimization (Source: Port of Rotterdam, 2023). In contrast, POLB’s Supply Chain Information Highway provides end-to-end container status across multiple ocean carriers and inland terminals, though its carrier adoption rate has not been publicly stated. On the automation front, LBCT’s design capacity of 3.3 million TEUs per year makes it the greenest and most automated terminal in North America, a step beyond the nearly automated TraPac terminal in Los Angeles and similar to APM Terminals Maasvlakte II in Rotterdam (Source: LBCT, 2020; APM Terminals, 2022). Integrated on-dock rail remains a key differentiator: POLB’s Pier B facility will eventually double on-dock rail capacity, a scale not yet matched by its San Pedro Bay neighbor.

Editor’s Analysis

IANA’s decision to launch the Intermodal Innovation Award and immediately hand it to POLB signals that industry bodies now view end-to-end digital visibility, zero-emission equipment and on-dock rail ecosystems as a combined competitive necessity rather than optional upgrades. POLB’s multi-decade push aligns with a broader trend in which U.S. West Coast ports are investing heavily to keep discretionary cargo from shifting to East Coast gateways, a risk underscored by the supply chain disruptions of the early 2020s. The award may accelerate similar data-sharing and automation projects at mid-sized ports that lack the capital firepower of the San Pedro Bay complex.

FAQ

Q: What specifically earned the Port of Long Beach the award?
A: IANA cited the port’s combination of automated terminal infrastructure, the digital Supply Chain Information Highway, on-dock rail expansion, and measurable clean-air achievements over nearly two decades.

Q: Is the IANA Intermodal Innovation Award an annual prize?
A: The 2025 award is the inaugural edition. IANA has not publicly confirmed whether it will become an annual event, but officials referred to POLB as the “inaugural recipient,” suggesting a recurring program.

Q: What impact does this recognition have on shippers and carriers?
A: The recognition highlights that POLB’s automation and data tools are considered mature and reliable by third-party evaluators, potentially influencing routing decisions by beneficial cargo owners seeking lower dwell times and greater supply chain transparency. No direct operational changes were announced as part of the award.