Companies are not sitting around waiting for a strike or a natural disaster to delay their cargo. They are investing today to protect their profit tomorrow.

Port development and expansion – Employers like A.P. Moeller-Maersk are building massive new terminals and using huge tax incentives to expand the number of places where they can unload cargo such as the new $250 million terminal in Mobile, Alabama, or the expansion of Bayport in Houston, the Virginia International Terminals (VIT) in Norfolk, and the port of Savannah, Georgia.

Automation – Companies such as A.P. Moeller-Maersk have implemented new machinery that can operate without human beings, replacing dockworkers and port staff. For example, at the new VIT terminal in Norfolk, the yard cranes run without an operator. In the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands an entire terminal functions with almost no equipment operators. The tucks and yard cranes function with GPS and computers.

Rail development – Rail companies are working with the Department of Transportation to create massive rail yards, renovate track and raise overpasses to make way for rail cars that can stack containers two high. Norfolk Southern now has a direct line to Chicago and the Midwest since the overpasses were raised to make way for the “double stack” rail cars coming from the Virginia ports. This means shippers can now divert cargo from different ports to get to the Midwest. They might choose to do this because of a cheaper price, a work stoppage or a natural disaster.

Inland Ports and Distribution Centers – Many companies are building massive inland distribution centers. Using truck and rail connections they have moved distribution away from the waterfront, to rural areas where wages are low, land is cheap and unions are weak such as Arizona, Texas or Pennsylvania.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) – Companies such as Wal-Mart are investing in computer chips that can be read by radio frequency and relayed to satellites using GPS technology. RFID chips can transmit loads of information, including temperature, container contents, customs info etc. Once fully developed, these technologies will track cargo all over the world in a matter of seconds, helping reroute and move goods quickly around the globe. Using these chips, employers will be able to eliminate many dockworker and clerical jobs.