Get the latest tech news
Do U.S. ports need more automation?
On October 1st, 47,000 members of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), primarily dockworkers on East and Gulf Coast ports, went on strike after failing to agree contract terms with USMX, an alliance of port operators and employers.
These locks must be connected after the containers are loaded and disconnected before they can be unloaded, part of a process known as lashing(which also includes installing tie-rods and turnbuckles). Union work rules that limit labor flexibility might also make it hard to take maximum advantage of automated equipment. Lack of coordination between truckers, shipyards, and companies that move containers also seems to be behind the failure of a program designed to help farmers ship out crops through the Port of Oakland.
Or read this on Hacker News