The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has added three major West Coast ports to its data-sharing supply chain platform.

On August 13, the DOT announced that Ports in Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma have all been added to its Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) network, joining the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach to round out the five largest West Coast shipping hubs. The FLOW initiative was first launched in 2022 as a response to disruptions brought on by the pandemic. It collects and aggregates purchase order information from importers, as well as data from ocean carriers, ports, terminals and railways, all to provide supply chain stakeholders with an up-to-the-minute snapshot of logistics networks across the globe. 

"FLOW’s membership now reaches the five largest container ports on the West Coast, which will lead to more informed decisions across America’s supply chains," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said. "This work serves to improve efficiency and ultimately help lower costs for consumers.”

Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma, Los Angeles and Long Beach make up 95% of all inbound container volume to the West Coast. With each of those ports now included in the FLOW initiative, the DOT says that carriers, shippers and ports will all be able to "better plan for and predict capacity needs," and head off any potential bottlenecks down the line.