New barge service links Hawaii, Wash. Port

New barge service links Hawaii, Wash. Port    Daybreak Transportation and Rail Transfer of Longview, Wash., has launched a monthly barge service to and from Hawaii through the Port of Longview, the port said over the weekend.
   The service began in May with building materials, lumber, steel, construction equipment, and project cargo. On the return voyage, the barge will carry containerized refuse, known in Hawaii as 'opala,' from Hawaii to Eastern Washington landfills.
   Daybreak has partnered with SSA Marine for loading and stowing cargo on the barge. Brusco Tug & Barge, also of Longview, has been contracted to provide the tug and barge services.
   'The port's focus is to develop new breakbulk business opportunities that utilize all of our primary resources,' said Valerie Harris, Port of Longview director of marketing. 'Daybreak’s barge service does just that by making use of our marine berths, terminal space, local workforce and mobile equipment.'
   Established in 1982 as Daybreak Dispatch Inc., the company has grown from a truck brokerage to a full-service transportation and logistics provider. In 2000, the company created a new division, Daybreak Transportation and Rail Transfer, and purchased a Longview rail yard.    Daybreak's future plans include short sea shipping along the Pacific Coast from Canada to Mexico, the port said.