July 3 - Daybreak Transportation and Rail Transfer of Longview, Washington, has launched a monthly barge service to and from Hawaii through the Port of Longview.

The service is carrying building materials, lumber, steel, construction equipment and project cargoes outbound to Hawaii, returning with containerised refuse destined for landfill sites in Eastern Washington state.

The Port of Longview is responsible for receipt and delivery of cargo at the port's staging area, as well as transferring cargo to and from the dock. 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 utilise all of our primary resources," said Port of Longview director of marketing Valerie Harris. "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, Daybreak created a new division, Daybreak Transportation and Rail Transfer, and purchased its Longview rail yard. Daybreak's future plans include short sea shipping along the Pacific Coast from Canada to Mexico.