Last week, South Dakota Senator John Thune’s Ports Performance legislation passed out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The measure is intended to provide currently non-existent key metrics on port operations to help provide early warning of disruptions to national commerce. Soy Transportation Coalition Executive Director Mike Steenhoek supports the bill and says this should lead to less port disruptions that cause economic upheaval.

Steenhoek says being able to catch these type of port problems early is critical to protecting the country’s economy and providing a smoother flowing transportation system.

Thune’s legislation creates a new level of transparency and accountability for ports, many of which are government owned. It follows a nine month labor dispute that caused massive slowdowns at 29 West Coast container ports.