Spotted: Big Ben Returns to the US

Image Courtesy: Port of Long Beach

After its maiden calls at the US ports of Los Angeles and Oakland in late December 2015, the 18,000-TEU vessel CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin returned to Southern California on February 18 as it docked at the port of Long Beach.

Featuring a length of 1,300 feet and a width of 177 feet, the vessel will officially enter service for the first time today in Long Beach following an inauguration ceremony organized by its owner French shipping line CMA CGM.

Longshore workers are expected to move about 12,500 cargo containers on and off the Benjamin Franklin before it leaves Long Beach on February 24.

The CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, which joined the company’s fleet in December 2015, will be deployed on the Pearl River Express, a service connecting the main China ports, including Xiamen, Nansha and Yantian, with the US West Coast ports.

Image Courtesy: Port of Long Beach