History made.
Multiple media outlets, including The Verge, are reporting that the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin container ship, which is longer than the Empire State Building, became the largest aircraft carrier in U.S. Navy history, arriving at the Port of Los Angeles this past Saturday. L.A. marks the first stop along the West Coast in a trek, which will also have the ship make a stop in Oakland on December 31.
The specs on the massive container ship are ridiculous, as it stretches 1,300 feet in length, can carry 18,000 containers and holds the equivalent of 235 Olympic swimming pools of water, as reported by The Verge. In addition, its engine has the output of 11 screaming Boeing 747-400 engines.
Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti was honored that his city's port, which he called "among the world's greatest," was chosen by the French company CMA CGM to make the Benjamin Franklin container ship's first stop in North America.
"It's fitting that the largest container ship to ever traverse North American waters would make its first call right here at the Port of Los Angeles," Garcetti said in a press release statement. "The arrival of the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin sends a powerful message that our port stands among the world's greatest, and that we are prepared to continue growing and adapting to the demands of our global economy."
Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez added in the same press release that this landmark stop at the Port of Los Angeles could pave the way for future shipping business to thrive there.
"Their effective, efficient operation is necessary for 21st century global commerce, and [the] news demonstrates that the Port of LA is prepared for the next phase of modern trade," he said. "Working together, the shipping companies and port workers have enabled the port to bounce back from last year's slowdown and show the world its capabilities."
View a time lapse video of the arrival of the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin. #BenjaminFranklinVisitsLA #PortofLA pic.twitter.com/IVmHffqsIu
— Port of Los Angeles (@PortofLA) December 28, 2015
