(Bloomberg) -- Next year, deckhands on ships docked at MiddleHarbor on California’s San Pedro Bay won’t see many people on thewharf. Remote-controlled cranes towering 165 feet overhead willpluck containers from vessels’ holds, and driverless trucks guidedby magnets embedded in the asphalt will carry cargo to robotichoists in a sorting yard.

The automated future is part of an efficiency drive at the portsof Los Angeles and Long Beach, the first- and second- biggest inthe U.S. They’ve been losing market share for nearly a decade tonimble rivals including Prince Rupert, British Columbia, andSavannah, Georgia. One reason: It takes four days or less to unloada ship at those ports and as many as six in SouthernCalifornia.

“We need to redefine normal,” said Noel Hacegaba, a managingdirector of the Port of Long Beach, where the Middle Harborterminal is nearing completion of a $1.3 billion modernization byoperator Orient Overseas International Ltd. “We are concerned whenwe look at the numbers. When you’re the biggest, you have a targeton your back.”