Fighting the Tide (2000)

The story of a simple but revolutionary technology that forever changed a centuries-old way of life. Spanning half a century, the program portrays the transformation of port cities -- places like Seattle, Tacoma, San Francisco and New York -- whose once-bustling piers fell victim to automation in less than a generation. The program focuses on the lives of men caught up in the drama as technology and personalities conspired to launch a revolution in transportation that reached the farthest parts of the globe.