Cargo containers, driver shortage

As I understand it the ports require you to bring in an empty container on a chassis to take a loaded container on a chassis out. The problem is all of the loaded and empty containers sitting on chassis at customers or shippers that aren't being unloaded. Also, the ports are changing which empty containers on chassis they will accept, such as" today we only accept the rust-colored containers on chassis", etc.

 

It is low wages, changes in shipping demands, and some customers using the ports as free warehouses that are causing many of the issues.

But once again the real needs of drivers are obscured by the two parties political agendas with little effort at resolving the actual problems.

Drivers are pawns in a larger game once again.

 

Also keep this in mind on top of the other SNAFUs in the system.

Historically Contentious Labor Negotiations to Decide Fate of West Coast Ports in 2022 - TruckersReport.com

 

Fake news. There are real problems in the ports, but no one gets anything for fixing them. Instead, the usual cast of swamp creatures are using the opportunity to promote their pet causes. Why let a crisis go to waste? As usual the problems are caused by politicians and unions.

Before the China flu there was equilibrium - enough containers on both sides of the Pacific for everyone to ship everything. When the politicians starting shutting down malls and other businesses the flow of containers STOPPED overnight. Who wants a bunch of inventory when your store is closed and you don't know when you'll be able to open again? Who wants warehouses full of shorts, t-shirts and sandals in October? Normally there's a bunch of containers in various stages of unloading that slowly trickle back to the ports and a steady flow of container ships ready to take them to China. Instead, empty containers piled up at the ports for a prolonged period with very few ships to take them back. The ports were buried in empties and stored them in every available space, including space needed for their normal operations. The Mad King's trade policies are also making the trade gap worse with US imports from China increasing while US exports to China are decreasing.

Most of the containers are still on the US side. There's a container shortage in China right now. In the US we have a chassis shortage. Not really. Where did they go? They're all still here, but most of them already have an empty container on them. Duh, take the container off the chassis. EXCEPT, this is in California where they've raised retardation to an art form. Most of their cities have local ordinances prohibiting stacking containers more than 2 high. Wait, the same containers that are stacked 8 high on the decks of ships as they pitch and roll across the Pacific? Yep.

Wasn't there a big infrastructure bill that was supposed to help? Well, the $17 billion may help with emissions reductions, repairs and dredging but there's nothing in the bill to improve port efficiency. Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach currently rank 328 and 333 in the world for speed and efficiency. No US port is in the top 50. What about installing automated systems to improve their performance? Section 30102 of the Build Back Better Bill expressly forbids using any of the funds for any automated systems. The longshoreman's union wanted it that way.

To solve the crisis the shipping companies just need to put some cranes on a large vacant space and let the port and freight companies store their empty containers there for a reasonable fee with a government amnesty from the 2 high stacking restriction. That would fix the problem in < 30 days. The ports would have all the room they need, all the chassis would be available and the containers could be stored by shipping company/color or however they needed to in order to ship them back to China as expeditiously as possible. . Sure, it would fix the problem but their rates have gone up more than 300% in the last year - they're in no rush to fix the problem.

 

It's more than that. some 'customers' have their ways around the problem.
Even on the east coast In addition to the huge empty container backlog there is a crisis getting the chassis needed.

We have over 600 chassis on long term lease and every pool chassis we can get.

There are companies who are related to some of the steamship lines, either a major player in the shipline's home country [selling tires] -or- part of the same vertically integrated company that just happens to sell automobiles here... they have a few hundred containers full of auto parts here sitting and waiting, because they could get in front of the line.

Another customer, relocating to a larger 'big box' has another hundred -or- so loads sitting for months as they finish relocating. Their timing was probably accidental, 12 months ago this warehouise was a cornfield but they planned how to stuff the new place.

We are running out of empties to return every day despite the daily lottery of which depot is accepting XZY shiplines emoties today. Ther are no chassis to lease so you need to ingate an empty to pick up an import.

 

I've been seeing a lot of empty chassis's going into global every morning

 

The container companies were getting 20k+ to bring a container to the USA. Waiting to be loaded with with empties for the return trip costs money.

 

They are charging tripple what they did a year ago

 

Lol that’s funny

 

I think the feds are allowing truckers to be charged $1k if they miss their port appointment. That ought to fix everything. SMH