Huge spikes in volume are headed for the Ports of LA and Long Beach. Week 46 (November 9-13) through the end of November are forecasted to look something like this:
Taking a look at the current state of the west coast ports show just how chaotic November 2020 will be.
Negative Chassis??
Chassis have been largely unpredictable by the week. Some terminals like LBCT, Pier A, FMS, and ETS had a negative chassis balance in Week 43, meaning there were more outgoing chassis than incoming chassis.
And the rest of the terminals aren’t looking any better. For example, ITS had +612 chassis in Week 41, but only +451 in Week 43.
Thousands of chassis are going out weekly, creating an unbalance in the chassis pool. Some terminals, like WBCT, are even asking drivers to bring in their own chassis.
Dwell Times Will Increase
While 40/45 chassis are out up to 7.3 days, dwell times have increase in LA and Long Beach.
Terminal Operations Lagging As Well
The biggest challenge with terminal operations is managing resources through ups and downs. Terminals have reported being unable to fill jobs, causing labor shortages specifically in skilled labor positions. All of 2020 has been unpredictable and these large spikes in demand are not forecasted, leaving the ports without backup plans.
Now, the ports have been caught off guard and the balance of having enough labor and terminal equipment is disproportionate. All of this is causing operational delays, changes in terminal calls, and delays in discharge from vessels. Ships are now waiting outside the harbor and creating a greater backlog that will only get worse.
For example, ONE CYNGUS arrived on October 26, but is still waiting outside the port. ONE HONG KONG has an ETA of November 1, but YTI has no date posted for its ETA.
Prepare to be Proactive
Our expert team is preparing for the upcoming volume spike. If you need to expedite cargo, send us the information ASAP. Like a week in advance. For service or more intel on the situation at the ports.
Email us at letsgetrolling@portxlogistics.com or follow us on LinkedIn here.