Feb 02

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There ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb – Babe.  I got you babe, I got you babe.

6 minute read
There ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb – Babe.  I got you babe, I got you babe. Featured Image

1,244 Words 5 minute read – let’s do this!

There is no way that this winter is *ever* going to end as long as this groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don’t see any other way out. He’s gotta be stopped. And I have to stop him.”

Another 6 weeks, thanks Phil. Winter really feels like we are living the same day over and over again and this year has thrown in a lot of dreary energy so far. How can we power forward into sunshine and spring? The market volumes are plummeting but we have full capacity in all of the U.S. and Canada so that is my silver lining. 

Also BIG news! We recently brought back our “no demurrage guarantee” for shipments picked up from all coastal ports.  If you’re able to send us your paperwork at least 5 days prior to the vessel arrival and the container is clear of all holds upon release, we are guaranteeing that there will be no demurrage charged back to you – and  chances are if  we get your paperwork even sooner than that, we will still be able to get all shipments out within free time. We will provide daily updates on vessel arrival, container availability and you can track your shipments online 24/7 via our Turvo app. Contact Turvo Tom today (http://bit.ly/3HSI8mT)  for more information on Turvo tracking and Open Track and to set up a demo  letsgetrolling@portxlogistics.com.

Let’s circle back to update on the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) – the long-stalled West Coast port labor talks are showing no signs of progress, according to those involved with the negotiations, further extending uncertainty for U.S. shippers who rely on the west coast to import goods from Asia.

The talks cover more than 22,000 dockworkers at 29 ports stretching from California to Washington state.  Dockworkers have been working without a contract since the last multi year agreement expired July 1, 2022, and the sides couldn’t agree on an extension. Some importers have been diverting to East Coast and Gulf Coast ports in case the labor talks break down and lead to work disruptions or a strike. Officials at the nation’s busiest container-handling ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach say the diversions contributed to double-digit declines in import volumes toward the end of last year. The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association said in a recent report that the ports recorded their lowest import volumes for any November in a decade. Many shippers will likely continue diverting goods to Gulf Coast and East Coast ports until they can be sure an agreement can be reached.  There has been little impact on cargo operations at the ports during the contract talks other than some occasional work disruptions at container terminals in Los Angeles and in Seattle, but it is a topic worth keeping an open discussion on until a contract has been put in place.  

There is a slight uptick in Import TEU volumes this week, an increase of 5.05% from last week.  Every little increase is a great sign in my eyes. Lunar New Year closures will be coming to an end this week also, which will hopefully increase volumes and decrease blank sailings. I had a quick chat yesterday with our resident Denver expert Charlie Bodine (http://bit.ly/3HU4hkW) The Denver rails are looking fine AF these days. Containers are becoming available within 1-3 days of arrival and are hitting the rails faster than in previous months. What is even better? We have plenty of Drayage capacity in Denver as well as transload capacity and we are offering competitive rates. Check us out in Denver, all of our drivers are trackable start to finish and you will receive a POD immediately at delivery signing.  Contact the team at denver@portxlogistics.com.

What is going on at the ports this week? 

Houston: The ice storm early this week has created a little bit of a backlog and Barbours Cut terminal is still having severe delays due to the crane issues from weeks prior. Vessel waiting time is 2-6 days before the vessels hit dock. The Import Dwell Fee has taken effect as of February 1st 2023 For more information on the Dwell fee: https://www.porthouston.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Dwell-Fees_Final.pdf    

The ice storm in Texas also canceled almost 1000 flights into and out of DFW and Dallas Love Field this week. If you have domestic air freight that has been delayed and need to get it delivered at lightning speed, our Carrier911 team is all you need. We will have a driver on site within a few short hours and even in some cases a few minutes to recover your cargo quickly and efficiently 24/7. For more information contact our Carrier911 team info@carrier911.com.

Norfolk: There is a 0-1 day vessel delay currently at the port of Norfolk, no chassis issues and the driver capacity is at an all time high. We can quickly cover all your Norfolk drayage and transloads and want to offer you the best service out of Norfolk in the industry.  

Savannah: Despite fog season, the port is still rocking and rolling and we have plenty of capacity in Savannah.  Savannah has cool facts about fog season and tide rules and Tyler (http://bit.ly/3Yhfv8q) will be discussing those tomorrow – be sure to like us on LinkedIn for these cool updates and more.

We would also like to welcome our newest addition to the Savannah team Kyle Blair (http://bit.ly/3Y17O6p) as our newest  Savannah terminal manager. If you have containers to move in Savannah or you are a driver looking to be recruited, contact Kyle and Tyler at SAV@portxlogistics.com.

New York/New Jersey: Some empty returns have been a problem, appointments at times are hard to get, the terminals are requiring certain steamship lines go back to different terminals from which they originally arrived at which is creating a bit of confusion, the  possibility of extra per diem, as well as other fees. When importing through NY/NJ, be sure to find out where empties are returning to at time of dispatch to eliminate possible extra fees and driver wait times. Chassis availability in NY/NJ is great and we have tons of capacity. 

Did you know?  

On Monday Feb 27th at 4:40 PM PST Port X Logistics founder Brian Kempisty (http://bit.ly/3Rrpndg) will be speaking at the TPM conference put on by the Journal of Commerce, with the topic of what is happening in the world of drayage with discussions like how the drayage processes have changed over the recent years, how to better streamline your containerized shipments, and how AB5 will affect the future of drayage. https://events.joc.com/tpm/program/dedicated-drayage-as-a-solution-for-tight-truck-capacity-8063-804478/

Port X Logistics will have an entire team at the TPM, with a display and demos between the Hyatt and entrance to the Long Beach Convention Center. We can talk about the drayage market, drivers, chassis, planning, execution, AND TECH/VISIBILITY. How your drayage company can provide complete visibility from sailing, arrival at port, cargo availability, tracking pick ups, taking photos of transload, and providing tracking links to destination. For more information contact our marketing team Marketing@portxlogistics.com.

Contact the leadership team via letsgetrolling@portxlogistics.com.

Import Volume Charts