1525 words 6 minute read – Let’s do this!
We are already in the second week of April – Hard to believe Monday is already Tax Day in the U.S.
There are also some grumblings about political protests taking place on Monday, within major cities in the U.S. and Canada that could potentially affect traffic, deliveries, and port and rail operations. We will post about any ports and rails being affected on Monday as they are reported. If you have any questions about the protests, contact your local Port X Logistics representative.
There is major border news with our friends up North – Over 9,000 workers for the CBSA (Canada Border Service Agency) voted yesterday to determine if they support/not support a strike mandate. Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) have been without a collective agreement since 2022. Key issues being wages on par with other law enforcement agencies job security, access to remote work and protection of contracting out work. This vote coincides with the first of two days of a public interest commission hearing. The union and employer will outline their position on outstanding issues and a report will be issued with non-binding recommendations for reaching a deal. If members vote in favor of a strike, they’ll be in a legal strike position following the report’s release. The impact will be felt right across the country at border crossings, airports and CBSA offices processing paperwork.
This also coincides with the still looming Port of Montreal and CN/CP rail strike. Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) are still in negotiations with the Teamsters to renew three collective agreements affecting approximately 9,300 workers at both companies. The notice of dispute filed on February 16th, also starts the legal process towards a possible strike or lockout. Under the Canada Labour Code, a work stoppage could occur as soon as 81 days after government mediators are appointed, potentially leading to a dispute as early as May.
For more information on the pending border and rail strike in Canada, subscribe to the Port X Linkedin page and if you have questions related to the possible strikes or need a solution for your current Canadian shipments, contact Rachel and Erin at Canada@portxlogistics.com
Disruption in the Ocean shipping market is increasing the need for airfreight, along with the demand for e-commerce from the U.S. driving global air cargo volume growth in the first quarter and is expected to lead into a “heavy” peak season later this year, air freight forwarders say. Are you looking to find a more streamlined way to reduce your stress and your need to babysit your urgent airfreight shipments on the domestic trucking side? Let our Carrier911 team be your best solution. We can get your drivers assigned and on site at the airport in most cases within 1 hour. We have access to cargo vans, straight trucks, dry vans and more. All of our drivers have experience with airport and CFS pickups and have access to retrieving the proper documentation to make these pickups seamless. Don’t forget we provide shareable tracking links and PODs sent at the time of delivery, so you can relax stress free with all of your most critical shipments. Contact the Carrier911 team 24/7/365 info@carrier911.com
Import TEUs are up 7.74% this week from last, the heaviest volume this week arriving to Long Beach 17.6% of incoming TEU volume, Los Angeles 15.4% of incoming TEU volume and Newark NJ 13.9% of incoming TEU volume. We are starting to see a huge uptick in container volume diverted from Baltimore mainly to the ports of New York/New Jersey and Norfolk. The two port alternatives, primed with sufficient capacity and experienced in handling unexpected surges, have handled the first wave of diverted ships, but with capacity in both markets are filling up quickly. Do you need a transload solution for your Baltimore bound imports and exports? Give Port X Logistics a call – We are the Gold Standard in drayage, transloading and trucking. We track your containers from the time they leave overseas, dray your containers from all port locations and transload with plenty of photos provided, and load to outbound trucks for the fastest over the road delivery with a shareable tracking app to track drivers all the way to final destination. Transload orders have been piling up as many shippers have been taking the early initiative to speed up deliveries whether it was an ocean delay or to avoid the rails, but we have all the capacity in the world for you! If you want more information on how you can get your cargo diverted at the port and on the road for a speedy delivery with full visibility contact letsgetrolling@portxlogistics.com
What’s happening at the ports and rails?:
You can find all the information on the below link where we cover port congestion, chassis issues and capacity lead times weekly at all U.S. and Canada Ports and rail heads on our website – click on the link below
Click Here for Port & Rail Updates
Oakland: OICT will TENTATIVELY be closed first shift on Monday April 15th due to the anticipated protest throughout the port, port appointments for Monday are currently being canceled for first shift. OICT Status for night gate on Monday is not yet determined, stay tuned to the Port X Logistics Linkedin Page for more updates. Congestion is about to pick up in the Oakland area and if you are looking for capacity, we encourage you to get your orders in early for the most guaranteed capacity. Send all orders and requests to our Oakland team at Oakland@portxlogistics.com
Seattle/Tacoma: The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has announced the launch of a cargo and service incentive program aimed at bolstering international container rail cargo volumes and improving service delivery in the Seattle and Tacoma harbors. With a commitment of US$11 million in incentives, the program aims to increase intermodal cargo volumes, promote vessel schedule reliability, and expand marine terminal operations. Approved by the Managing Members on April 2nd, the incentives have been strategically designed in response to market demand and allocated to support specific points in the supply chain.
Beginning May 1, the incentives will include the Voyage Consistency & On-Time Arrival Award Program, the International Container Rail Cargo Incentive, and a Gate Operations Incentive. Acknowledging the critical role of gate operations in ensuring smooth cargo flow, enhanced trucker experience, and reduced impact to near-port communities, the NWSA will allocate $2 million USD to streamline terminal operations with five-day per week gates and extended gate hours. Marine terminals adhering to consistent gate hours and offering extended gate services will be eligible for funding. If you have questions on how shipping through the SEA/TAC ports can benefit your supply chain and if you are looking for an all-star drayage/transload warehouse team, our Seattle operations has plenty of drayage capacity with the addition of 11 new drivers and a huge amount of warehouse space for transloading and storage. Contact letsgetrolling@portxlogistics.com for capacity and great drayage and warehouse rates.
Savannah: The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) handled 436,000 TEU in March, increasing the trade by 18.5% compared to the same month last year. GPA has achieved a growth of 11 per cent in total container trade during the first three months of the calendar year 2024. Intermodal rail cargo reached 44,902 containers at the Port of Savannah in March, an increase of 22% and a 17% increase fiscal year-to-date. The Blue Ridge Connector is under construction near Gainesville, GA, along the manufacturing and logistics corridor of Interstate 85. It will be GPA’s second-operated inland network Georgia facility, linking Northeast Georgia with the Port of Savannah’s 37 global container ship services. The $134 million USD facility is expected to open in 2026.
Another aspect of GPA’s growing infrastructure is Garden City Terminal West, a new 100-acre container yard adjacent to the Port of Savannah’s main terminal. The site features a new truck gate and secure roadway link to Garden City Terminal. The additional capacity improves supply chain flexibility when paired with Georgia Ports’ inland rail reach. Savannah Ports are getting busier – 8.8% of this week’s incoming TEU volume, AND we have drayage capacity in Savannah and Charleston and we can haul hazmat containers too! Don’t forget we also have a full service transload warehouse for your Savannah Cross dock needs. Contact our South Atlantic team at sav@portxlogistics.com for capacity and great rates.
Did you know? Our founder Brian Kempisty, will be speaking with CEO of Solving Work, Jessica Windham on Friday April 19th from 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM on how leading Port X Logistics with purpose has gotten us where we are today. Sign up for this exciting virtual event below!
SIGN UP HEREFor more information on this event contact marketing@portxlogistics.com
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