1281 words 5 minute read – Let’s do this!
Next week marks the first long weekend since the new year and the close of the first half of the year – Q3 and Summer are officially upon us. I would like to wish the best of luck to our very own Pat and Kayleigh for participating in the Buffalo Marathon taking place this weekend. Running a 26.2 mile long race is such a huge life event and accomplishment and we are super excited for and proud of both of you. If you are interested in hearing about their marathon experience subscribe to the Port X Logistics LinkedIn page to hear their stories in the near future!
It has been almost 2 months since the container ship the Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and the ship finally moved out of the Port of Baltimore on Monday. Ship traffic in and around the wreckage of the bridge had been largely stalled in recent weeks, and Baltimore’s port economy took a major hit. With the Dali moved, the Coast Guard expects to allow the same sizes and kinds of cargo ships to come into the port that were able to prior to the bridge collapse. Sugar, cars, tractors and containers full of other goods are all expected to return on a regular schedule to Baltimore’s port. Many of the port’s longshoreman have been out of work for 8 weeks and are relieved cargo ships are already starting to return.
Baltimore’s port is one of the nation’s largest and busiest. The closure of maritime traffic affected about $2 million in wages every day. In 2023, the port handled more than 50 million tons of foreign cargo worth $80 billion, according to state officials.
Panama Canal restrictions have been lifted and vessel transits have returned to regular operation this month. The affected services include THE Alliance’s Asia-US East Coast routes, MSC’s Santana service, and the Asia-US East Coast service managed by Hapag-Lloyd and Wan Hai Lines.
These services were rerouted through the Suez Canal and then the Cape of Good Hope following the Red Sea crisis at the end of 2023. However, with the increase in Neo-Panamax transit slots at the Panama Canal from May, carriers are restoring these routes to Panama, reducing overall round-trip transit times by one to two weeks.
While the situation at the Panama Canal is improving, it will take more time and adjustments, including lifting drought restrictions, for full normalization of operations. The maximum draught is 44 feet, whereas normal conditions allow for 50 feet. It’s estimated that container ships lose approximately 350 TEU for every foot of lost draught.
Import TEUs are down 2% this week from last, the heaviest volume this week arriving to Newark NJ 17.5% of incoming TEU volume, Long Beach 17.2% of incoming TEU volume and Los Angeles 11.2% of incoming TEU volume. Volumes will be lower next week with the upcoming Memorial Day U.S. Holiday and the port shutdowns will affect capacity, but we have enough capacity to cover you! Port X Logistics is 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 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. If you want to be a part of the best “Customer Experience” in the industry serving all U.S. and Canadian markets, 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
Charleston: The South Carolina Ports Authority experienced a software malfunction earlier this week that closed truck gates at the inland ports for 2 days. Gate hours have been extended to 7 pm on Tuesday at Wando Welch and North Charleston terminals to help alleviate backlogs. They anticipate the backlogs to take a week or two to clear up. Additional accessorial and per diem charges can be disputed through the steamship line and terminals. If you are experiencing a backlog of containers in Charleston and struggling with capacity we have good news – Port X Logistics specializes in expediting containerized freight out of the Charleston and Savannah Ports. Our main terminal is strategically located a few miles from the port of Savannah and boasts a 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse with five acres of yard space. Services offered include dray/transload/trucking, as well as regional and long-haul intact drayage including hazmat and overweight. Send us your orders 72 hours prior to vessel arrival and we will even promise a “No Demurrage Guarantee” for all containers that are released and available before free time expires. Contact Kyle and the team to experience the best! SAV@Portxlogistics.com
Seattle/Tacoma: Rates have been decreasing in the U.S. Pacific northwest and the ports are running smoothly! 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 projects. Contact letsgetrolling@portxlogistics.com for capacity and great drayage and warehouse rates.
Vancouver: Vanterm and FSD having rail dwell in excess of 7 days through the Canadian National Rail and the Port Terminal. A Canada wide rail strike that was set for May 22nd was called off following a request from Canadian labour minister, Seamus O’Regan, to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to assess whether the strike could pose a threat to national safety. The CIRB is currently examining if any critical shipments must continue during a strike or lockout. Legally, a strike cannot commence until such a decision is made, but negotiations can still take place. As of yesterday, The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) revealed that there has been “no progress”. If you have containers arriving to the Canadian ports – even if they are destined for U.S. railheads, we urge you start exploring the options of drayage, transloading via port diversions. Rachel, Erin and the team have a wealth of experience and knowledge of cross border deliveries and are ready to help answer your questions and support your needs. Contact Canada@portxlogistics.com
Did you know? Business shutdowns from holiday long weekend can create an urgent need for airfreight and expedited cargo? Did you also know our Carrier911 team is on the move 24/7/365 to help with all your domestic expedited trucking needs? We can get drivers assigned and on site at the airport in most cases within one hour from the time the order has been dispatched to us. We have access to cargo vans, straight trucks, dry vans and more and 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 your most critical shipments. Contact the Carrier911 team to help with your next shipment success story info@carrier911.com
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