As expected, ports up and down the West Coast remain congested, and the transportation consequences of the work slowdown are starting to appear. Rates began climbing the week the labor agreement was reached and while there have been no drastic pricing spikes thus far, we are seeing a noticeable increase in demand for equipment as more and more cargo is cleared from the docks for shipment to local and interstate destinations.
Port officials in Los Angeles and Long Beach are now indicating that it will take about three months to clear the tremendous number of containers at the ports instead of the four to eight weeks previously suggested. While a significant number of ships still wait to be unloaded, the number has decreased.
As indicated in the February 24th edition of Spotlight, the WG Transportation Program (WGTP) and our strategic logistics partner, C.H. Robinson, can provide members with access to tools and information to help your company navigate through what is likely to be a period of instability in the transportation market.
If you have not availed yourself of these tools, WG highly recommends you contact CHR’s John Stenderup at 866-771-1270 today. Both CHR and Spotlight will continue to provide updates on transportation as a result of the port slowdown and other factors.
