For over a year, ports in Southern California have been running at 110% capacity with full anchorage areas. At times, some ships wait to dock in drift areas on the sea. However, despite the continuous influx of ships coming in from Asia to the US SoCal ports, recent reports have shown work to balance port operations is having a positive impact on congestion.
SoCal Supply Chain Stretched to Capacity
More than just ships backed up due to consumer demands related to the pandemic, the bottleneck in Southern California also includes a lack in skilled labor, unloading equipment, warehouses, rail, truck, and chassis supply. It seems that everything the ports rely on to operate have not been enough to handle the increased boost in loads. Realizing these struggles, port associations understand they cannot control issues further down the supply chain but can work on hiring and training longshoremen.
121 Register Longshoremen Trained Since July 2020
While simply adding skilled workers to ports will not fully resolve the congestion issue, it might help reduce the overload in operations. With unions urging employers to operate not at minimum but at maximum, ports are now able to handle complex operations. These added workers will allow increased, efficient productivity along with a significantly brighter outlook on port congestion. With projections in the future revealing no reduction in cargo, the move to increase longshore labor availability is a very smart one.
Pretty soon, the added workforce will lead to an easing of the port congestion issues that are affecting so many today. In the meantime, importers and exporters alike are facing unprecedented challenges in an unpredictable market. In times like these, it behooves businesses to have a reliable logistics partner, such as ClearFreight, to help them navigate their supply chains in this ever-changing market. Let us help make your supply chain run smoother and make logistics easier for you. Contact our team today to hear about our logistics solutions and how they can be customized to fit your needs.