Drayage capacity from Southeastern US ports is so low right now that ocean carriers, NVOCCs, and shippers are scouring to locate small truck carriers on the spot market and paying extra to get their loads hauled.
Drayage
Drayage
Drayage is the retrieval of shipping containers from ports and hauling them to inland locations such as rail heads, distribution centers, or stores. Ports in the US struggle to position chassis efficiently, and chassis shortages are a key contributor to port congestion. The issue of chassis maintenance and repair is also a sticking point in employer negotiations with longshore labor unions.
US importers shipping through various ports are often concerned about such challenges as congested marine terminals, lengthy truck turn times, equipment shortages, and distribution warehouses stuffed beyond capacity for weeks or longer. Major gateways also experience various degrees of equipment shortages, and delays in the return of empty containers. Some ports in Asia could also risk experiencing a shortage of empty containers.
Webcasts
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News & Analysis
26 May 2021
After a rough six-week period following the paralyzing February snowstorm in Texas, intermodal terminals are operating with fewer delays in Dallas-Fort Worth, with chassis available and driver productivity bucking national trends.
20 May 2021
Drayage operators say they are raising rates and pay for drivers moving containers in and out of the Port of New York and New Jersey, but it’s not enough to make up for a loss of productivity during the prolonged surge in import volumes that began in August.
19 May 2021
An exodus of drayage drivers to the flatbed and dry van truckload sectors is further limiting already constrained capacity and equipment availability in key inland markets.
18 May 2021
Logistics software startup Splyc is using automation to tackle what it sees as a major issue in container logistics technology: the speed with which information is passed from one system to another.
28 Apr 2021
A federal appeals court ruling on AB5 could have a significant impact on drayage companies in the state, but it will likely be weeks, or months, before the outcome is reached, according to an attorney.
05 Apr 2021
California legislators on Monday introduced a package of three bills they say will build upon legislation over the past two years that challenges trucking companies’ classification of drivers as independent contractors.
30 Mar 2021
The Harbor Trucking Association is advertising for a new CEO to lead drayage companies in Southern California, Oakland, and Seattle-Tacoma as current head Weston LaBar transitions to a new opportunity in the industry.
23 Mar 2021
Rapid e-commerce delivery requirements, as well as capacity shortages and equipment imbalances, are spurring the growth of transloading near US seaports, speakers at TPM21 said.
19 Mar 2021
NY-NJ chassis providers pledge to add more equipment due to the import surge, which has tested the region’s reliance on trucker-controlled chassis.
09 Mar 2021
Shippers with extra volumes into the port of New York-New Jersey are faced with an exceptionally tight market for spot drayage capacity, forcing rates up to new highs, according to drayage rate tracker Drayage.com.
01 Mar 2021
Backups at US ports will diminish gradually over several months only as COVID-19 vaccines are distributed and infection rates slow, IHS Markit’s chief economist told JOC’s virtual TPM21.
10 Feb 2021
The acquisition of JZ Expedited Companies gives the national drayage operator more trucking services, transload capacity near the port of Jacksonville.
05 Feb 2021
Seeing glimpses of improved productivity, terminal operators in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach predict a return to some sense of normalcy between April and June.
22 Jan 2021
The acquisition of DDI bolsters RoadOne's 53-foot domestic container business and transloading capabilities on the East Coast as import volumes rise.
07 Jan 2021
The chassis network on the East Coast has held up during the recent import surge due to better communication and data, and more reliable equipment.
30 Dec 2020
Truckers are taking longer to get through terminals in Chicago because of the surge in cargo and changes in stacking containers with some railroads.
23 Dec 2020
Drayage capacity in Miami is tight due to an unusual late-year surge in fruits and vegetables, cigars, and casual wear, causing truckers to be booked up seven to 14 days in advance.
17 Dec 2020
The truck driver turnover rate is rising at truckload carriers as they compete for employees; that is spurring a new round of pay hikes for drivers.
07 Dec 2020
A tighter focus on transportation and technology following a corporate split will improve the service and experience XPO offers to shippers globally, the company and transportation analysts say
13 Nov 2020
Higher pay is just a starting point for the solution to a resurgent driver shortage, J.B. Hunt’s Shelley Simpson tells the JOC Inland Distribution Webcast. Greater efficiencies, more shipper cooperation are key to improving driver jobs.
06 Nov 2020
With the entire Southern California supply chain overwhelmed by imports, harbor truckers are asking ocean carriers to suspend detention and demurrage charges until the congestion problems are fixed.
20 Oct 2020
A new drayage TMS provider aims to arm port carriers with modern technology to automate back office functions and better manage dispatch and customer engagement.
19 Oct 2020
Available drivers have been hard to find with such a sudden and sharp rise in domestic and international container flows, placing a great deal of strain on the fluidity of the supply chain.
06 Oct 2020
The purchase of Value Logistics gives Forward a bigger intermodal presence in the South-Central distribution hub as freight volumes of all types rise, said CEO Tom Schmitt.
06 Oct 2020
A widely-used drayage management solutions provider has added the truck parking marketplace SecurSpace to help drivers find parking and equipment storage options directly in their transportation management systems.
22 Sep 2020
Equipment providers and terminal operators say excessive container and chassis dwell times at import warehouses in Southern California are the main culprit in recent congestion at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
21 Sep 2020
Lawyers representing ocean carriers, OCEMA, and CCM have asked the FMC to dismiss ATA’s complaint into chassis, arguing the regulatory body lacks jurisdiction and only cargo owners can bring such a case.
20 Aug 2020
A chassis dispute between trucking executives and ocean carriers has reached an impasse, spurring American Trucking Associations to seek a resolution from the US Federal Maritime Commission.
17 Jul 2020
A July 16 story on JOC.com, titled Zim’s new empty container site rankles NY-NJ truckers, incorrectly reported that Zim Integrated Shipping Services would require empty container returns at the Croxton yard beginning July 17.
14 Jul 2020
Truck turn times in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach continue to improve, but truckers seek more timely information from carriers and terminals so they can further reduce visit times.
13 Jul 2020
Roughly 90 percent of carriers in the highly fragmented US drayage sector generate less than $4 million in annual revenue, and these smaller providers could be at risk of bankruptcy due to skyrocketing insurance premiums.
09 Jul 2020
US Payroll Protection Program loans, once forgiven, will give small trucking outfits a chance to invest in much-needed technology, a tax and accounting advisory firm says.
08 Jul 2020
London-based digital cargo insurer Loadsure partners with Chicago-based Transship to more fully automate refrigerated containerized exports.
01 Jul 2020
For drayage operator Mark-It Express Logistics, the purchase of Sava Transportation and Spirit Trucking represent the first steps in a larger consolidation plan.
Commentary
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