From port congestion and tight truck capacity to labor and equipment challenges, protecting supply chain reliability has become a global priority. Logistics details that were once confined to the transportation industry now dominate mainstream media headlines.
With the disruption at crisis levels, there is opportunity in all of this chaos: a chance to fully utilize all of the United States’ national assets — including uncongested ports, warehousing, and rail networks — to smooth out and future-proof the supply chain.
The paradigm shift has already started. Shippers and ocean carriers are taking a closer look at transportation networks located near population centers with the infrastructure and capabilities to get cargo where it needs to go.
Routing vessels to an uncongested port, for example, solves two problems. First, the cargo moves more efficiently because it’s not stuck in an endless queue. Second, you relieve some of the burden from the congested ports those vessels would have called.
But it doesn’t end with the port routing decisions. Investments in the nation’s rail infrastructure could provide ample opportunity to utilize currently underutilized rail connections without sacrificing efficiency.
On the warehousing side, shippers can turn to third-party logistics providers in seaport cities with the capacity and strategic location to efficiently get cargo to end users throughout the region.
Supply chain disruption isn’t going away, even in a post-COVID-19 world. International cargo volumes will continue to grow, and e-commerce — and consumer expectations for near-immediate delivery — continue to create challenges and opportunities throughout the supply chain.
Now is the time to start the conversation about fully utilizing US transportation assets to provide strategic and long-term solutions that will make the supply chain more resilient for all stakeholders.