The challenges facing the US container shipping sector in 2022 are big, but despite their complexity, there is a path forward.
Front and center are elevated levels of cargo and the import-export trade imbalance. The entire supply chain must make the most of our existing infrastructure and assets to handle this new normal.
Collaborating to push cargo off port terminals is a must. Operating 24/7 could play a key role if all links of the chain are on board. And with the federal infrastructure bill signed into law, our aging roads, bridges, waterways, and rail infrastructure will get the real dollars needed to make transportation safer, faster, and more efficient, strengthening the backbone of the logistics industry.
To correct the trade imbalance between imports and exports, stakeholders need to redouble efforts to ensure American manufacturers and farmers can get their goods and produce overseas. Access to global markets is vital to American jobs and a strong economy.
Increased digitalization and better workforce training are also key to the future success of the freight transportation industry, which has made gains in leveraging technology to increase efficiencies but needs to do more in this area. During this crisis, for example, we found that one-third of trucker appointments went unused. That’s an inefficiency that digital solutions can address.
US West Coast ports are blessed with highly skilled longshore workers who routinely upgrade their skills to keep pace with changing technology. The broader industry needs to make sure all workers across the supply chain — truck drivers, warehouse workers, and others — have opportunities to train, upskill, and reskill. Ports and transportation providers also need to hire more of these essential workers, and their compensation must reflect their value.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted these familiar issues, lending new urgency to working together to meet the moment.