Port News

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.

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.

Adani Group has pulled the plug on a $39.4 million deal it unveiled in December to acquire a controlling stake in India domestic cold chain logistics leader Snowman Logistics Ltd.

Better operations and economics may help to retain or even regain some of the freight that the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex has lost to sourcing shifts, but some cargo can’t be won back.

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.

An appellate court has denied the commission’s request for a rehearing of an earlier decision that would shift responsibility for background checks and criminal investigations at the largest US East Coast port to New Jersey state police.

Despite a slightly improved forecast for US imports, retailers are being conservative in their purchase orders with Asian factories, pointing to a dismal peak shipping season compared to recent years.

London-based digital cargo insurer Loadsure partners with Chicago-based Transship to more fully automate refrigerated containerized exports.

Jaxport’s $484 million project, due to be complete in 2023, will provide a wider vessel turning basin and the ability to handle two post-Panamax vessels simultaneously in SSA’s Blount Island Terminal.

Easing the height limit under Hong Kong’s Tsing Ma bridge ends a six-year campaign by the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association. The structure spans the main shipping channel between Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung container port and the Shekou and Chiwan container terminals in western Shenzhen.

APM Terminals is rolling out a set of data connectivity tools, initially at two US ports, to inform shippers of container status and vessel arrival on a more real-time basis.

Montreal waterfront employers a decade ago locked out longshore workers for several days, after the union authorized a strike following an 18-month impasse in contract talks.

For drayage operator Mark-It Express Logistics, the purchase of Sava Transportation and Spirit Trucking represent the first steps in a larger consolidation plan.

Montreal employers say the longshoremen’s decision was a surprise and said they are considering other options than focusing on contract negotiations. Employers locked out workers in 2010 after contract talks hit an impasse.

An increase in the traffic mitigation fee in Los Angeles-Long Beach will support rising labor costs for night and weekend gates.

Construction at the Port of Virginia to increase capacity of the Norfolk International Terminals to 2.2 million TEU is nearly complete, with the final eight cranes to move containers onto trucks to be commissioned in July.

Indian Customs authorities have not issued any official information on the additional checks, but customs brokers and forwarders say Customs officials have been given “internal” government instructions to manually inspect all Chinese cargo.

The upstate New York inland port provides cargo owners an alternative to the 245-mile truck haul, as the region attracts more distribution centers.

A renewed push to reduce port stay times, driven by larger decarbonization goals, represents a rare scenario in which carriers, terminal operators, and cargo owners could all benefit.

During Paul Cozza’s tenure as head of the North Carolina Ports Authority, container volume through the Port of Wilmington increased 25 percent and refrigerated volumes quadrupled.

Now that a number of terminals in Southern California have super-post-Panamax cranes, terminal operators say container lines feel more confident in deploying mega-ships on their Pacific Southwest services.

Volume at the Port of Virginia’s inland port in Richmond has jumped this year because it serves BCOs who have thrived during the pandemic amid limited restaurant options and a rise in e-commerce orders.

Carriers’ container volumes in the US-Asia trades declined in the first four months of 2020 and are expected to remain below last year’s volumes through the peak season.

The latest federal funds for the Port of Houston will go to restoring 2,700 linear feet of wharf and upgrading 84 acres of yard space at Barbours Cut Terminal.

Steady exports so far this year mean containerized US resin, an important backhaul cargo for ocean carriers, could see slight growth this year.

Despite seeing record turn times in Los Angeles-Long Beach, truckers say they are struggling with operational inefficiencies caused by more than 60 blank sailings this year.

Long-standing issues at Los Angeles–Long Beach involving the return of empty containers, terminal gate closures, and shift cancelations have gotten worse this year as carriers blanked dozens of sailings owing to the economic impact of COVID-19.

The importance of being able to speed up or slow down container shipments was driven home during the coronavirus disruption, but the option is likely to grow in importance for shippers.

Dismissing writs filed by BCO groups, an appeals court in New Delhi ruled that government advisories on extended free time and penalty waivers were more in the form of general advice rather than a binding directive.

Ports in southeast Asia need to upgrade their terminal capacity in order to handle the expected shift in sourcing away from China that is being triggered by COVID-19 supply chain disruptions.

Port Tampa Bay has received almost $20 million in a federal grant to help construct a second 1,300-foot berth and a 30-acre container yard, key elements of its plan to increase capacity to handle three Asian direct services.

The ability to strike could give the longshoremen union Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 375 more leverage in its negotiations with employers for a future contract.

The addition of Gusgo Transport to its operating subsidiaries gives TFI deeper access to international containerized freight moving between the US and Canada.

The average capacity of container ships calling ports around the world, and the average amount of cargo exchanged per call, continued to grow in almost all regions in 2019.

The Port of New York and New Jersey’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic went beyond just its physical footprint, working with neighboring states to ensure clear communication of essential service status to warehouses and distribution centers.

William Doyle, who served two terms on the Federal Maritime Commission, has been named executive director of the Maryland Port Administration, taking charge of the Port of Baltimore amid terminal and intermodal improvements.

ILWU’s monthly stop-work meeting to discuss union matters moved to June 19 day shift as West Coast longshoremen honor slain African-American George Floyd.

Proponents of reducing the Waterfront Commission role have argued the commission oversteps its authority to combat crime on the docks and slows down hiring.

Indian shippers argue they shouldn’t be subjected to port storage charges when factors beyond their control have prevented the timely pickup of containers or return of equipment.

All 10 of the busiest US cargo ports registered declines in container volumes in early 2020, with only modest improvement forecasted for the second half of the year due to a muted peak season.