With a declared transit time of 21 days from India’s JNPT to Norfolk, the new string boasts the fastest connection on the booming trade route, with the first westbound sailing scheduled for Oct. 25.

With capacity out of Oakland severely limited by carrier desertions last winter, Northern California agricultural shippers are desperate for vessel space this harvest season.

As shippers increasingly turn to – or are forced to – the spot market for truck capacity, automation will identify opportunities to lower costs, according to C.H. Robinson Worldwide.

Ocean carriers, terminal operators, and stevedores have joined to fight against the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021, arguing the bill will cause detention and demurrage to increase and further constrain the supply chain.