Port of Long Beach

Yusen Terminals in Los Angeles, where Union Pacific is adjusting to a consolidation of shipments from the three former lines that formed the Ocean Network, is a major focus of the railroad’s attention.

Beneficial cargo owners and truckers in Southern California have experienced only spot chassis shortages, and given current import projections, this condition should continue through the peak season. However, store-door contracts that designate the use of specific intermodal equipment provider chassis are still an issue, and this condition could worsen if non-vessel operating common carriers expand their use of door contracts with chassis clauses.

As with many other consumer industries, it’s not that the toy industry pie is shrinking, it’s merely being split differently.

Importers who pick up cargo during the day favor the prospective flat fee structure, as they would pay less. Importers who pick up cargo at night, who currently don’t pay the traffic mitigation fee (TMF), and would pay more, oppose the new PierPass 2.0 program. Meanwhile, terminals argue they can’t operate extended gates without compensation, and beneficial cargo owners and truckers want greater terminal TMF transparency.

It is an ambitious goal, but port officials, environmental experts, and other stakeholders at a summit offered substantial evidence that the commercially-feasible, zero-emissions, cargo-handling system will arrive sooner than many expect.

The goal of the 12 terminal operators at LA-LB is to promote uniformity for drayage operators and more efficient service for beneficial cargo owners in PierPass 2.0 via a common set of rules for trucker appointments and peel-off operations.

Consistently good truck turn times and container dwell times since peak season 2017 have beneficial cargo owners who ship through Los Angeles-Long Beach optimistic that most of the dozen terminals will handle their shipments with a minimum of congestion issues this summer and autumn.

Sponsored: JOC Senior Content Editor Alessandra Barrett and Port of Long Beach Chief Commercial and Operations Officer Noel Hacegaba dive into the implications of technology for ports and the supply chain as a whole.

Confirming to Alphaliner that it is discussing US terminal assets with Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States officials, Cosco, a China government-backed carrier, said it is confident the deal will pass the US review and that the deal’s June 30 deadline will be met.

Beneficial cargo owners and truckers in Los Angeles may experience improved cargo velocity and reduced gate congestion if a large container drayoff facility to be piloted at the Port of Los Angeles proves to be successful.

PierPass has its supporters and detractors, but port users agree that the largest US gateway could not handle 17 million TEU per year without a regular schedule of night and weekend gates.

Many US ports are facing the challenge of handling container surges from today’s mega-ships with an operating schedule designed in the 1970s.

Beneficial cargo owners who contract with XPO for drayage will closely watch a class-action misclassification lawsuit in Los Angeles seeking wages, damages, and a permanent injunction preventing XPO from classifying drivers as independent contractors.

Carriers’ refusal to reduce capacity on the verge of service contracting season has the east-bound Pacific looking at only minimal rate increases of perhaps $100 per FEU to the West Coast, and possible rate reductions to the East Coast.

Officials say the technology will also help create more trucker dual transactions.

Truckers seek “dual transactions,” or revenue moves in both directions and at LA-LB, technology will play a key role in achieving that goal, which will also reduce turn times — getting cargo to its destination quicker.