US Ports

An explosion of e-commerce business is driving up rents at last-mile/last-touch fulfillment centers in urban core locations, and entrepreneurial truckers are finding ways to participate in this growing market. But the end result is a plus for beneficial cargo owners and consumers, as these developments enhance customer service and prevent final delivered costs from getting out of hand.

US Southeast ports are expanding inland, giving beneficial cargo owners in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and other areas an intermodal opportunity to avoid the long, expensive dray to a port city — a significant option in a capacity-short US truck transport market.

Shippers concerned that future worker shortages due to Baby Boomer retirements and other factors could impair the ability of ports to handle rising cargo volumes, and diminish their efficiency, might take comfort from efforts at the Port of New York and New Jersey to create a vibrant worker pipeline for the future.

Without the delays of the nation’s other coasts, and with a growing population and the desire of companies to place inventory closer to customers, the US Gulf region’s ports have a competitive edge and are poised for business wins.

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.

Port officials expect better quarters ahead for the Port of Mobile (above), and one of several reasons is because automotive shipments are poised to grow with the continuing expansion of auto assembly plants in Alabama and surrounding states.

Neither country has listed a deadline for tariff implementation, hence the situation remains dynamic and fluid. However, key analysts are formulating worst-case scenarios.

When it comes to finished-automobile shipments, US South Atlantic ports are in a sweet spot. Regional population growth is boosting demand for imports, and new auto assembly plants are bolstering exports.

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.

Shippers could find their cargo severely disrupted at the Port of New York and New Jersey if a ban on pre-2007 trucks goes into effect, according to a letter by the New York Shipping Association and several trucking groups that criticizes an effort by two congressmen to revive the ban.

Sponsored: Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka discuss technology in the freight transportation industry, including its Port Optimizer pilot program with GE Transportation, and examining challenges of increasing data standardization and wider adoption of technologies across the supply chain.

Truckers in Norfolk protest the persistent delays at the Virginia International Gateway terminal. For shippers, these multiple hour turns can slow the delivery of their containers and add a layer of unpredictability to their supply chain. The Port of Virginia says be patient, things will be getting better soon.

A plan to redevelop former Avondale Shipyards at New Orleans into a privately owned and operated breakbulk terminal and multimodal hub has won support from port officials.

Three new simulators at the Port of New York and New Jersey enable crane operator trainees to get hands-on experience, as well as guidance from nearby trainers, rather than taking up valuable time on a real crane.

The Port of Virginia’s system is off to a good start; however it remains to be seen whether the shorter turn times will hold up once mandatory appointments expand to the congested Virginia International Gateway and Portsmouth Marine Terminal.

Five-year strategic plan calls for infrastructure development and process improvements to handle mega-ships.