Trade Alert: Shippers still Hurting from West Coast Congestion

Aaron Zofkie

May 18, 2015 – The port issues earlier this year continue to hurt shippers. The congestion is still causing delays and in some cases lost business.

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor of the Journal of Commerce (JOC), has reported that the big question for the industry is whether shippers will permanently route cargo away from the West Coast ports when the wounds heal, or will they go back to pulling the majority of cargo through the Pacific gateways.

It looks like there may be relief in sight. The West Coast ports say productivity should be back to normal by the end of May. That is more than 4 months of congestion that they have dealt with. There definitely seems to be light at the end of the tunnel.

How It Affects Your Business

Some US manufacturers could still be seeing delays in production materials imported via US West Coast.
Sailings to US West Coast should be readily available in coming months.
Rates to US West Coast will likely remain competitive in coming months as well.

How You Should Handle It

Approach shifting business back to USWC with caution, weigh all options.
Look to get back to business as usual, as things settle, evaluate where you were before the west coast slowdown.
Check with your local contacts around the ports to get a “first hand” reference of port efficiency.

Aaron Zofkie

Aaron Zofkie is Vice President, Enterprise Sales for Legacy Supply Chain. The results-oriented visionary has personally driven North America transportation and brokerage growth for the thriving 3PL — in an industry he has served for the last 14 years. He is committed to developing account relationships and expanding growth strategies to solve logistical problems for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Learn more about Zofkie — and maybe even gain insights into the sales executive’s tenacious goal-setting philosophy — when you follow him on LinkedIn.