<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://dc.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=393225&amp;fmt=gif">
Port_of_LA_Pier 300_400 Container Terminals

West Coast and California Logistics Blog

Jerry Critchfield


Recent Posts

3 key questions about union contract negotiations at West Coast shipping ports

Jan 27, 2022 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, West Coast Distribution, Drayage

0 Comments

Being a logistician these days – especially one who deals with imports into the US – can feel like playing a game of Whac-A-Mole. When one issue is addressed, another one pops up. The latest issue on the horizon is the contract negotiation between the longshoremen’s union and the West Coast shipping ports. How much of a disruption will these negotiations be to the West Coast supply chain? In this article, we ask three key questions that will determine just that.

Read More

How can we overcome the current supply chain disruptions?

Oct 28, 2021 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, Port Logistics, Drayage, supply chain cycle time

0 Comments

As we approach the holiday season, the supply chain disruptions that have plagued most of the world for the better part of two years have gone from industry news to front-page news. And everybody has the same question: how are we going to get the supply chain back on track? From what we know and see as a third-party logistics provider, the solutions won’t happen overnight, but they may be far-reaching enough to prevent a crisis like this from happening again in the future.

Read More

California Port Congestion Woes Continue as Peak Season Hits

Sep 30, 2021 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, West Coast Distribution, Port Logistics

0 Comments

When shipping freight into California, or anywhere in the U.S. for that matter, you may feel that you’re leaping over one hurdle after another to deliver your goods to market. The current California port congestion crisis is one of the biggest hurdles right now. In this article, we’ll examine why the current freight system congestion is so severe, and why it’s lasted so long.

Read More

Reasons for drayage truck driver shortage and how the right 3PL can help

Aug 12, 2021 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, Port Logistics, Drayage

0 Comments

The current driver shortage affects every mode of trucking, port drayage included. What you may not realize, however, is that this shortage of drayage drivers is not new – it didn’t begin with COVID-19 or even in the years leading up to the pandemic. In this article, we’ll examine the reasons for the truck driver shortage among drayage drivers and tell you why your transportation provider’s culture is key to sourcing the capacity you need.

Read More

Ship overweight to combat high container shipping rates

Apr 15, 2021 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, Drayage, overweight

0 Comments

Record-breaking shipping volumes into the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach continue into Q2 and show no sign of letting up. This has contributed to container shortages and extremely high container shipping rates. In this article, we’ll explore a tactic to help mitigate some of the headaches associated with the current importing landscape: shipping overweight containers.

Read More

West Coast Chassis Pool Challenges at Ports of LA and Long Beach

Mar 25, 2021 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, Port Logistics, Drayage

0 Comments

As we examined in our recent blog post on port congestion, ports across the U.S. – most notably the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach – are experiencing severe backups due to increased import activity after the initial pandemic-related slowdown of 2020. The effects of these backups continue to be felt throughout the supply chains of importers. In this article, we focus on one piece of this port congestion puzzle: the West Coast chassis pools, specifically those at the Ports of LA and Long Beach.

Read More

What types of products benefit from the California Overweight Corridor?

Feb 4, 2021 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, Port Logistics, west coast warehouses, Transportation Strategies, Drayage, overweight, logistics in California

0 Comments

If you’re importing containers into the U.S., you may be limiting the weight of your containers in order to meet U.S. road weight limits. This is often a mistake as you’re likely shipping more containers than you need to and spending more for the entire import transportation process. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of the shipping overweight containers into the California Overweight Corridor and tell you what types of products make the most sense to ship overweight.

Read More

Navigating Port Congestion Challenges at the Ports of L.A. and Long Beach

Jan 7, 2021 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, West Coast Distribution, Port Logistics, logistics in California

0 Comments

The impact of COVID-19 has been felt all along the supply chain. For ocean shipping and import operations, this impact continues to be severe, with ramifications expected to be felt well into 2021. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at one of those ramifications – port congestion at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach – and get you up to speed on what’s happening at the Ports and what, if anything, you can do about it.

Read More

Ship Overweight Containers to Reduce Import Costs

Oct 22, 2020 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in West Coast Distribution, Transportation Strategies, Transload, Drayage, overweight

0 Comments

When importing containers from Asia and other overseas markets, many companies limit their container weights to meet U.S. road weight limits. This is often a mistake as shipping overweight containers can offer you very significant ocean cost savings. In this article, we will examine the benefits of overweight container shipping – and how a 3PL located near your chosen port can help you realize them.

Read More

What port logistics services can a 3PL provide?

Jul 23, 2020 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, West Coast Distribution, Port Logistics, Transload, 3PL Outsourcing, Drayage, logistics in California

0 Comments

When you’re importing products into the U.S., there’s a lot that needs to happen before your items hit store shelves or a customer’s doorstep. And it often starts with port logistics services such as those provided by a third-party logistics (3PL) company. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at those services and the options you have for getting your goods quickly from port to consumer.

Read More

Subscribe to Instant Updates

Recent Posts

Posts by Topic

see all