Ever wonder how you can gain the competitive advantage over your competition?
How about with an amazing port distribution solution? A new solutions guide for port distribution is now available that explains the basics of utilizing transloading services. We hope after reading this guide, you can then use this knowledge to cut and control your costs.
At the surface, a scoop of gelato and a scoop of ice cream appear to be the same thing. They look the same, they are both cold. Despite their similarities, we know they are different when we taste the two. What makes them different is the work that is done to create the final product.
In the logistics industry, we can look at transloading and cross docking in the same way. The end result appears to be the same; however the manner in which the services are performed to get to the result are different. Transload is a form of cross dock just as gelato is a form of ice cream.
When you are in the process of buying a house, what is most important? You always hear… Location! Location! Location! For many, location is the deciding factor. You want to be located in a spot that saves you time, money and allows you to accomplish necessary tasks. The same can be said when searching for a distribution solution. Depending on your needs, your solution may rest in the Inland Empire, near the border, in Northern CA or near the LA/LB ports.
Nearly one year has passed since labor negotiations began in May 2014 between the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union. On February 20, 2015 they came to a tentative 5 year agreement. The ILWU membership voted on their tentative agreement May 22 and approved the contract. The five year contract, which is retroactive to July 1, 2014, will expire on July 1, 2019.
Looking back a year ago before the negotiations, teamsters picketing, chassis shortage and increased volumes… there was a standard “normal” in efficiencies. Vessel, yard and gate operations have been improving in recent weeks, yet have not returned to normal. Recent articles by the JOC discuss the expectations and challenges of the West Coast ports now and in the near future which can be summarized below:
Is getting back to "normal" a good thing?
Yes. Getting back to that “normal” is great because it means the ports are on the road to recovery. Since last fall there has been extreme congestion and backlog with a peak of 28 vessels at anchor waiting for a birth to open up. The Marine Exchange of Southern California reported, there were no vessels anchored for many days this month, which is a great sign of recovery. Part of this is due to the increase in ILWU man-hours, which were much higher in April, compared to last year. The terminals added around 60,000 man hours according to the PMA to clear the back log.
The Gray Chassis Pool allows truckers to pick up and drop off chassis at ANY of the terminals served by the three chassis pools. That’s right ANY of the twelve terminals. The project was launched on March 1st, 2015 by TRAC Intermodal, Flexi-Van Leasing and Direct Chassis Link.
Companies that import products often ask us about the benefits of the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. We write about it in our paper “C-TPAT Membership: Is It Right for You?”
Let’s review these C-TPAT benefits. But first, a look at the basics of the C-TPAT program.
It’s hard to say exactly when the newest section of the expanded Panama Canal will open. Construction delays and labor disputes have laid waste to the original timeline.
The contract between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents almost 20,000 longshore workers at 29 West Coast ports, expired on July 1. The union extended its previous six-year contract until this past Friday, July 11 and negotiations are now underway to complete a new deal.
Your container is at the port. Now what? Receiving your goods in a timely and economical fashion is paramount, whether your goods are for further production or for distribution locally or country wide. There are many aspects of getting your container to your chosen facility from the Port. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach present particular challenges since these ports handle nearly 40,000 TEUs per day. Even on a slow day, the web of roads to retrieve them are congested and complex.
13530 Rosecrans Avenue
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
855.GO.WEBER (855.469.3237)
info@weberlogistics.com
a 
Capital Management
Portfolio Company