Whether container rates are up or down, chances are you’d like to pay less to import containers. Fortunately, there’s a straightforward way to reduce shipping costs when shipping into the Ports of L.A. and Long Beach. In this article, we’ll discuss the practice of importing products using higher shipping container weights and making use of the Overweight Corridor.
After 13 long months of talks and negotiations, there is finally a new West Coast port labor contract. Logisticians far and wide have been able to breathe a sigh of relief as one of their most significant supply chain hurdles is removed.
So, what’s next?
Around this time last year, every article about the West Coast supply chain painted a dire picture. There was an armada of ships waiting to enter the Ports of L.A. and Long Beach; there was no warehouse space to be had; and trucking capacity was scarce. Because of these and other factors, logisticians began to look seriously at non-West Coast options for their freight and distribution.
A year later, however, the news is changing. And for the better.
The eyes of concerned logisticians remain focused on the ongoing West Coast port contract negotiations between the longshoremen’s union and the region’s shipping ports. The longshoremen have been without a contract since July 2022 and the expectation was that an agreement would be reached by the time the contract expired.
Southern California is home to many things: Hollywood, beautiful weather, and storied sports franchises. More importantly to you, however, it’s a launch pad for reaching your Western US customers and home to the 3PL providers that help you do it. In this article, we’ll review some of the main services that 3PL companies in Southern California can provide for your business, as well as some things to look for when selecting a provider.
Does your company hire truck drivers in California? If so, are the drivers your employees or independent contractors? If you said, ‘independent contractors,’ you’ll want to double check that. California’s AB5 law affects truck driver classification in the state so that drivers you think you’re hiring as independent contractors may actually be seen as employees in the eyes of the law.
In a stark example of the practical fallout from California's new AB5 labor law, Landstar is telling its owner-operators in California that they would need to relocate out of State to continue as independent contractors with the carrier, according to a recent article in Transport Dive. California agencies have yet to clarify when enforcement could begin.
“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…” This famous tagline for Jaws 2 may well apply to importers into West Coast US ports these days. These shippers are still contending with port congestion and delays, while also getting ready to navigate a new challenge of possible slowdowns due to contract negotiations at West Coast ports.
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.
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.
13530 Rosecrans Avenue
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
855.GO.WEBER (855.469.3237)
info@weberlogistics.com
a 
Capital Management
Portfolio Company