Here is an article discussing various ports’ beliefs about why they rank where they do. The list is instructive, though. LA and Long beach are still 1 and 2, and Oakland is 6th. I was surprised by that.
Top 30 U.S. Ports: Economies of scale in play – Article from Logistics Management.
Posted in Logistics, Shipping, Supply Chains
Who repairs chassis in chassis pools? The International Longshoreman’s Association union says its workers should; they have an agreement with the US Maritime Exchange (port bargaining agent) to do that at ports, but some trucker owned or leased chassis have been showing up. These are not maintained at the pool yards on the port.
ILA, USMX Issue Warning on Chassis Jurisdiction | JOC.
Risks of poor maintenance include breakdowns enroute causing delays or accidents, cargo or vehicle damage from accidents, and lost tile looking for a good chassis to hook up. The Feds recently started holding chassis owners liable for accidents. Most of the big pools already work with the ILA, but as owner-leased chassis stat to appear, the problem may intensify. It’s about job preservation for the unions. But they may have more expertise or stake in maintaining quality repairs.
At present, the discussion is being defused and clarified. We will have to see if disruptions occur as a result. http://www.americanshipper.com/main/ASD/54950.aspx
Posted in Logistics, Production Operations, Shipping
James Rice of MIT outlines the pros and cons of making ports public facilities rather than single user or dedicated. Flexibility increases. I think the trend toward sharing port space is part of a trend to public-private partnerships and a sharing of benefits more broadly. And it has to do with the expense of infrastructure. We need more players to pick up some of the infrastructure cost. Public financing for it is done.
Building Port Resilience | Supply Chain @ MIT.
Posted in Logistics, Shipping, Supply Chains
Supply Chain Digest Port Technology International Marine Link
Supply Chain and Logistics 