Category Archives: Trucking

UPDATE – Felixstowe issues apology and rescinds container ban

Posted on September 21, 2020 by just2bruce | 1 comment

Well, the media storm over the ban on receiving empty containers at Felixstowe got their attention at the port. Our earlier post on this subject explained the problem.

The apologies were for

“inconvenience”, “our service standards are not currently where we would like them to be”.
Source: The Loadstar, 9/21/2020

The port claims they are seeing a rush of container deliveries; perhaps it’s a presage of Brexit starting January 1, or simply a rush of winter orders. But this was entirely foreseeable. I guess their eye wasn’t on the ball for this crisis.

Imposing the ban was clearly a mistake, and a shock. It only took a couple of days for port management to realize they had screwed up the supply chains of everyone using the port.

By Mike Wackett 21/09/2020

Link: https://theloadstar.com/felixstowe-port-apologises-to-customers-and-rescinds-empty-container-ban/

By Gavin van Marle 18/09/2020

Link: https://theloadstar.com/chaos-at-port-of-felixstowe-worsens-as-carriers-refuse-return-of-empty-boxes/

1 Comment

Posted in Logistics, Ports, Supply Chains, Trucking

Tagged Big Data, intermodal transport, Logistics, port management, ports, Software, supply chain disruption, trucking

Chaos at port of Felixstowe – carriers refuse return of empty boxes

Posted on September 20, 2020 by just2bruce | 1 comment

It’s typical of IT projects to ber late or never get finished. Here we seem to have an example that is severely impacting everyone else in the supply chain.

Here at Felixstowe, you can’t return empty containers. You have to return them inland, at considerable extra cost and expense. It’s England, so the truckers are companies, and they can pass their costs along.

If this were the US, the individual owner-operators would have to take the expense, because they get a piece rate for a trip, regardless of where they have to return the container. they would have no way to pass on the cost. We see similar debacles occasionally at US ports.

By Gavin van Marle 18/09/2020

Link: https://theloadstar.com/chaos-at-port-of-felixstowe-worsens-as-carriers-refuse-return-of-empty-boxes/

1 Comment

Posted in Logistics, Ports, Supply Chains, Trucking

Tagged Big Data, intermodal transport, Logistics, ports, Software, trucking

Challenge HOS final rule in federal court

Posted on September 17, 2020 by just2bruce | 1 comment

Teamsters and several safety organizations have challenged the new HOS rules. It won’t keep them from going into effect; but it will point out that the new rules directly contradict previous findings of the FMCSA.

I’ve been waiting for such challenges. The HOS rules were negotiated with lots of deliberation a couple of years ago, and they represent losses of rights for employee truckers. Independent Owner-Operators may have a different view, since they are playing with their own money and time, and might prefer longer hours even if it is less safe.

Like not wearing a mask.