SOUTHERN California truckers have declared their economy and livelihood hinges on shipping containers, as empty containers continue to fill ports, reports Xinhua.
'Our biggest problem by far is empty shipping containers,' said Harbour Trucking Association CEO Matt Schrap.
'They are the bottleneck that is sinking the global supply chain,' said Mr Schrap.
There are currently 71,000 empty containers on Los Angeles terminals or near-dock depots, up 65,000 a month ago.
Said JC Transports vice president Ian Weiland: 'It's a complicated mess.'
Said Mr Schrap: 'In an ideal world, our trucker then picks up the empty container and makes an appointment to return it to the terminal yard, where it would be loaded back onto the ship and returned to its port of origin to be refilled.'
'But this is not an ideal world. The problem is, shipping liners and terminal owners are dragging their feet, not giving timely appointments for truckers to return the empty containers,' said Mr Schrap.
'Now you're stuck driving home with a 10-ton steel container on the back of your truck that you can't get rid of. That means you can't go to work the next day.' said Mr Schrap.
SeaNews Turkey
'Our biggest problem by far is empty shipping containers,' said Harbour Trucking Association CEO Matt Schrap.
'They are the bottleneck that is sinking the global supply chain,' said Mr Schrap.
There are currently 71,000 empty containers on Los Angeles terminals or near-dock depots, up 65,000 a month ago.
Said JC Transports vice president Ian Weiland: 'It's a complicated mess.'
Said Mr Schrap: 'In an ideal world, our trucker then picks up the empty container and makes an appointment to return it to the terminal yard, where it would be loaded back onto the ship and returned to its port of origin to be refilled.'
'But this is not an ideal world. The problem is, shipping liners and terminal owners are dragging their feet, not giving timely appointments for truckers to return the empty containers,' said Mr Schrap.
'Now you're stuck driving home with a 10-ton steel container on the back of your truck that you can't get rid of. That means you can't go to work the next day.' said Mr Schrap.
SeaNews Turkey
