US truckers are angry that ocean carriers refuse to take back empty containers, resulting in extra trips and tying up scarce chassis, reports IHS Media.
Ocean carriers say they have made progress clearing empties off dock throughout the us leading to the use of 'pop-up' yards far away from marine terminal, which add even more unwanted trips.
The five big ports - Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York and New Jersey, Savannah and Charleston - reported that empty container exports reached 12.1 million TEU in 2021, up 36 per cent from the year earlier.
Los Angeles leads with 1.1 million TEU empties last year, while Long Beach empties come in at 747,598 TEU. The start of 2022 shows export of empties exports were up 18 per cent through February versus a year ago.
The number of empty sweepers devoted to repositioning empties that have called at Los Angeles and Long Beach from the first of the year is more than the total that called the two ports during all of 2021.
Hapag-Lloyd, which recently sent a 7,000-TEU sweeper to the Port of New York and New Jersey. A daily average of 63,000 TEU in empties sat off-dock during 2021, representing about 60 per cent of total empties it had in the US at the time.
So far in 2022, its off-dock inventories are averaging 43,000 TEU, about 45 per cent of its total US empties.
HMM said that empty containers off-dock in 2022 'has fallen significantly compared to 2021'.
One factor is there is better berth availability than last year at Los Angeles and Long Beach. Small, independent carriers new to the transpacific market last year are making fewer calls to the west coast this year.
'The little guys aren't bringing in as much,' the source said. 'That has freed up some ability to move empties,' said one executive from a major carrier.
On the east coast, he was forced to find alternative storage for empties due to the closure of a major nearby storage yard in New Jersey.
In its place, it used a site about 30 miles from the New Jersey docks. He said the distance from the port was difficult for truckers, but the volume surge left them no choice.
'It was more of an emergency measure than anything,' he said. 'It's a tremendous drain on truck power. Moving empties any distance off dock can be a challenge.
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Ocean carriers say they have made progress clearing empties off dock throughout the us leading to the use of 'pop-up' yards far away from marine terminal, which add even more unwanted trips.
The five big ports - Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York and New Jersey, Savannah and Charleston - reported that empty container exports reached 12.1 million TEU in 2021, up 36 per cent from the year earlier.
Los Angeles leads with 1.1 million TEU empties last year, while Long Beach empties come in at 747,598 TEU. The start of 2022 shows export of empties exports were up 18 per cent through February versus a year ago.
The number of empty sweepers devoted to repositioning empties that have called at Los Angeles and Long Beach from the first of the year is more than the total that called the two ports during all of 2021.
Hapag-Lloyd, which recently sent a 7,000-TEU sweeper to the Port of New York and New Jersey. A daily average of 63,000 TEU in empties sat off-dock during 2021, representing about 60 per cent of total empties it had in the US at the time.
So far in 2022, its off-dock inventories are averaging 43,000 TEU, about 45 per cent of its total US empties.
HMM said that empty containers off-dock in 2022 'has fallen significantly compared to 2021'.
One factor is there is better berth availability than last year at Los Angeles and Long Beach. Small, independent carriers new to the transpacific market last year are making fewer calls to the west coast this year.
'The little guys aren't bringing in as much,' the source said. 'That has freed up some ability to move empties,' said one executive from a major carrier.
On the east coast, he was forced to find alternative storage for empties due to the closure of a major nearby storage yard in New Jersey.
In its place, it used a site about 30 miles from the New Jersey docks. He said the distance from the port was difficult for truckers, but the volume surge left them no choice.
'It was more of an emergency measure than anything,' he said. 'It's a tremendous drain on truck power. Moving empties any distance off dock can be a challenge.
SeaNews Turkey