Backlog Of Cargo Ships At Port Of Los Angeles Reaches Boiling Point

3 years ago 308

September 29, 2021 astatine 7:08 am

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – As an estimated 500,000 containers are sitting connected cargo ships disconnected the Southern California coast, galore are wondering however to grip the backlog.

Few are much frustrated astir the backlog astatine the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, than motortruck drivers successful the chaos. They accidental that a trucker shortage is not the problem, instead, the larboard needs to velocity up hold times and person much dock assistance acceptable to offload.

“I’ve got friends close present that are successful line… from 9 o’clock successful the greeting and they can’t propulsion the load yet,” said motortruck operator Walter Martinez. “The radical inside, they get paid by the hour, but not the drivers.”

Some blasted outdated infrastructure, importers with obscurity to store the containers, and dock assistance not keeping up with demand.

“Last nighttime I was determination from 8 o’clock to 3 successful the morning. They kicked maine retired due to the fact that they permission astatine 3 o’clock,” said Oscar Ovalle. “There’s 1 crane for 60 trucks and it’s ridiculous! They person 2 different cranes sitting.”

Gene Seroka, the Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, said helium has conscionable started a caller programme called “Accelerate Cargo LA” and he’s asking for the Federal Reserve System to measurement successful and help.

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“Over the past 10 years, the national authorities and Congress person out-invested West Coast ports astatine a complaint 11 to one. That’s got to change, and with an infrastructure measure pending ballot successful Congress this week, we request each eyes connected Los Angeles,” said Seroka. “This is what 10 years of under-investment looks like, and we request to determination forward.”