Peak Season is well underway and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are feeling the pressure. The increased congestion results in container delays, terminal yard closures, increased wait times, and equipment shortages.

The chaos created by the sharp increase in early summer volume after months of unprecedented blank sailings has left Asia squandering for equipment and the U.S. without chassis. The combination of the shortage of chassis and overwhelming congestion is delaying drayage carriers and minimizing their delivery capabilities.

A recent update from the Port of Long Beach identified September as their busiest month on record and Q3 their most active quarter in their 109-year history. These historical volumes are expected to continue through the end of the year as imports from Asia continue to surge, with September seeing a 10% year over year increase in Asian imports to the U.S.

As congestion and equipment shortages are inevitable, GLC is utilizing all available resources to circumvent delays pro-actively; however, we recommend customers build a “peak season buffer” into their current supply chain to accommodate unanticipated interruptions.