The information was released by PierPass, a non-profit organization set up by terminal operators in Southern California to resolve congestion, pollution and security problems in the two ports. The data, PierPass suggests, shows that volume is recovering well in Los Angeles and Long Beach, and that truckers are able to access the terminals quickly enough to make several runs a day.
A survey of terminal gate transactions from July 26 through Aug. 1 found that 5,326 trucks (or 63.4 percent of trucks operating at the ports) made at least 15 transactions during the week. Based on a five-day work week, that averages out to at least three turns per day.
Just less than 46 percent of those trucks managed 20 transactions per week, or four per day. About 5 percent managed 50 or more transactions, or 10 per day.
'Following a plunge in cargo volumes in 2008 and 2009, volumes have strongly rebounded at the two ports, leading to an increase in truck traffic,' PierPass said. 'In response to this surge, the marine terminal operators have reinstated labor, gates and shifts cut during the recession. Terminal operators have increased labor levels by 37 percent since January 2010.'
During peak volume years for the two ports, truckers argued that they were often only able to manage one or two turns per day due to congestion on Southern California roads and limited truck gate operating hours at container terminals. In response, and prodded by the threat of legislation that would have required them to staff truck gates on nights and weekends, the terminals established off-peak hour shifts to space truck arrivals more evenly through the day.
Drayage drivers depend on the number of turns they can complete per day since they are paid per move, not per hour.
Yet despite this increased level of transactions, Bruce Wargo, president and chief executive officer of PierPASS, said there is more latent capacity. PierPass has been facilitating discussions between shippers, terminal operators, carriers and the port authorities to solve systemic truck congestion at certain points of each day.
'The analysis of transaction data shows that the ports are vastly underutilized despite increased cargo volume and truck traffic,' Wargo said. 'In response to the recent surge in truck volumes, some in the industry have expressed concern about wait times at the terminals gates. Marine terminal operators are diligently working with industry stakeholders to identify solutions. It is imperative that the trucking industry contribute by taking advantage of under-congested and underutilized times at the gates. By spreading out volume and utilizing our existing infrastructure, trucking companies will improve the efficiency of their businesses.'
PierPass said truckers see faster turnaround times from 9 a.m. to noon, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. ' Eric Johnson
