Long Beach to open overflow yard for empties

A temporary yard for empty containers could be available for truckers by the end of the month.    The Port of Long Beach Harbor Commission on Thursday approved the use of a temporary site for the storage of empty containers in an effort to reduce long delays experienced by drayage drivers transferring loads.
   The temporary depot will be operated through March by Pasha Stevedoring and Terminals on 30 acres of vacant, undeveloped land on Terminal Island’s Pier S, the port authority announced. It could be ready to start accepting empty containers in two weeks.
   The board’s approval came two weeks after it was first proposed by new Executive Director Jon Slangerup.
   Marine terminals at the port have been clogged for months with an overflow of containers due to increases in cargo from shippers, a huge concentration of cargo caused by new ocean shipping practices, and a supply imbalance of chassis. The liner industry has gravitated toward greater use of ultra-large ships that haul up to three times as much cargo as a typical post-Panamax vessel. Vessels are arriving in port less frequently, but offloading as much cargo, or more, than before. Ocean carriers, operating as part of alliances, are also using multiple terminals, which makes it more difficult for truckers to plan pick up and drop offs than if a single terminal is consistently used. The congestion has worsened since late summer with the rise of pre-holiday imports for retailers.
   The empty container yard is intended to free up precious space within terminals for loaded containers and alleviate the shortage of chassis by allowing drivers to drop empties on their way to retrieve loaded import boxes at a terminal. Many terminals are telling drivers that they can’t come in their facilities with empties, according to port officials. 
   The less time wasted waiting in long lines to have shipping boxes removed from the chassis is expected to increase equipment utilization, making the limited supply of chassis go further.
   Other steps taken by the Port of Long Beach to increase terminal productivity include a plan to operate its own chassis fleet and supplement private providers during peak cargo shipping seasons, encouraging chassis providers to augment existing fleets by 3,000 units, and extending free time for shippers by three days during a two-week period last month. A Congestion Relief Team monitors cargo flows and meets daily to find ways to improve productivity.