Vessel arrival data shows how quickly West Coast congestion worsened in 2014

Data from the software provider Freightos shows average vessel arrival in December was 5.2 days late at West Coast ports, compared to 1.7 days in September.    New data from the freight forwarding software provider Freightos has shed further light on the impact of congestion at West Coast ports as 2014 wore on.
   The data shows that the delay between the expected arrival date and actual arrival date of vessels berthing at West Coast ports spiked toward the end of the year when operational issues combined with longshore labor contract negotiations to significantly hamper port performance, particularly in Southern California.
   The data should be of no surprise to shippers afflicted by the congestion, but the rapidity with which delays started plaguing West Coast ports is striking. Freightos statistics show the average vessel delay across the West Coast was 5.2 days in December 2014, compared to 1.5 days in January 2014. What’s more, the congestion ramped up quickly in the fall, from 1.7 days in September.
   Calls at the Port of Long Beach were affected the most, with average delays of more than seven days in December, compared to four days in October, two days in September, and one day in August. The neighboring Port of Los Angeles saw delays of nearly four days in December, compared to around three days in November and two days in September.
   Oakland was deeply impacted as well, with delays in December of seven days, compared to fewer than two days in September.
   Freightos’ statistics are based on U.S. Customs data.