A surge of inbound goods to the West Coast has resulted in cargo congestion. In particular, some importers using the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are incurring demurrage, detention, additional chassis fees, and peak season charges from trucking companies. The movement of freight is hampered by numerous factors: increasing cargo volumes, extended dwell times creating a bottleneck for ships coming to port, trucking capacity remaining tight, and ongoing chassis shortages.

Trucking companies are calling for dual transactions to help alleviate the drayage and chassis shortages. Additionally, some carriers are repositioning equipment overseas to send empty containers back more quickly.

On behalf of our customers, Deringer is working closely with its partners to mitigate unexpected charges (e.g., demurrage, detention, chassis charges, etc.). Additionally, we regularly communicate with the Federal Maritime Commission regarding the congestion’s impact on customers. We will continue to look for ways to help ease the burden; however, we are not able to absorb these unforeseen costs.

Import volumes and congestion are anticipated through November. For assistance determining alternative routings for goods not yet on the water or researching warehousing options to increase stock levels, please contact Deringer’s service centers.