As the port workers in Los Angeles and Long Beach face the task of managing the record level surge of imports, they must, at the same time, endure a surge in COVID 19 cases in the county. There are currently about 700 dockworkers in the LA/LB area who have tested positive for the virus and several hundreds more who have taken medical leave after contact/exposure.
These high infection rates and subsequent labor shortages have ignited conversation around possible COVID related terminal closers. With many parts of the nation relying heavily on these ports for goods, including safety and medical supplies, terminal closers would be tragic, however with the current boom in imports at America’s largest port complex, closers are unlikely.
The port of Los Angeles is reporting import volume increases this week +23% over last week, and +128% over this time last year. They also estimate that in the following week, beginning January 31st, volumes will continue to increase roughly 5% over the previous week or 107% over the same time in 2020.
Vessel dwell time to dock and unload: 4-10 days
Truck-turn times at terminals: 1 to 10 hours, depending on day, time, and equipment availability.
Chassis street dwell: 6 days (20ft) 8.5 days (40/45ft)
Chassis terminal dwell: 6 days (20ft) 3.5 days (40/45ft)
Out of service 20 ft chassis: 13%
The other major discussion that has come from this simultaneous spike in positive cases and U.S. imports is the need for immediate vaccinations for transportation and logistics personnel. Currently the CDC has placed transportation and logistics in the category of “other essential workers” under the Preservation of Societal Functioning segment, who are part of the 1c phase of the allocation of COVID-19 vaccine process. Phase 1a included health care workers and long-term care facility residents and 1b prioritizes frontline essential workers and persons 75 years and older.
Mayors of both Los Angeles and Long Beach, Garcetti and Garcia, have both written to California Governor Gavin Newsom, and California’s health and human services secretary, Mark Ghaly, requesting that vaccinations for the roughly 15,000 southern California dockworkers be prioritized and sped up as soon as possible.
On January 15th, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union urged elected officials from local, state and federal levels to prioritize longshore workers in receiving the COVID 19 vaccine by moving them into the category of “frontline essential workers.”
As Green continues to monitor the situation, stay up-to-date on freight news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. For continuous updates, make sure to check out our website at greenworldwide.com.
