The Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex has been plagued by congestion for over a year now, but recent news – received with lukewarm attention – indicates that truck turn times there are gradually ticking down.
Truck turn times at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex slowly falling
The Harbor Trucking Association (HTA) of Southern California found that in July the average truck turn time at the complex fell to 89 minutes from 93 minutes, according to the Journal of Commerce (JOC). However, the HTA isn't satisfied. The association stated that average turn times must be reduce to 60 minutes for the harbor to return to efficient operations. Faster turn times will also keep drayage drivers currently serving the port complex from looking for work somewhere else. The HTA found that in July, 13 container terminals in the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex showed signs of recovering from the congestion that has troubled the harbors.
Congestion at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex built throughout tense contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and The Pacific Managers Association (PMA). However, at a dinner meeting of the Harbor Transportation Club of Southern California on July 23, 2015, Mike Johnson, director of operations at Roly's Trucking, explained that even before complex operations began to slow immensely during ILWU-PMA contract negotiations, in early 2014, truck turn times and chassis dislocations "were some of the worst operating conditions I have ever seen," the JOC reported.
Turn times around 90 minutes could be the 'new normal'
The JOC explained that in the summer of 2014 truck turn times were typically between 60 minutes and 70 minutes. Then, chassis shortages and dislocations, intermodal rail service issues and the increasing use of massive ships carrying much more cargo than the port typically experienced all began contributing to slowing turn times, along with the repercussions of a strained ILWU-PMA negotiation process. By November 2014, average truck turn times peaked at 112 minutes.
Since a contract was finalized between the union and managers' association, operations at the port have been gradually speeding up, as evidenced by the slowly shrinking truck turn times. However, turn times have averaged between 89 and 93 minutes for the last four months, which has HTA Executive Director Weston LaBar worried, according to the JOC. He fears that 90 minute truck turn times may be "the new normal."