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> "You can’t return empties, so you can't free up the chassis required to move full containers out of the port. And because you're not pulling the containers ou

> "You can’t return empties, so you can't free up the chassis required to move full containers out of the port. And because you're not pulling the containers out of the port, you're not able to return empties to the port. I did not know that this was the case before I went down there. We only discovered it during that three-hour boat ride." It's interesting that he got this data by asking the owners of the many different companies involved (Ports / shipping / trucking). Is this gridlock something that could be solved at-scale through short-term government intervention? That is, could the military provide "Free" storage in a boneyard out in the desert near LA for 6-24 months? Could permits and/or fees be waived to provide incentives? Should a new "Reef" be built by depositing 10k empty containers out in the Pacific (ick!)? The problem seems to be getting worse, and tipping points best avoided... Seems like 1-off efforts to unlock the gridlock may be needed.

tobessebot 5y ago
IIRC this is exactly what the government has been doing, they're trying to find as much space as possible near LA. Interesting podcasts for more background: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-25/the-white-house-s-envoy-on-what-they-re-doing-to-fix-the-ports https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-25/the-white... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gene-seroka-on-the-logistical-logjam-at-the-port-of-la/id1056200096?i=1000530726693 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gene-seroka-on-the-log...
lkbm 5y ago
On one hand, this is a bunch of coordination problems, but on the other, it feels like a rational port acting alone could have said "We'll unload your ship only if you let us load it back up with empties" rather than letting unloaded ships to zoom on back to China for the next load. Presumably there are complexities around this, but it sounds like they want ships to take back empties and the ships aren't because it's not worth the extra time and weight. A single actor, the port, should have the authority and incentive to demand it. Curious why that isn't the case.

tobessebot 5y ago

IIRC this is exactly what the government has been doing, they're trying to find as much space as possible near LA. Interesting podcasts for more background: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-25/the-white-house-s-envoy-on-what-they-re-doing-to-fix-the-ports https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-25/the-white... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gene-seroka-on-the-logistical-logjam-at-the-port-of-la/id1056200096?i=1000530726693 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gene-seroka-on-the-log...

lkbm 5y ago

On one hand, this is a bunch of coordination problems, but on the other, it feels like a rational port acting alone could have said "We'll unload your ship only if you let us load it back up with empties" rather than letting unloaded ships to zoom on back to China for the next load. Presumably there are complexities around this, but it sounds like they want ships to take back empties and the ships aren't because it's not worth the extra time and weight. A single actor, the port, should have the authority and incentive to demand it. Curious why that isn't the case.