Maritime

How could the consensus — that container spot rates will remain extremely high — be wrong?

Small ports were one solution for big-port problems in 2021. Shippers that could find a vessel were able to get their cargo processed quickly by shifting to a secondary port.

FreightWaves writers look at the most important issues on their beats heading into the new year.

Port of Los Angeles is going vessel operators to clear out empty containers or else face big fines.

MSC sues Deere, patent owner sues six shipping lines, box-overboard cases pile up, and Hanjin’s ghost tries to collect.

The Federal Maritime Commission is ratcheting up pressure on ocean carriers to reduce logistical challenges for their customers.

Putting money on what American Shipper readers were clicking on in 2021 would be a safe bet.

There has never been a year like this for container shipping. Here are the biggest stories of 2021.

CBP and vessel operators will save money through a new rule requiring that crew-list inspections go paperless.

Twenty-five port projects in 19 states are receiving U.S. Maritime Administration grants aimed at bolstering port infrastructure.

Shipping lines are flush with cash and using it to expand into logistics services.

After an exceptional year for ocean shipping, the data points to more action ahead in 2022.

The White House will be “shining a light on profiteering” by ocean carriers in an effort to fend off inflation and keep supply chains moving.

“Expectations are that high consumer demand and low inventory levels will keep rates elevated well into next year,” says Peter Sand, chief analyst at Xeneta.

The biggest, baddest space observatory ever built is ready to ride into space on Dec. 25. How did NASA safely deliver it to the launch site in South America?

Maersk is becoming an integrated logistics goliath with the ability to provide freight management, transportation, warehousing and e-commerce fulfillment for big retailers and manufacturers.

Spot rates topped $300,000/day, sank to teens, rose to over $360,000, now back near $100,000.

The pilot program in Chicago and Kansas City aims to encourage trucks to come — and go — with a shipping container.

The latest example of an ocean carrier expanding into the logistics space involves MSC trying to buy a piece of Bolloré Logistics.

The addition of three cranes along with dredging and the construction of a freight corridor has Boston big ship ready.

Carriers and shippers are turning to East Coast ports as Los Angeles/Long Beach remains mired in congestion.

The White House is asking carriers to play nice with exporters, but next year Congress may give it a hammer to use if shipping practices don’t change.

The Health Industry Distributors Association said that between 8,000 to 12,000 containers filled with millions of critical medical supplies are delayed.

Port Hueneme is an example of a niche port that is attracting more container shipments because of bottlenecks at big seaports.

While the Port of Long Beach is still dealing with a lineup of container ships waiting to berth, it is looking ahead to providing more cargo visibility.

New York City has released several blueprints on its freight future during the de Blasio administration.

Import demand remains exceptionally strong but volumes through America’s largest port are falling.

SoCal port crunch “has really become as bad as it’s ever been,” reports industry veteran Jon Monroe.

A new report by Shifl shows the impact the massive congestion off the coast of Los Angeles and Long Beach has had on transit times from China.

November volumes rose nearly 4% year-over-year, although on a sequential basis, volumes fell nearly 9% from October.

Christmas is just around the corner, but the supply chain remains snarled, says a C.H. Robinson exec.

The four, 100-foot tall gantry cranes are scheduled to begin work at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal early next year.

After brief reprieve, trans-Pacific shipping rates head back up, pointing to ongoing supply chain pressure.

Some public shipowners are turning toward more diverse fleets. Others are moving in the opposite direction.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Port Houston’s trade in October jumps 51% to nearly $17 billion; automotive production in Mexico drops 20% in November; Mexico OKs another state to export avocados to the U.S.; and Constellation Brands will build an export brewery in Mexico.

The Port of Savannah handled 6.7% more containers in November compared to a year ago, according to the Georgia Ports Authority.

California drayage company Orange Avenue Express alleges ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd is forcing it to act as a storage facility for refrigerated containers.

The container shipping surge shows no signs of letup, but the Southern California ports say they are slowly clearing out the backlogs.

Not only critical for the safety of seafarers on vessels, the terrestrial AIS data provides specific commodity and port information so trading decisions can be made.

The unique design will improve port efficiency and increase capacity, according to Maersk.

The number of ships waiting to berth at the Port of Vancouver reached 60 as congestion continues while rail service slowly recovers from storms.

Controversial plan to charge for containers lingering on terminals keeps getting delayed. Yet containers still linger.

An FMC shipper advisory recommends prioritizing container automation ahead of next year’s labor negotiations.

Ocean shipping reform legislation passed on Wednesday in the U.S. House as the Senate prepares companion legislation.

Crowley wants to be “the most sustainable and innovative maritime and logistics company in the Americas by 2025,” says Alisa Praskovich, sustainability director at the company.

The deal continues the trend of steamship lines adding logistics capabilities to their portfolios.

The World Shipping Council warns of too much government intrusion while taking heat for sky-high carrier profits.

South Carolina Ports experienced an all-time high for the number of containers handled in November amid higher import volumes.

Georgia port officials are engaged in what appears to be the largest current expansion of a port in North America.

Container, dry bulk and tanker stocks are down from recent highs. Temporary setback or something more?

Commission).Bentzel: “Let’s face it, it’s taking two or three times longer to deliver cargo because of congestion and conservatively prices are three to five times higher.”

Industry cooperation removing containers from the docks has convinced port officials to hold off imposing penalties for excess storage.

CN begins moving trains on the Kamloops-Vancouver corridor three weeks after flooding and landslides in British Columbia knocked out its main Port of Vancouver rail link.

Radiant Logistics announced Monday that it acquired digital logistics services provider Navegate for $35 million.

A container vessel made an emergency call at a Mexican port so sailors could seek medical attention for COVID-19.

COVID exposed underlying chinks in the supply chain, especially at the ports. The White House has lit a fire under the industry’s feet to improve the container shipping system.

Marine Exchange now counts ships waiting farther out to sea, confirming just how big the backlog really is.

The terminal says it has “abundant space” at the Millennium Marine Rail facility in New Jersey, as well as competitive import dwell time.

Officials are creating unrealistic expectations that supply chains will be unplugged within weeks or months.

A union and a trucking company serving the Port of Vancouver reached a tentative agreement to give container drivers benefits and increased pay, averting a strike.

While technically the congestion has decreased in the bay because of the new queuing system, that does not mean the vessels do not exist. They do.

Despite claims to the contrary, the ship backlog is not getting smaller. Vessels are waiting on both sides of the Pacific.

The largest container terminal operator in the world is buying BDP, a midsize U.S. freight forwarder.

As demand for shipping increases, whales are more at risk of colliding with vessels. A new certification provides strategies to prevent collisions.

Major retailers and suppliers reassured the White House they have a handle on supply chain volatility and can meet consumer demand.

Retail inventories jump ahead of the holiday buying season but the need for restocking will extend well into 2022, which bodes well for freight demand.

Drivers at one of two Port of Vancouver trucking companies facing a strike have reached a tentative agreement with their carrier.

An environmental coalition urges Target, Walmart, Amazon and Ikea to clean up their maritime emissions and shipping routes.

Canada’s supply chain is in a “crisis situation” as over 50 ships wait to dock at the Port of Vancouver and CN struggles to restore service.

Container truckers at two carriers serving the Port of Vancouver are set to go on strike Friday over benefits and detention pay.

Southern California ports and private operators are using carrots and sticks to help eliminate a massive pileup of cargo.

Here’s how omicron variant could impact tanker, container and dry bulk shipping rates.

Innovation and investment are the watchwords at the Georgia Ports Authority, where officials are rushing to deal with supply chain constraints.

Double demurrage in Seattle: A terminal operator is adding a second layer of fees for extended container dwell times.

CN hasn’t been able to reopen its rail main link to the Port of Vancouver due to weather issues as large backlog of vessels continues.

Container truckers at two carriers serving the Port of Vancouver have voted to authorize a strike, threatening to bring more disruption as rail service resumes.

Despite reports that congestion issues are easing on the water at California’s major ports, drayage truckers claim this isn’t the case for them as efficiency issues continue to plague terminal operators.

Record number of container ships waiting but they’re harder to see, as new plan spreads queue across Pacific.

“We cut out three to four hours a day of just nonsense back and forth between carriers, accounting, operations.”

Kuehne + Nagel is one of the largest, most profitable international freight management companies in the world. Its CEO announced he will leave next year.

Canadian Pacific says it will reopen its rail link with the Port of Vancouver on Tuesday, vowing to clear backlogs to “get the supply chain back in sync.”

Price of low-sulfur fuel is rising faster than high-sulfur fuel. Ships with scrubbers stand to gain.

Cargo is moving a bit more smoothly at the Southern California ports, giving officials reason to hold off assessing stiff storage fees.

Air Canada is adding cargo capacity equivalent in weight to 860 adult moose in and out of Vancouver.

The board of commissioners for the Virginia Port Authority unanimously approved a $61.5 million construction bid for a project that would increase on-dock rail capacity to 1.1 million containers a year.

CP and CN rail service at the Port of Vancouver could resume this week as mounting congestion and backlogs continue after devastating floods and landslides.

J.B. Hunt announced it has launched a new transload service in the New York metro area to address network congestion.

Ship arrival data confirms seasonal surge to Southern California has ebbed — even as port congestion has risen.

Air and ocean asset-light logistics provider STG has acquired International Warehouse Services.

CalTrans is boosting the weight limit for port truckers. The regulatory change was made with good intentions, but can it work?

Zim’s profits are still going up — way up — despite more vessels getting snared in West Coast port gridlock.

The Port of Vancouver warns of terminal disruptions and vessel delays after flooding in British Columbia cuts off CN and CP rails.

Los Angeles and Long Beach hold off on charging highly controversial fee on import containers.

Air transport is usually the mode of last resort because it is expensive. The pandemic has turned that thinking upside down.

Rates expected to remain strong into 2022, fallout from new ship deliveries in 2023-2024 to be muted.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Georgia port officials are pulling every lever possible to reduce shipping delays that are having a national impact.

FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller provides analysis regarding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The purveyor of wild-caught seafood avoids the use of airfreight, and relies on barge, truckload and parcel to hit its tight delivery commitments.

Crude and product tankers may be totally different markets, but 2021 proved how connected they are.

“The shipping industry as a whole has become increasingly reliant on using AIS data for operational purposes,” says VesselsValue’s Charlotte Cook.