Just this quick note to follow up to the previous article, per the Port of Charleston in South Carolina there are over 25,000 containers at that terminal location. That is a mind boggling figure in the best of times, but after having one and two week delays in December, this is a nightmare.
From the Journal of Commerce (subscription required):
Charleston port congestion could take six weeks to clear
Let that sink in. Then remember the primary national railroad serving that terminal is experiencing labor shortages. Just like everyone else, they are desperate to hire more help (via Trains.com):
Railroad crew shortages
Excerpt:
Foote told Oberman that CSX’s service was not where he’d like it to be. “On the carload side of our business, CSX continues to work towards the goal of delivering our customer freight in the most efficient and reliable manner,” Foote wrote.
Oberman pins some of the blame for crew shortages on job cuts at Class I railroads, which have shed 25% of the workforce over the past few years. “Now the railroads tell us they’re working mightily to hire more staff, and they’re finding it difficult to do so,” he told the RailTrends 2021 conference in November.
Oberman acknowledges that railroads are facing the same labor market pressures as every industry.
If anyone thinks Brandon or the junta is about to solve the supply chain crisis any time soon, they are lying to you. As the shutdowns and Olympics spread in China, look for this situation to get considerably worse.
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