PORT: Cargo volume down dramatically – here’s why truck backups are a symptom of that

We’ve been talking in morning traffic coverage about truck backups outside local cargo terminals. This came up at today’s meeting of the managing members of the Northwest Seaport Alliance – Seattle and Tacoma port commissioners – and the ultimate reason for the backups are not because the terminals are too busy. Just the opposite. A dramatic drop in cargo volume has led the terminals’ operator SSA to cut operating hours, the NWSA says. Besides what we have already mentioned – the terminals opening an hour later, at 8 am rather than 7 am – the commissioners were told that the docks are no longer running through lunch hour, and they’ve also been closing on Fridays, so what’s been a 50-hour workweek is now down to 32. Truckers get paid by the trip so despite terminals opening later, they’re all rushing to get there first thing in the morning in hopes of squeezing in a second or third trip despite the shorter day.

So why is volume down? NWSA executives say a major reason is uncertainty related to contract talks continuing on the West Coast – shippers are going to the Gulf and East Coasts instead. (Added: Here’s a recent industry report on trends.) But, cautioned NWSA CEO John Wolfe, that’s not the only reason – the “softening market” because of reduced consumer demand is a big factor too. And, concern was voiced, once they’ve lost business to other coasts, they’ll have to fight to get it back. In the meantime, regarding the truck backups, NWSA executives say they have no way to force SSA to change its hours to address the truck-backup problem – “What cures this is more volume.” Meantime, the NWSA meeting continues with other topics, including a T-5 briefing, yet to come – you can watch here.

Josh February 7, 2023 (1:24 pm)

It’s really frustrating that the drivers all park nose to tail in the middle lane of the west Seattle freeway leaving no room between each other for people coming from SB I-5 to be able to move left and get home over the bridge or people coming from NB 5 to get right to get onto 1st. There is no reason for these guys to park so close to each other creating gridlock as they could easily leave enough room for passenger cars to merge over but still not allow their colleagues to cut in front of them.

Brian February 7, 2023 (2:03 pm)

Color me surprised that the first thing blamed for a downturn is organized labor and then a secondary admission that, actually, overall demand is just low (which actually makes way more sense).

Mr J February 7, 2023 (2:45 pm)

Right!?! I understand these are quotes but I hate seeing these companies blame labor without labor having a rebuttal.
- RickB February 7, 2023 (8:02 pm)
  
  I agree, it would be good to hear the perspective of the ILWU local as well. I’m not saying that the quotes from the NWSA execs are completely fraudulent, but you have to keep in mind where they are coming from. It does seem a little one-sided to blame part of the problem on the union, but ignore the part of the problem that’s caused by capitalism, i.e., the large number of truckers scrabbling for increasingly small pieces of the pie.
  - WSB February 7, 2023 (8:32 pm)
    
    To be clear, they weren’t blaming anything on the union. They were stating that the uncertainty is what’s led to cargo being moved to other coasts. That uncertainty could be construed to be the operators’ “fault” as easily as the union’s “fault,” but they were seemingly very careful with their verbiage. I’m sorry the meeting video replay isn’t available yet so i could link it. Yes, this is clearly a much larger story and it’s dramatically undercovered. This wasn’t even an agenda item – I happened to catch it because I was watching the meeting for the T-5 briefing. The only recent coverage of the contract talks that I could find on Google News was a paywalled Wall Street Journal report from a week ago, with more of a California focus. – TR
    - WS Res February 8, 2023 (8:16 am)
      
      That’s a classic way of blaming labor. “If only we didn’t have to negotiate with these union thugs, we wouldn’t have this uncertainty.”
  - Steve February 8, 2023 (11:29 am)
    
    The truck drivers are not going to a terminal unless they are picking up or dropping off a load. I don’t see how they can be blamed for anything but maybe leaving space for cars to merge on the bridge. And the Longshore Union has slowed down and closed ports to get what they want before. Even if it hurt other unions like the Teamsters union I was in for five years.
22blades February 7, 2023 (3:00 pm)

Brian, George Santos fixed it last night.
JVP February 7, 2023 (4:12 pm)

The actual problem is our horribly inefficient and slow port setup. Other ports can load straight from ship to train, saving much money, carbon and time.

Ann February 7, 2023 (2:22 pm)

I got caught in this mess around 830am last Thursday, coming to West Seattle from First Hill via SB I-5. Not a normal time or route for me so I don’t know what the norm is, but it was gridlock. Was checking the usual sources of info but couldn’t find any explanation – good to know now what is behind it. It was exactly as Josh described – a line-up of semis in that single lane causing backups way onto I-5. Seems like some decisions were made without an evaluation (or with a disregard) of the impacts. Not acceptable.

Tracey February 7, 2023 (4:04 pm)

Maybe if they want demand back up they should talk to Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve. Remember we are raising interest rates in an attempt to ease demand and kill inflation. We can’t have it both ways.

WSfix February 7, 2023 (8:31 pm)

Right- because that’s the easiest place to start. Let’s do that!

Question Authority February 7, 2023 (4:46 pm)

Looks like T-5 with it’s delays and enormous cost overruns might just as well get mothballed at this point.

Scout February 7, 2023 (4:53 pm)

I spent an hour getting back to West Seattle Monday morning after dropping off our van for service near SODO. I tried every avenue in SODO, each one was blocked by trucks. I turned around and decided to go up 4th and get on I-5 and then take the West Seattle Bridge. The trucks were backed up onto the freeway and I couldn’t get to the exit. I ended up having to continue south through Georgetown, and take the detour route we used when the bridge was closed. The silver lining was at least I knew how to navigate my way through Georgetown and back to West Seattle after having to take that detour for 2+ years.

anonyme February 7, 2023 (5:17 pm)

The mantra of more and bigger needs to die, and quickly. All of our lives depend on it. I’m glad to hear that volume is down and hope it continues to decrease.

Flivver February 7, 2023 (6:26 pm)

Anonyme. Sooo how are we better off if you get your wish and the ports close down because there’s no more imports of anything.
Rhonda February 8, 2023 (1:53 am)

It’s pretty low-class of you to wish away family-wage union jobs just because you have contempt for consumers.

TJ February 7, 2023 (5:18 pm)

The shipping companies made record profits last year. Most container ships come from Asia, and sending them through the Panama Canal to the east coast and gulf adds significant costs and seems like BS when the ports here are still running. But something seems amiss when container shipping is down 50% (real numbers) here from last year. Yes the economy has softened and consumer demand is down, but not remotely by 50%. That freight is going somewhere. Once Terminal 5 is fully completed and operational that will add tons of capacity to Seattle as it will handle the giant container ships that haven’t been able to berth here. The port wouldn’t spend the money on this modernization if the ships won’t be coming. The work will be back

TJ February 7, 2023 (6:14 pm)

Speak for yourself. If you want to live small and downsize then that’s a choice you can make. Microapartments are a option. Not having lots of stuff too. But more and bigger are as American as apple pie and the vast majority of Americans aren’t changing their mindset on that. Anyone can make choices, but trying to tell people how they should live and change their lives because of your beliefs will just turn people off, especially when crazy claims of “lives depend on it” are thrown in

NW February 7, 2023 (7:49 pm)

There is to the south a second bridge to cross the east entrance to the Duwamish to bye pass the mess of traffic takes a black belt in driving to navigate it make it work.

bill February 7, 2023 (8:13 pm)

How does the landlord, the Port of Seattle, have no say in SSA’s operations? Particularly when the public at large is severely affected? The Port is a public agency and should be mindful of the public’s greater interests rather than being the shipping companies’ lapdog. THIS is why I have voted for every radical outsider candidate for the Port Commissioners in the 20 years since I learned our Port property taxes prop up this den of backscratching and corruption.

WSB February 7, 2023 (8:27 pm)

Because it’s not a lease condition, according to discussion at the meeting. (For clarity’s sake, the landlord is the Northwest Seaport Alliance, the joint Seattle/Tacoma port operation.) In response to one commissioner’s question, they said that could be changed in future lease negotiations – TR

Lola February 8, 2023 (7:30 am)

I am not understanding them saying it is because business is down? If we had more containers coming in I think the line would be ten-fold and ten times worse than it is now? Where the Port is that is the problem? Put it on a Postage Stamp Size Lot with no room for trucks and this is what you get. It is not going to get better anytime soon.

flimflam February 8, 2023 (9:16 am)

I understand the basic issues here but what I don’t understand is why the trucks have to proceed in a manner that causes gridlock. Any truck doing so should be ticketed – seems like some easy money.

Alex K February 8, 2023 (10:27 pm)

It’s funny reading this I had been away from West Seattle for a couple months and just returned home. I always take the bridge on the way home as I love taking in the sights of the city and the shipping terminal.I was actually struck by how many containers are sitting on the docks right now, as it looked very full and busy.Nonetheless, there’s nothing like coming home to west seattle.

Sorry, comment time is over.