Logistics and Transportation Industry Response to the Pandemic and Contested Environment

摘要

Eric Mensing, President and CEO, American President Lines LLC, provided perspective from the US flag carrier industry. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored that the US cannot take its ability to get to overseas locations for granted. The pandemic was an unprecedented contingency that taught the industry many lessons. Mensing shared that they all realized early on the need to operate differently and keep US flag ships moving. Though, he shared, the true scope of the pandemic and its impact on vessel operations and crewing was not initially understood. "The impact spared no players and had far-reaching impacts on the industry," said Mensing. "It was a perfect storm of longshoremen getting ill [and] limiting port productivity, unforeseen cargo surge- moved by buying more goods than services-ramping up volumes to record levels, we experienced inward network failures [and] equipment shortages, and we saw the immense backup at the ports."