PORT CROWDING WON'T EASE WITHOUT TECH HELP

摘要

The view from the 710 freeway-the major road leading to the San Pedro harbor that's home to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—is eye-opening. Vessels stretch for miles down the California coast, waiting to dock and unload their cargo, even though the backlog at the docks over the past few weeks has improved enough that manufacturers and retailers don't expect their holiday shipments to be delayed. Container volume at the ports is up an unexpected 12% from last year—thanks in large part to China's growth as a manufacturing center—and a labor shortage isn't helping, but the failure to implement new technologies also takes part of the blame for the situation.