Soaring consumer demand, overpacked warehouses and understaffed supply chains have caused a storm for the maritime industry, magnifying longstanding issues in the global logistics framework and exposing the country’s vulnerable infrastructure.

Logistic managers and shipping industry leaders have been forced to adopt creative solutions to alleviate bottlenecks and stress points. The crisis has forced managers to alter planning strategies in order to combat the evolving risks of the supply chain crunch, as they look toward alternative ports and air options heading into 2022.

Alternative Ports Are Filling Up Fast

If you’ve ever bought something online that was manufactured offshore, chances are it came through the ports of Los Angeles or Long Beach, the country’s two largest container ports. They’ve been experiencing record backups of containerships anchored off coast, with cargo waiting weeks to be unloaded. Their plight is one of the leading causes of the greater supply chain crunch.

To remedy this problem, the Biden administration proposed a series of actions, including keeping both ports open around the clock and suspending certain labor regulations to alleviate the pressure. Nevertheless, labor shortages, COVID-19 restrictions and the sheer volume of deliveries are proving to be a major impediment to shoring up the U.S. supply chain problem.

Carriers reliant on the two major California ports have begun looking elsewhere to unload cargo, including smaller ports such as Houston and Miami. Although a temporary solution, maritime professionals are already noticing an increase in capacity at these alternative gateways, presenting new challenges to delivering goods.

Time is money, and retailers looking to remain agile are expanding their shipping programs and searching for innovative solutions to help deliver goods fast.

Some major companies, especially big box retailers, are taking matters into their own hands by investing in dedicated fleets of containers and chartering their own vessels to get around the congestion.

While big box retailers and other major companies can afford to charter their own vessels, smaller companies remain at the mercy of carriers to deliver their goods. Partnering with these big box retailers can provide a temporary solution for smaller businesses looking to get goods into the country, as they don’t have to wait weeks for open container slots with traditional shipping lines.

Air Cargo as a Temporary Solution

Shippers are turning to the skies to find relief from the backlog, and get around long lines at ports. But the air cargo solution is only a temporary one, with stress fractures beginning to appear in airlines’ response times. High costs and choke points are starting to stretch the limits of this method.

If this trend continues, air cargo volumes will soon reach capacity and cripple shipping programs even more, creating slower transit times well into the new year. To combat this and keep up with surging demand, infrastructure advancements must be made quickly, including investments in new cargo planes, unloading stations, and increased manpower.

The U.S. was already experiencing an import boom well before COVID-19, and reduced manpower at ports caused by the pandemic only exacerbated pile ups, leading to longer delivery times for everyone. Ultimately, the supply crisis will force maritime executives to look outside their traditional planning processes and work with logistics leaders across the supply chain to ensure the rapid delivery of goods. The role of the maritime manager has changed, and it will take more innovative solutions from all members of the supply chain to help fix the crisis.

Ronnie Adcock is senior vice president, and Darin N. Miller is national marine manager, at Sedgwick.

Soaring consumer demand, overpacked warehouses and understaffed supply chains have caused a storm for the maritime industry, magnifying longstanding issues in the global logistics framework and exposing the country’s vulnerable infrastructure.

Logistic managers and shipping industry leaders have been forced to adopt creative solutions to alleviate bottlenecks and stress points. The crisis has forced managers to alter planning strategies in order to combat the evolving risks of the supply chain crunch, as they look toward alternative ports and air options heading into 2022.

Alternative Ports Are Filling Up Fast

If you’ve ever bought something online that was manufactured offshore, chances are it came through the ports of Los Angeles or Long Beach, the country’s two largest container ports. They’ve been experiencing record backups of containerships anchored off coast, with cargo waiting weeks to be unloaded. Their plight is one of the leading causes of the greater supply chain crunch.

To remedy this problem, the Biden administration proposed a series of actions, including keeping both ports open around the clock and suspending certain labor regulations to alleviate the pressure. Nevertheless, labor shortages, COVID-19 restrictions and the sheer volume of deliveries are proving to be a major impediment to shoring up the U.S. supply chain problem.

Carriers reliant on the two major California ports have begun looking elsewhere to unload cargo, including smaller ports such as Houston and Miami. Although a temporary solution, maritime professionals are already noticing an increase in capacity at these alternative gateways, presenting new challenges to delivering goods.

Time is money, and retailers looking to remain agile are expanding their shipping programs and searching for innovative solutions to help deliver goods fast.

Some major companies, especially big box retailers, are taking matters into their own hands by investing in dedicated fleets of containers and chartering their own vessels to get around the congestion.

While big box retailers and other major companies can afford to charter their own vessels, smaller companies remain at the mercy of carriers to deliver their goods. Partnering with these big box retailers can provide a temporary solution for smaller businesses looking to get goods into the country, as they don’t have to wait weeks for open container slots with traditional shipping lines.

Air Cargo as a Temporary Solution

Shippers are turning to the skies to find relief from the backlog, and get around long lines at ports. But the air cargo solution is only a temporary one, with stress fractures beginning to appear in airlines’ response times. High costs and choke points are starting to stretch the limits of this method.

If this trend continues, air cargo volumes will soon reach capacity and cripple shipping programs even more, creating slower transit times well into the new year. To combat this and keep up with surging demand, infrastructure advancements must be made quickly, including investments in new cargo planes, unloading stations, and increased manpower.

The U.S. was already experiencing an import boom well before COVID-19, and reduced manpower at ports caused by the pandemic only exacerbated pile ups, leading to longer delivery times for everyone. Ultimately, the supply crisis will force maritime executives to look outside their traditional planning processes and work with logistics leaders across the supply chain to ensure the rapid delivery of goods. The role of the maritime manager has changed, and it will take more innovative solutions from all members of the supply chain to help fix the crisis.

Ronnie Adcock is senior vice president, and Darin N. Miller is national marine manager, at Sedgwick.