SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 15: People ride on a tour boat beneath cargo containers stacked on a container ship at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s busiest container port, on October 15, 2021 in San Pedro, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Southern California port officials say shipping companies will start to face hefty fines for sitting too long at the terminals amid a massive container backlog.
On Wednesday, port management announced cargo containers will have to pay a $100 fine per container for staying past the allotted time in its terminals as they work to reduce congestion in their ports. Additionally, the fines will be increased in $100 increments each day.
The containers set to be moved by rail will be fined after remaining in the port after six days, while carriers scheduled to move by trucks will be charged after nine days. However, truckers revealed they’re not even able to get into the terminals in order to move product.
Surcharge update: For containers moving by rail, ocean carriers will be charged if the container has dwelled for six days or more. https://t.co/nygXl0oCkN https://t.co/mMZAjGDPv9
— Port of Los Angeles (@PortofLA) October 27, 2021
“There are times that our drivers will be there for six to eight hours and get turned around. So, if they’re able to pull out and make a delivery, then they get paid more than just sitting there in the port not doing anything,” said Daniel Rodriguez.
In the meantime, shipping companies are set to start accumulating fines beginning on Nov. 1.
Source: One America News Network
