HEAVY FOG IN YANGTZE RIVER AREA AND SHANGHAI PORT
Heavy fog hit Yangtze river area and Shanghai port from 27-March, reducing visibility and stranding ships.
Expected that the recent sea fog will continue to 2-Apr.
Shanghai maritime safety administration has implemented traffic control over the Yangtze River waterway and Shanghai port for several days (beginning in March 27th), and is expected to have a serious impact on the Yangtze river barge and the ship at Shanghai port. More than 1550 ships in the Yangtze River channel have been trapped at the ports along.
As of April 2, Shanghai port is still closed, continuing to control the ship entering into. According to the prediction of the observatory, the heavy fog may continue to 2-Apr. It will take time for normal port operation to recover after heavy fog. Therefore, it is expected That there will have a continuous impact, some sailing will be delay or canceled accordingly. It will also affect the ETD for the port of Loading which on same sailing and behind of Shanghai port, all POD’s ETA,  etc…

New York/New Jersey Ports Closing Early 3/7/18, and Closed for 3/8/18
PNCT’s gate will close at 2:00 PM. Terminal will be closed tomorrow (3/8) and reopen at 6 AM on March 9th. Free time extended for boxes not in demurrage.
Due to deteriorating conditions from the winter storm, APMT will be shutting down gate operations at 1:00 PM.  Stay tuned for further update.  Stay safe.
With accumulation & freezing temps expected overnight, all PONYNJ container terminals will be CLOSED on Thursday, March 8, 2018 for clean up. Stay safe!

Update on Trucking/Drayage in US
Equipment / Chassis Related Issues:
Many service locations are currently experiencing a severe chassis shortage. This shortage affects shipments that have been dispatched and scheduled. This shortage also affects appointments, cutoffs and Last Free Days. As chassis are released on the same day as equipment pick up, in many cases, no one knows in advance if a chassis can be secured until the day of the appointment.
Additionally, many parts of the country are getting snow and/or ice, which has begun to affect shipments.
Electronic Logging Device (ELD): The passing of the deadline for complying (December 2017) has changed the way trucking is being done (and regulations enforced), and is having a significant negative impact on driving time. Initial reports by truckers are that ELD has impacted their driving time by 20-40 percent, and more in some cases. This means that, essentially, 20-40% of the ability to move a container has been removed from the market. In addition, layover fees are being charged more frequently and more consistently by trucking companies. Combine these changes with the increased volumes that have been on a steady incline since mid-Fall, 2017, and we can anticipate that problems will continue. Beginning in April, per ELD requirements, drivers will not only be fined for going over hours, but they will receive points against their commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Please note that due to all the factors that are creating a significant impact on trucking options, if there is a problem with a trucking move, the ability to immediately resolve the problem is hampered as well. BOC will do the best we can to rectify any issues you may have and get you the best results possible.
Please contact your BOC Representative if you have any questions.