Fed Ex, UPS, and Walmart have announced plans to expand their delivery services to 24 hours a day in a move designed to untangle ongoing supply chain issues.
The move comes as President Biden has announced the federal government’s plans to work with carriers and the nation’s ports in an effort to reduce supply backlogs.
That supply issue is marked by a combination of factors including port congestion, a lack of containers and ships, and even a dearth of truck drivers.
The President has announced that the Port of Los Angeles is agreeing to transition to 24-hour service, 7 days a week, saying that agreement “has the potential to be a game changer.”
Continued Biden: “We need major retailers who ordered the goods and the freight movers who take the goods from the ships to factories and stores to step up as well.”
In one more step designed to address the issue, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union has just announced a commitment to staffing port facilities on a 24-hour basis.
Because of the backlog, more than 60 ships were seen idling offshore at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports last month, waiting to dock and have their cargo unloaded.
In a statement, the White House has additionally announced its intention to work with various stakeholders across the supply chain for what is being described as a “90-day sprint” to the end of the year designed to troubleshoot problems along that chain.
By Garry Boulard