patrick.net

Ok, here’s the deal as I can see it from the harbor. The problem is labor, trucks, chassis, and rail cars in that order. First the labor (ILWU) has to show up. A lot of the most senior workers retired during Covid, late boomers and such. More are retiring all the time. This leaves a skills gap, because the way the ILWU has worked, the best and most skilled and highly paid jobs are reserved for the workers with the most seniority. Due to the churn, many of these skilled workers are gone at a time when everyone is needed. They’re training workers on the critical jobs (top handlers, cranes, yard cranes) around the clock but we are also seeing unprecedented shipping demand.
Then there’s logistic problems. In order to leave the port, the cans have to be loaded on chassis, which are in short supply. Or they have to be loaded on rain cars which are fully booked. We literally don’t have the infrastructure in place to handle this level of port traffic, and keep in mind that the port complex here is on track for 20 million containers moved this year. That’s a record.

There’s probably half a Trillion dollars in cargo sitting off the coast of Long Beach, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach. Yes the line goes that far south.

Shaman says

The problem is labor, trucks, chassis, and rail cars

I don't think so.
The problem is Globalism.

B.A.C.A.H. says

Shaman says

The problem is labor, trucks, chassis, and rail cars

I don't think so.
The problem is Globalism.

I guess at the root yes. But in all honesty, we haven’t got the labor over here to make all the goods we now import. 11 million jobs in the USA are going unfilled for lack of qualified applicants. I agree that we should bring back production of many if not most manufacturing. But that is going to take time and tremendous investment in robotics and industrial controlled factories.
I’m good with that, even though it would directly impact my industry. My skills would translate easily to a control systems job in a factory and I could live in a red state. Bliss!

It is pretty amazing to see in person. This is from my trip to Catalina out of Long Beach. It is surreal to see so many ships just hanging out. The area is pretty vast but you can see far on a clear day, so you really get a feel for how much crap is shipped around the word.

Malcolm says

It is pretty amazing to see in person. This is from my trip to Catalina out of Long Beach. It is surreal to see so many ships just hanging out. The area is pretty vast but you can see far on a clear day, so you really get a feel for how much crap is shipped around the word.

As recently as 30 years ago, 80% of that shit wouldn't be there. It was made in the USA.

That's the real shocker, IMHO.

MisdemeanorRebellionNoCoupForYou says

Malcolm says

It is pretty amazing to see in person. This is from my trip to Catalina out of Long Beach. It is surreal to see so many ships just hanging out. The area is pretty vast but you can see far on a clear day, so you really get a feel for how much crap is shipped around the word.

As recently as 30 years ago, 80% of that shit wouldn't be there. It was made in the USA.

That's the real shocker, IMHO.

Where is the fucking AGW crowd when it comes to all this shipping traffic? These are burning shitload of FOSSIL FUELS!!!

Afreaid to anger their Chinese overlords?

Shaman says

we haven’t got the labor over here to make all the goods we now import.

cancel all Associate Vice Provosts for Student Success, Human Resource Facilitators, Diversity Coordinators, Public Relations officersetc and we will have plenty man(person)power for doing productive things. Another bonus: less useless degrees given out by universities.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/texas-filling-border-barrier-gaps-shipping-containers
Texas Filling Border Barrier Gaps With Shipping Containers

zzyzzx says

Texas Filling Border Barrier Gaps With Shipping Containers

Not a bad idea really. Any barrier is better than nothing. Make China build the wall, lol.

WookieMan says

zzyzzx says

Texas Filling Border Barrier Gaps With Shipping Containers

Not a bad idea really. Any barrier is better than nothing. Make China build the wall, lol.

Great idea, actually. They are designed to be stacked upon each other so it's fucking perfect. There is the issue of gaps between containers where the ground is uneven, of course, but it's a start in the right direction.

Yes, it's pretty clever. Pre-fab, smooth sides, hard to cut through, can be stacked.

Cartels will probably turn them into bordellos and adrenochrome factories.

Eric Holder says

Great idea, actually. They are designed to be stacked upon each other so it's fucking perfect. There is the issue of gaps between containers where the ground is uneven, of course, but it's a start in the right direction.

Bulldozer handles that in minutes. All that shit is automated now just like farming/crop equipment is. You could easily level the earth two miles ahead of the containers being offloaded and stacked in the matter of a couple of days. Either way a couple of weak points assumed, you just police those more.

Obviously better than a wide open border either way. And we have plenty of these fucking things sitting empty and are eye sores in urban and industrialized areas. Might not be pretty, but I'm sure the borders towns wouldn't mind it. I wouldn't mind it as Chicago is one of the largest importers of illegals beyond border states.

The United States’ border with Mexico is 1,933 miles long.

Shipping containers are 40 feet long.

So it would take 1933 * 5280 / 40 = 255,156 containers to span the border.

It has been estimated that there are currently over 40 million shipping containers in the world, with several million in transit at any one time.

https://www.containercorp.ca/how-many-shipping-containers-are-there-in-the-world/

So it's totally doable.

Patrick says

The United States’ border with Mexico is 1,933 miles long.

Shipping containers are 40 feet long.

So it would take 1933 * 5280 / 40 = 255,156 containers to span the border.

It has been estimated that there are currently over 40 million shipping containers in the world, with several million in transit at any one time.

Shipping containers are not very tall, so you may need that wall stacked 2 containers high.

Shipping containers are not very secure. Very easy to climb over and chill on top in comfort for the view if you wish. A clapped out used Blazer with a rope could tumble one out of the way, opening a 40 foot gap in under a minute, faster than a knock-off sawzall can cut through the new "border wall."

Even if there came a worldwide glut of them (rn it's a backlog of empty returns) this would be a waste of shipping containers better used elsewhere.

I still think the best solution is mandatory prison time for all employers of illegals, but a wall does help.

The Great Wall of China was built for a good reason, and it was effective.

Hadrian's Wall worked as well.

Automan Empire says

Even if there came a worldwide glut of them (rn it's a backlog of empty returns) this would be a waste of shipping containers better used elsewhere.

Some shipping containers ship hazardous materials, and as a result, either have to have rigorous records on what they contained, or be only used once.

Remember the crazy for "shipping container homes"? It's because often they are only used once. The containers aren't really that comfortable or large either. They are 8 feet high. My grandfather lived in a home where that ceiling was about that high, most people would consider it cramped. It's was easy to touch the ceiling. That's not very common today. By the time you put in the insulation and flooring as well as piping, it's probably 7 feet high.

richwicks says

Remember the crazy for "shipping container homes"? It's because often they are only used once.

I watch a lot of homestead and building channels. I have yet to see a "container home" that looked worth living in. Then there was the guy who made a really cool underground game/media room/mancave in his suburban backyard that was roundly criticized as a firetrap you wouldn't dare invite people into over liability.

He just needs an exit at either end.

Automan Empire says

richwicks says

Remember the crazy for "shipping container homes"? It's because often they are only used once.

I watch a lot of homestead and building channels. I have yet to see a "container home" that looked worth living in. Then there was the guy who made a really cool underground game/media room/mancave in his suburban backyard that was roundly criticized as a firetrap you wouldn't dare invite people into over liability.

I've seen a ton that look great - but the problem to me, is that they spend forever having to modify the container to meet their needs - when building something from scratch would be significantly easier.

I lived in a home made from shipping containers for almost three years in my twenties. Wasn’t ideal, and the dimensions are a bit off. But it worked for a single guy, and the rent was pretty cheap.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/shipping-company-move-operations-backlogged-california-floridas-open?source=patrick.net

Shipping firm to move operations from backlogged California to Florida's open ports

Florida has recently broken cargo container records, seen new shipping lines calling on Florida ports, and has successfully shifted cargo that would typically call on West Coast ports to the Sunshine State.

It's the same company that got a ship stuck in the Suez canal:
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/container-ship-stranded-gibson-island-chesapeake-bay/39425843?source=patrick.net#

Booger says

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/shipping-company-move-operations-backlogged-california-floridas-open?source=patrick.net

Shipping firm to move operations from backlogged California to Florida's open ports

Florida has recently broken cargo container records, seen new shipping lines calling on Florida ports, and has successfully shifted cargo that would typically call on West Coast ports to the Sunshine State.

Little known fact: Cape Canaveral is the second busiest port in Florida and one of the top ten on the Eastern Seaboard, it's mostly fuels, passengers (Cruises), and bulk cargo (oranges, wood pulp), not containers though.

Shaman says

I lived in a home made from shipping containers for almost three years in my twenties. Wasn’t ideal, and the dimensions are a bit off. But it worked for a single guy, and the rent was pretty cheap.

You didn't mind the sea sickness and the squalling kidnaped hookers?

richwicks says

Automan Empire says

Even if there came a worldwide glut of them (rn it's a backlog of empty returns) this would be a waste of shipping containers better used elsewhere.

Some shipping containers ship hazardous materials, and as a result, either have to have rigorous records on what they contained, or be only used once.

Remember the crazy for "shipping container homes"? It's because often they are only used once. The containers aren't really that comfortable or large either. They are 8 feet high. My grandfather lived in a home where that ceiling was about that high, most people would consider it cramped. It's was easy to touch the ceiling. That's not very common today. By the time you put in the insulation and flooring as well as piping, it's probably 7 feet high.

You can purchase HC or High Cube containers that are 9’-6” tall.

Patrick says

The United States’ border with Mexico is 1,933 miles long.

Shipping containers are 40 feet long.

So it would take 1933 * 5280 / 40 = 255,156 containers to span the border.

It has been estimated that there are currently over 40 million shipping containers in the world, with several million in transit at any one time.

https://www.containercorp.ca/how-many-shipping-containers-are-there-in-the-world/?source=patrick.net

So it's totally doable.

But shipping containers are racist.

I was able to spot this stuck container ship yesterday while crossing westbound on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The closer that you go to the western end, the better the view and more obvious that is was a container ship. Not necessarily the best spot to rubberneck, since it was some distance from where I was, but I happened to be be a passenger in the car so I got to rubberneck real good.

https://wtop.com/maryland/2022/04/ever-forward-ship-freed-from-chesapeake-bay-in-md/?source=patrick.net

Ever Forward ship freed from Chesapeake Bay in Maryland

The cargo ship was freed around 7 a.m. after having run aground in the bay on March 13.

Unlike the container ship that was stuck in the Suez canal, this ship didn't block anything much. I think traffic only had to be stopped when the tugboats were making their various attempts to free the ship.

DooDahMan says

logistics experts say the breather is likely to be followed by a tsunami of deferred cargo once the lockdowns are lifted. The cargo volume will far exceed the handling capability of the ports, with containers jamming up terminals faster than they can be transferred to inland transport and pushing vessels into long queues at sea.

Hasn't this already happened?

California land overloaded with warehouses overfilled are going to sink it into the ocean. Americans need to buy less stuff to save CA

This strategy will only work in so far as the Canadian and Mexican ports are impacted and rail and OTR trucking can’t bring those products in. Once this starts affecting exports, the corporate crew will demonize these actions…

I guess having foreign actors "lose control" of a vessel and shut down one of America's busiest ports wasn't enough for an election year. We had to have more distracting nonsense from the media to disguise the Vance vs. Whomever debate.

Interesting narrative given how little we export.

zzyzzx says

Interesting narrative given how little we export.

While true. Foreign countries are going to have to deal with fucked up ports of their own. Storage containers stacked for days.

I generally don't like unions. Certain ones should not be allowed to strike is all.

ForcedTQ says

the corporate crew will demonize these actions…

Already started. Suddenly all kinds a Bots are out in force on X.