US PORT/RAIL RAMP FREIGHT INDEX

PORT CONTAINER DRAY OPERATIONS OCEAN/DOMESTIC CONTAINER

RAIL RAMP OPERATIONS
SEVERE NORMAL SEVERE
Atlantic

Pacific West Inland

Rail Ramp Laredo
Corpus Christ
i

Brownsville

SEVERE

NORMAL Philadelphia

East Inland
Rail Ramp

Gulf
Corpus Christi

MAY 2023 US PORT/RAIL RAMP TRUCKING DEMAND JUN. 2023

10,000 10,000

5,000 5,000

0 0
East Inland Rail Atlantic Ocean Region Pacific Ocean Region East Inland Rail Atlantic Ocean Region Pacific Ocean Region

Gulf Ocean Region West Inland Rail Gulf Ocean Region West Inland Rail

SUMMARY – JULY, 2023

A strike at the Ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert July kickoff of retail peak season. East and Gulf Ports
will have a severely negative impact on the US supply will see a spike in volume starting in July as retail peak
chain as well as Canada. Most of the IPI freight that freight starts to arrive. Port operations should remain
enters through these Ports are destined to major US stable in both the East and Gulf.
rail hubs including Chicago and Memphis. There is a
US East and West Region rail ramp service will be
high probability that a large portion of this freight will
impacted by labor strikes on the Canadian West Coast
be reconsigned to US West Coast Ports if the vessels
as much of that freight is routed IPI to US Rail Ramps.
call on those ports prior to or after calling Vancouver or
As container dwell in Western Canada increases due to
Prince Rupert. Shippers should immediately put
the duration of the strike, that freight will overwhelm rail
contingency plans in place to reroute freight into the
lines and ramps when it finally starts to transfer from the
US and alter the mode of freight to domestic truckload
ocean terminals to the ramps. For that reason and
in anticipation of rail congestion that will occur when
continued concern for ocean chassis availability at
the strike is resolved. Depending on duration of the
inland US rail ramps, we have moved
strike, it could take 1-3 months for operations to return
both East and West Coast rail regions to
to normal.
severe concern.
Western US Ports will be affected due to Canadian
volumes being reconsigned to the US in addition to the
 US PORT/RAIL RAMP FREIGHT INDEX
PACIFIC REGION – SEVERE
PACIFIC OCEAN REGION - MAY 2023
3,000

2 ,000

Vessel Terminal Chassis Container Transload Outbound

Congestion Operations Availability Storage Availability Capacity 1,000

0
SEATAC San Fran./Oakland, CA Portland, OR

Los Angeles/Long Beach, CA Seattle/Tacoma, WA

OAK
PACIFIC OCEAN REGION - JUN 2023
LA/LB 3,000

OPPORTUNITY FOR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY – Onboard and engage 2 ,000

transportation providers that can dray, cross dock and transport via OTR trailers 1,000

freight stranded at the Ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert originally destined 0
for the Midwest via IPI. San Fran./Oakland, CA Portland, OR

Los Angeles/Long Beach, CA Seattle/Tacoma, WA

POTENTIAL HEADWINDS – Labor strike in Vancouver BC and Prince Rupert.
Complete shutdown of port operations.

ATLANTIC REGION – NORMAL

ATLANTIC OCEAN REGION - MAY 2023
3,000

2,000

1,000
Vessel Terminal Chassis Container Transload Outbound
Congestion Operations Availability Storage Availability Capacity 0
Wilmington, NC Sav annah, GA

NY/NJ Phil adelphia, PA

Boston, MA
Baltimore, MD
Norfolk, VA
Charleston, SC Jacks onville, FL
New York/New Jersey Miami/Ft. Lauderdal e, FL

NORFOLK
ATLANTIC OCEAN REGION - JUN 2023
CHARLESTON 3,000

2,000
SAVANNAH
1,000

JACKSONVILLE 0
Wilmington, NC Sav annah, GA
Phil adelphia, PA Baltimore, MD
Boston, MA Norfolk, VA
MIAMI Charleston, SC
New York/New Jersey
Jacks onville, FL
Miami/Ft. Lauderdal e, FL

OPPORTUNITY FOR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY – Check availability of

vessel bookings to lesser utilized terminals in Jacksonville, Baltimore, and
Wilmington to lessen spend on trucking and to hedge potential retail peak
congestion.
POTENTIAL HEADWINDS – July is the start of peak retail season. Shippers
are increasing volume to this region due to West Coast labor concerns.

GULF REGION – NORMAL

GULF OCEAN REGION - MAY 2023
3,000

2,000

Vessel Terminal Chassis Container Transload Outbound 1,000

Congestion Operations Availability Storage Availability Capacity
0

TAMPA Houston, TX New Orleans, LA Tampa, FL Mobile, AL

MOBILE
GULF OCEAN REGION - JUN 2023
NEW ORLEANS 3,000

2,000
HOUSTON
1,000

OPPORTUNITY FOR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY – Booking to Houston is 0

still the fastest route to divert bookings from the West Coast. IPI rail service can Houston, TX New Orleans, LA Tampa, FL Mobile, AL

reach most West Coast ramps.

POTENTIAL HEADWINDS – July is the start of peak retail season. Shippers are
increasing volume to this region due to West Coast labor concerns.

LEVEL OF
CONCERN
Normal Elevated Severe
 US PORT/RAIL RAMP FREIGHT INDEX
WEST INLAND RAIL RAMP REGION – SEVERE
WEST INLAND RAIL - MAY 2023
3,000

2,000

1,000
Ramp Ramp Chassis Container Transload Outbound
Congestion Operations Availability Storage Availability Capacity
0
Omaha, NE Kansas City, MO Denver, CO

SLC Phoenix/Tucson, AZ Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX El Paso, TX

Minneapol is/St. Paul, MN Sal t Lake City, UT

DENVER
WEST INLAND RAIL - JUN 2023
DALLAS 3,000

2,000
OPPORTUNITY FOR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY – West Coast US ramps
can handle reconsigned IPI freight from Canada if the booking is changed while 1,000

on water. 0
Omaha, NE Kansas City, MO Denver, CO

POTENTIAL HEADWINDS – IPI freight berthing into Canadian West Coast ports Phoenix/Tucson, AZ Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX El Paso, TX

Minneapol is/St. Paul, MN Sal t Lake City, UT

will be affected by complete shutdown of port operations due to labor strike.
Ocean chassis availability is still a concern.

EAST INLAND RAIL RAMP REGION – SEVERE

EAST INLAND RAIL - MAY 2023
3,000

2,000

Ramp Ramp Chassis Container Transload Outbound 1,000

Congestion Operations Availability Storage Availability Capacity
0

CHICAGO
Atlanta, GA Chicago, IL Cincinnati, OH Detroit, MI

Indianapolis, IN Louisville, KY Memphis, TN Nashvi lle, TN

MEMPHIS
EAST INLAND RAIL - JUN 2023

NASHVILLE
3,000

2,000

CHARLOTTE
1,000

ATLANTA 0

Atlanta, GA Chicago, IL Cincinnati, OH Detroit, MI

COLUMBUS Indianapolis, IN Louisville, KY Memphis, TN Nashvi lle, TN

OPPORTUNITY FOR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY – Consider domestic

truckload capacity to move at risk IPI freight effected by labor strikes on the
Canadian West Coast.
POTENTIAL HEADWINDS – IPI freight berthing into Canadian West Coast ports
will be affected by complete shutdown of port operations due to labor strike.
Ocean chassis availability is still a concern.

LEVEL OF
CONCERN
Normal Elevated Severe

ITS INSIDER ADVANTAGE FOR JULY

Shippers should check all their transpacific container IPI bookings arriving to US Rail Ramps to ensure they are
not entering through affected terminals in Western Canada. Shippers should also work with their NVO, SSL or
Freight Forwarders to book to US ports as opposed to Western Canada. Avoid IPI when possible as transit
times will worsen as volumes shift to avoid the Canadian West Coast. Contingency plans should be put into
place to dray, cross dock and use over the road capacity to improve transit time and throughput of cargo
throughout the supply chain. Onboard and engage providers in your network that provide all of these services in
affected regions to get reliable capacity.