Have you ordered something online within the last 2 months? I know I certainly have. It turns out that great minds think alike, which has led to Ports on the west coast of North America being overloaded with cargo ships. As of Monday April 19, there were 28 Full size cargo ships waiting to dock in Los Angeles alone. This is causing shipping delays across the Continent.
To get an idea of what’s going on, check this link out: Record Shipping Jam
The Southern California ports are facing more congestion than ever, Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, told The Wall Street Journal. Increases in consumer spending have resulted in a spike of imports, creating overwhelmed ports. \”The ports are setting records moving cargo,\” Louttit told The Journal.
The ships carry Various items; including furniture, auto parts, clothes, electronics, and plastics, according to data from the Port of Los Angeles. Supplies of these materials could be heavily depleted in North America due to the backlog of ships.
So why does a bunch of ships waiting on the west coast affect you?
Well the moral of the story is that unfortunately, in a time of online ordering. The outlook on shipping times seems to be extending further and further. This is the best motivator for us to start shopping local! Pick up time at the small business down the block from you is significantly less than waiting 2-3 weeks on a package. It seems as though we are almost hitting the threshold where the waiting time outweighs the price savings. Plus, it always feels much better to support local businesses. If you do decide to order online, make sure you book your shipments with the quickest carriers, who aren’t using the same plugged port as everyone else.
-Owen
