Cambell & Gardiner Inc. Licensed Customs Brokers

UPDATED: 5/7/05

Congestion @ The Port of New York and New Jersey

January 2, 2004

Truckers at the port are being plagued by long waits for pick-ups at local terminals due to increased volume and security. It is now taking hours to pick up a container, and truckers are now seeking compensation for their time.

The ABSMC, which is the association of Bi-State Motor Carriers has filed a petition with the FMC to force the terminal operators and stevedores to improve upon their practices. Presently, truckers are able to bill the terminals for $50 per hour while sitting idle inside a terminal. However, due to the congestions, trucks are sitting idle outside the terminal where they are unable to collect for wait-time. Truckers are hoping that they can recieve wait-time fees for time spent outside the terminal, since this greatly inhibits the nuber of loads they can move on a daily basis.

Possible Remedies:

At the end of January, The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor authorized terminal operators to hire an additional 252 long shoremen.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation intends to spend $800 million by the end of the decade to improve the roadways in the port.
Port Inland Distribution Network (PIDN)