Port of Oakland helping shippers during Hanjin crisis

A potential supply chain meltdown resulting from Hanjin Shipping’s bankruptcy has been averted at thePort of Oakland.

The announcement follows news that the port continues to dominate as an export gateway and will extend its “night gates” initiative.

The port said it will receive empty containers owned by the ocean carrier, which filed for bankruptcy protection Aug. 31. The announcement means cargo owners and truckers won’t have to find storage space for the unwanted boxes after they’re emptied. It also means empties can be removed from chassis, freeing up the scarce equipment to transport new loads. Storage space is needed worldwide because Hanjin Shipping has said it won’t accept empty containers on its vessels.

“There’s still a lot of uncertainty regarding Hanjin’s bankruptcy filing,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director JohDriscoll. “With this move, we can at least eliminate the worry about storage and prevent a potentially crippling chassis shortage.”

Meanwhile, a year-long rally in containerized export volume is gathering momentum at the Port of Oakland. The Port said today its export volume last month jumped 7 percent over August 2015 totals. It was the biggest year-over-year increase since a 7.1 percent rise in April.

The port said it has now increased export volumes seven times in eight months this year. Oakland’s total 2016 export volume is 8.8 percent ahead of last year’s pace.

“We’ve had solid cargo production across the board,” said Driscoll. “But so far in 2016, exports are the star performers.”

The port attributed much of the export increase to a softening U.S. dollar. As the currency weakens, American exports become more affordable overseas.

Finally, night gates are here to stay at the Port of Oakland’s busiest marine terminal. The port said that Oakland International Container Terminal will make evening operations permanent following a successful three-month trial.

The decision makes Oakland one of the few U.S. ports open late for container pick-up or delivery. The port said night gates will continue to take pressure off busier daytime operations.

“The system is working and customers are paying less,” said Scott Taylor, CEO of GSC Logistics, one of the largest trucking companies at the Port. “Things are better and we’re saving time.”

Oakland International Container Terminal said it will continue to charge customers a $30 fee to finance night gates. The terminal assesses the levy on all loaded import and export containers. About 6,000 trucks pass through the terminal’s gates daily, making it one of the busiest in the U.S. It handles 70 percent of the containerized cargo in Oakland.