Author Topic: Unloading freighters (Read 1408 times)

Bogie · « **on:** October 16, 2021, 07:28:20 AM »

The administration seems to think that they can throw bodies at the problem, and have everyone working multiple shifts...

This isn't stevedore work anymore. It is huge cranes, etc.

VERY trained operators.

Not gonna happen.

(next up: pictures of forklift accidents in warehouses)

French G. · « **Reply #1 on:** October 16, 2021, 07:38:53 AM »

Maybe they can unload them at night. I hear crickets on that oil spill that was caused by a dragging anchor. Imagine it with orangemanbad in office.

dogmush · « **Reply #2 on:** October 16, 2021, 09:30:59 AM »

As someone that has been in commercial ports all over the world, I'm confused by the idea that cranes and stevedores didn't already work pretty much 24/7. All the ports I've been to worked all night, and you had a pier time slot that you had to hit. Miss your time slot and you could be waiting a while. And that was before COVID.

It's not like they have a couple extra gantry cranes in the back to whip out and assemble real quick.

Ben · « **Reply #3 on:** October 16, 2021, 09:42:48 AM »

Quote from: dogmush on October 16, 2021, 09:30:59 AM

As someone that has been in commercial ports all over the world, I'm confused by the idea that cranes and stevedores didn't already work pretty much 24/7. All the ports I've been to worked all night, and you had a pier time slot that you had to hit. Miss your time slot and you could be waiting a while. And that was before COVID.

It's not like they have a couple extra gantry cranes in the back to whip out and assemble real quick.

Yeah, I've been confused by that as well. I see talk about "We have to get these ports to operate 24/7 and trucks to run at night" as if before they were only running 9-5 and letting all that equipment sit, and everyone wait, the rest of the time. I'm only familiar with LA/LB, but anytime I was there, I always saw activity. They might not have been running at 100% capacity at 0200 - I don't know - and maybe that's what's being talked about now.

WLJ · « **Reply #4 on:** October 16, 2021, 10:27:01 AM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6o93Gwiarc

Ron · « **Reply #5 on:** October 16, 2021, 11:01:27 AM »

HankB · « **Reply #6 on:** October 16, 2021, 11:14:59 AM »

I've read that the heavy crane operators - with their very powerful union - are deliberately working very s-l-o-w-l-y to unload container ships and load the trucks waiting for the containers. Pulling all sorts of cr@p like making some truckers wait longer (hours or even days) to get loaded. Entire crews for ALL of the cranes take off together for 2 hour lunches. And of course, complaining brings retaliation.

Experienced crane operators are assigned to a specific crane/shift, and make ~$250,000 a year. Junior operators can be moved around, and make "only" about $200,000 annually.

Running 24/7 doesn't make much difference if the crane operators aren't doing their d@mn jobs properly. This sort of reminds me of the stories I heard about union work slowdowns from workers building Liberty ships during WWII.

I can think of solutions . . . but they would NEVER fly in a D-controlled state like Kali.

MillCreek · « **Reply #7 on:** October 16, 2021, 12:17:53 PM »

I have lost track of him, but I knew a guy who was a longshoreman crane operator on Harbor Island in Seattle. Back in the early 2010's, he was making over $ 200 K per year with overtime. The other interesting thing I learned was that the longshore union was very much a family affair. If you were related to a union member, you could get a union job. Many jobs were passed down from father to son. If you were an outsider, it was hard to break into the untion.

dogmush · « **Reply #8 on:** October 16, 2021, 12:20:56 PM »

And now we see the problem with unions (again). I bet there are crane operators in this country that would fly out there and unload ships for 3-6 months like the travel nurses do. (looks at my Crane Operator cert)

But the *expletive deleted*it would hit the fan in that port if the owners hired people willing to work.

Ron · « **Reply #9 on:** October 16, 2021, 12:28:47 PM »

So the backup in cargo is due to what?

So is it the crane operators doing a slowdown or the lack of truckers due to new regulations?

Maybe both or something else as well?

Fly320s · « **Reply #10 on:** October 16, 2021, 03:19:34 PM »

Do the crane operators and truck drivers have to have The Vax to work there? That could be an issue.

Or maybe they get 2 weeks paid time off if they test positive.

grampster · « **Reply #11 on:** October 16, 2021, 10:01:48 PM »

Never let a crisis go to waste. The theme song of the American Democrat Socialist Party. They are so blind to what they seek to do, it would be funny if it wasn't so serious and evil.

Andiron · « **Reply #12 on:** October 16, 2021, 10:13:35 PM »

https://raconteurreport.blogspot.com/2021/10/history-for-short-attention-span-crowd.html

money quote:

"You can't starve a python for nearly eighteen months, than suddenly try to feed it an entire herd of elephants, and expect that everything will proceed smoothly through from there.

This shouldn't have had to be said, yet here we are."

Bogie · « **Reply #13 on:** October 16, 2021, 10:31:15 PM »

Shouldn't someone be learning to code right about now?

bedlamite · « **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2021, 02:44:03 PM »

WLJ · « **Reply #15 on:** October 17, 2021, 03:07:41 PM »

Ben · « **Reply #16 on:** October 17, 2021, 03:37:07 PM »

Maria Bartiromo had a segment on it on her show this morning. She said that it's a real shipshow.

MillCreek · « **Reply #17 on:** October 17, 2021, 03:38:39 PM »

Quote from: Andiron on October 16, 2021, 10:13:35 PM

https://raconteurreport.blogspot.com/2021/10/history-for-short-attention-span-crowd.html

I learned so many interesting things about logistics by reading that blog entry and comments.

Bogie · « **Reply #18 on:** October 17, 2021, 07:47:19 PM »

Have y'all ever had to deal with crossdock stuff?

Like down in Laredo or El Paso where I would occasionally pick up loads... One side is Mexico, the other the US...

If the guy in the warehouse isn't doing his job...

MechAg94 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 17, 2021, 08:45:57 PM »

Quote from: MillCreek on October 16, 2021, 12:17:53 PM

I have lost track of him, but I knew a guy who was a longshoreman crane operator on Harbor Island in Seattle. Back in the early 2010's, he was making over $ 200 K per year with overtime. The other interesting thing I learned was that the longshore union was very much a family affair. If you were related to a union member, you could get a union job. Many jobs were passed down from father to son. If you were an outsider, it was hard to break into the untion.

That is stupid money. What hours are they working to get that? Shouldn't be a shortage of people for that kind of money.

I work with a guy who said he tried to get into a plumber's union in Houston area back when he was younger. It became obvious the only people accepted were kids and people with the right sponsors. He didn't have either. So what you said doesn't surprise me.

Bogie · « **Reply #20 on:** October 17, 2021, 09:38:10 PM »

It isn't just the container ships.

Imagine a warehouse where 18 wheelers, or even your railroad cars, go to be unloaded. And the yard driver doesn't show up for work, or the lumpers figure they can make better money somewhere else, or the LTL straight truck company can't get drivers who want to show up? The guy driving the forklift wants $20/hour instead of $13... And so on..

Bogie · « **Reply #21 on:** October 17, 2021, 09:54:25 PM »

In addition - there are also government employees in the mix. Customs, etc...

If someone wants to slow things down... "Gee, fellows, we're going to have to have a meeting about this. The conference room is over at the Holiday Inn. There will be a breakfast."

Or maybe you just decree that, instead of sifting through every hundredth container, you are doing one in 20... And the manager who used to run that show got fired because she wasn't diverse enough...

And things stop.

French G. · « **Reply #22 on:** October 17, 2021, 11:00:11 PM »

I imagine that some in the unions are lazy. Not a real stretch. I also imagine that some are of the Let's go Brandon type. Except they are not hurting Brandon right now, just all of us. Not that they care since the two types of people in the world are(insert appropriate transport union here) brothers or scabs. I am going to be extra nice to truckers in interstate traffic, of those working their patience is probably not the best right now.

Parker Dean · « **Reply #23 on:** October 18, 2021, 10:44:13 AM »

Quote from: Bogie on October 17, 2021, 07:47:19 PM

Have y'all ever had to deal with crossdock stuff?

Only a couple of times and it was a total disaster both times. The warehouse receiving the shipment would always say that the shipment didn't belong to them at first which would then set off several hours of phone calls, my having to hit multiple doors, product being pulled off, product being put back on, basically utter confusion in the warehouse and it's offices.

dogmush · « **Reply #24 on:** October 18, 2021, 11:06:45 AM »

Quote from: Bogie on October 17, 2021, 07:47:19 PM

Have y'all ever had to deal with crossdock stuff?

Like down in Laredo or El Paso where I would occasionally pick up loads... One side is Mexico, the other the US...

If the guy in the warehouse isn't doing his job...

Yes. Between Iraq and Kuwait. It is standard to take a week or so to cross that 300 meters.

News:

Author Topic: Unloading freighters (Read 1408 times)