More freight haulers needed to manage Asia-U.S. cargo volume surge
OAKLAND, CA, March, 31, 2021 – A top West Coast freight hauler is adding 100 truckers to cope with a global trade boom. The task: expedite cargo diversions from congested ports to customers in the San Francisco Bay Area and Pacific Northwest.
Oakland-based GSC Logistics said today it would bring in additional drivers by summer to transport cargo containers. Fifteen other positions would be created to beef up client service, driver dispatch and information technology. According to GSC Logistics, its truck driver pool is growing by nearly 30 percent.
“We’ve been in business for more than 30 years and the pace of growth is like nothing we’ve ever seen,” said GSC Logistics founder and CEO Scott Taylor. “We’re taking some pretty dramatic steps to keep ahead of the demand.”
GSC Logistics transports containerized cargo from ports in Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma. The company said more drivers are needed for an expected 25 percent jump in cargo volume in 2021. The surge is attributed to unprecedented U.S. demand for imports from Asia.
The company said its growth measures include:
- Growing to 250 truck drivers in Oakland and 100 in Seattle;
- Doubling freight yard capacity in Oakland from 15 to 29 acres; and
- Acquiring an additional 400 new chassis, the skeletal trailers that carry cargo containers over the road.
GSC Logistics said its aim is to quickly retrieve containers from West Coast ports overwhelmed by imports. The trade boom, a result of unrelenting American consumer demand, is stressing supply chains, the company explained.
“We’ve been coordinating closely with customers to ensure that expedited delivery requirements are prioritized and executed while there are many others who lack the visibility as they are waiting numerous days for their cargo,” said GSC Logistics President Dave Arsenault. “The infrastructure and resource investments that we’re making are essential to maintain trade flow.”
According to GSC Logistics, the U.S. import frenzy is expected to last at least through the second quarter. Ports in Long Beach and Oakland last month reported their busiest February ever for imports. GSC Logistics said it’s developing protocols to get cargo out of ports buckling under added volume.
The freight hauler has arranged with marine terminals to create pull-off programs for select importers. The terminals isolate each cargo owner’s freight as it’s discharged from ships. GSC Logistics drivers pull alongside and drive off with the first container in the stack. Containers are stored at GSC Logistics freight yards until cargo owners submit delivery requests.
“This allows GSC customers to shape just-in-time delivery programs,” explained Mr. Arsenault. “It provides increased flexibility and efficiency in cargo flow while providing lower cost alternatives that help mitigate the increased costs that have been created by these extreme supply chain disruptions.”
ABOUT GSC
GSC Logistics, Inc. is an Oakland, CA-based third-party logistics services provider. The company was founded in 1988 to provide ocean and intermodal drayage, domestic and import/export cross-dock deconsolidation, overweight transportation, D.C. bypass programs, refrigerated, brokerage and dry truckload services. GSC Logistics also offers a host of value-added services designed to remove time and costs from the supply chain. To learn more about GSC Logistics please visit them at GSCLogistics.com
MEDIA CONTACT:
MIKE ZAMPA
(925)282-0450
