SoCal Ports Suspending Saturday ‘OffPeak’ Shifts
Terminal operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach said they will suspend Saturday OffPeak shifts starting in January, due to declining cargo volume in a sagging economy.
The last Saturday shift will be Jan. 10, with a new weekly schedule taking effect Jan. 17, according to PierPASS, the not-for-profit company created by terminal operators to address issues such as port congestion, security and air quality.
As the economy has slowed sharply, container volume at the two ports fell 19% in October and November from the same period a year earlier, and labor costs on Saturdays are 1.5 times the base rate, while night shift labor rates are 1.33 times the base rate, PierPASS said.
PierPASS established the “OffPeak” program in 2005 to reduce congestion and pollution at the two ports, which together make up the largest U.S. port complex.
