STT flags West–East port congestion

Port congestion is back in the conversation, but this is not a simple replay of 2021. The real issue in May 2026 is uneven pressure across the network — not total breakdown. STT Logistics pushed that point on May 8, arguing that shippers choosing between West Coast and East Coast gateways this quarter need to think beyond ocean transit time and look at inland execution too. That sounds subtle, but it changes where cargo goes, how 3PLs price lanes, and where distributors want buffer stock. ### What actually changed? The short version: vessel arrivals are bunching. Carriers have been adjusting services and blank sailings across major east-west lanes, and that is creating short bursts of pressure at U.S. gateways even when overall throughput looks normal. C.H. Robinson’s May drayage update says the pattern of arrivals — not sustained portwide congestion — is what is shaping conditions right now. (sttlogisticsgroup.com) ### Why does that matter more than headline port volume? Because a port can look “fine” in aggregate and still be painful on the ground. If too many ships hit in the same window, chassis get tight, appointment slots disappear, and turn times get inconsistent. That is exactly the kind of problem that wrecks a dray move or an inland handoff without showing up as a dramatic national bottleneck. BTS’s freight dashboard tracks both inside-the-gate and outside-the-gate conditions for that reason — berth waits are only part of the story. (chrobinson.com) ### So why are shippers looking West again? The West Coast still has the basic geographic advantage for Asia imports. Los Angeles and Long Beach cut days off the water compared with all-water East Coast routings, and STT says improved labor stability and infrastructure upgrades through late 2025 helped restore confidence in that route. If you care about speed first, the Pacific gateway is attractive again. (bts.gov) ### Then why not just send everything West? Because the catch is inland reliability. A faster ocean leg does not help much if the container gets stuck waiting for a chassis, a truck appointment, or an intermodal slot. C.H. Robinson says inland effects are becoming more visible across ramps, and Chicago is a particular watchpoint, with one Norfolk Southern facility seeing roughly a quarter of loads exceed two-hour out-gate thresholds. (sttlogisticsgroup.com) That means the routing decision is really port plus inland corridor — not port alone. ### What is the East Coast trade-off now? The East Coast still makes sense for freight aimed at the Atlantic seaboard or parts of the Midwest. But STT flags more vessel bunching at Atlantic hubs after years of cargo migration away from California. It also notes that Panama Canal variability can still add schedule risk to all-water services. So the East is not “bad” — it is just slower on the ocean leg and exposed to its own timing problems. (chrobinson.com) ### Where do costs show up first? Drayage is the cleanest signal. C.H. Robinson says the National Drayage Spot Market Index is running roughly 8% above last year, driven more by routing disruption, tighter appointments, and operating costs than by a classic spring demand spike. Basically, the market is charging for unpredictability. (sttlogisticsgroup.com) ### Why does this change 3PL and distributor behavior? Because once timing gets noisy, companies start buying insurance in other ways. They split bookings across coasts, hold a little more safety stock, and favor cross-dock or overflow capacity near the gateways that can absorb short-notice surges. STT explicitly recommends diversification rather than relying on one entry point, and Maersk’s May update says North American conditions are stabilizing overall even as operational pressures keep shifting across networks. (chrobinson.com) ### Bottom line? The smart read is not “West good, East bad” or the reverse. It is that May 2026 rewards flexible routing. The winning network this quarter is the one that can handle arrival waves, inland handoffs, and last-mile timing without pretending any single coast is risk-free. (sttlogisticsgroup.com)