receive revamp
The US General Administration (GSA) has awarded a contract of $1.35 million in order to modernize two land ports to alleviate congestion of commercial vehicles. Plans are now underway to develop the land ports with British Columbia and Washington. The project is set to be completed by December 2024.
The GSA’s focus best customer experience and value for US citizens as well as government when it comes to real estate, acquisition and technology services. The GSA will pay for these projects with funds allocated by a bipartisan infrastructure law.
Expanding the port
Space constraints at Kenneth G. Ward Port often cause congestion in the commercial vehicle lane. The constraints also lead to longer wait time at other ports in the western Washington area.
The GSA wants to expand the 37-year-old Kenneth G. Port into a full-service port. The plan is for the port to have five lanes for privately-owned vehicles and four lanes for commercial vehicles.
The Sumus land port will also be developed. The port will then have more vehicle inspection lanes. It will also have an inspection processing area for vehicles entering Canada.
American Trucking Association
This month, the American Trucking Association (ATA) called for US state governors to provide truck parking funds. The trucking industry has been calling for this due to safety concerns affecting the public. In a letter to governors the ATA says:
“Construction of new truck parking capacity at rest areas or adjacent to private facilities is eligible for funding, as are improvements that allow for increased parking capacity at non-traditional locations, such as weigh stations and commuter lots, when appropriate,” the letter said. “Some states have already utilized these resources to increase parking capacity or improve the operational efficiency of existing facilities.”
The association further asks governors to examine the availability of truck parking within their states. “A staggering 70% of drivers have been forced to violate federal hours-of-service rules because of this common scenario.”
US logistics market
Grand View Research reports it is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 11%. “The rapid growth of the global e-commerce sector and the development of new technologies drive the demand for logistics services. The end-use industries and manufacturers generally lack the internal control needed for addressing logistics issues. Such factors have provided a boost to the growth of the logistics industry.”
The report adds the e-commerce retail logistics segment is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing segment. “The growth is primarily attributed to the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic across the globe, wherein e-commerce channels witnessed sudden growth in terms of sales.”
About the author
Sharl is a qualified journalist. He has over 10 years’ experience in the media industry, including positions as an editor of a magazine and Business Editor of a daily newspaper. Sharl also has experience in logistics specifically operations, where he worked with global food aid organisations distributing food into Africa. Sharl enjoys writing business stories and human interest pieces.
