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Shipping expert optimistic about Midwest container availability
Getting shipping containers into the heartland to help move U.S. agricultural exports has been a two-year challenge, but one logistics expert sees improvement coming soon.
Jason Hilsenbeck with Drayage.com tells Brownfield many twenty and forty-foot shipping containers commonly used for international shipments have had loads transferred as soon as they’re off the ship to rapidly send empty containers back. He says, “You need the import loads arriving intact and not being transloaded out at the coastal areas. You need them moving intact on the railroads so they’re available for reloading for export.”
Hilsenbeck says the number of twenty and forty-foot international containers moving inland was down more than 20% between last September and January. “And that has picked up, and I believe through March and April, there will be more intact international 20’s and 40’s (footers) arriving to Midwest points.” Which Hilsenbeck says makes those containers available for ag exports.
Hilsenbeck remains very optimistic about the ability of the Midwest to export freely sooner than many of his peers. “I’ve been doing this 22 years, and things will change faster than you think. The supply chain has a lot of capacity pent up. They can process containers, but once they get behind, they’re behind at the terminals and the rails, and as soon as they catch a little break, they can get back to fluidity and that’s important for these international boxes moving into the heartland.”
Brownfield interviewe4d Hilsenbeck during the Transportation GO! conference hosted by the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Friday.
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