U.S. ports face record backlog ahead of holiday shopping
CBSN
A growing number of shipments are stuck at sea because of supply chain issues, leading to growing concern that holiday shipments may not arrive in time. Container ships are crowding ports from New York to Los Angeles, where 250,000 containers are floating off the coast waiting to be unloaded.
"There's no room to put this cargo. Our docks are full. People need to come and pick up their cargo," said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. "Only half the truck drivers registered to do business here visit us at least once a week. We need more drivers on the job."
But trucker George Anaya said the port needs to move faster. Anaya had an appointment at 7 p.m. to pick up a load but wasn't able to leave the terminal until 2 a.m. Before this year, he said he could pick up about 20 loads a week. It's now dropped to about six, he said.
A group of House Democrats Tuesday called for action from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, days after CBS News published an investigation which found dozens of law enforcement officials illegally sold firearms, even weapons of war, across 23 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.