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Thread: Our broken supply chain

  1. #1
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    Our broken supply chain

    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  2. #2
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    That was interesting. It appears there is no relief on the horizon.

    I experienced the shipping problem when replacing the counter tops in my new kitchen. I ordered stone slabs from Brazil that never arrived. During the wait I was told they were on a ship waiting to be offloaded at the Port of Houston. Something happened and the container with my stone was lost. The company ordered more stone which had to be quarried in Brazil. The story repeated itself. After nine months I was told the quarry had shut down and no more of this stone was being shipped. I found a different stone I liked better anyway. It was more expensive but the vendor let me have it at the same price we had agreed on.
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  3. #3
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    Unfortunately, stories like yours are all too common. This is dragging our economy down.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Grubb View Post
    This is dragging our economy down.
    I agree.

    We're seeing the impact a Recession brings. It's not being called one by the government or the media - yet it's significant nonetheless.

    My friends, this is a time to be selfish. Help yourselves and your families to be financially strong and, hopefully, we'll joke someday about making it through the Covid Recession.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead

  5. #5
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    Seams to me that this would come under the Transportation Sec. I have to wonder where Mr. Butt Plug is hiding . .
    Individual rights are protected only as long as they don't conflict with the desires of the state .

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Independent Voter View Post
    Seams to me that this would come under the Transportation Sec. I have to wonder where Mr. Butt Plug is hiding . .
    I'm impressed LV, you spoke and they got right to it

    So, what is next big guy
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  7. #7
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    Yeah, saw that gov people are getting involved. If that works, we'll see the impact soon.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead

  8. #8
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    I'm not optimistic. They have identified that unloading is the bottleneck and to fix that they will unload more containers on a 24 hour basis. There is a "law" that governs bottlenecks in any process---the best anyone can do is move the bottleneck to the next natural constraint. As an example if you have one machine in a process that is restricting the capacity and you add a second you quickly find the next "constraint" in the process. In the jargon of manufacturing this is the "theory of constraints".
    Unless they are committed to continuing to improve the process this will be a dismal failure.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  9. #9
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    My prediction is that the bottle neck will move to the trucks hauling out of the ports.. the “dock Gypsies “ as my trucking manager buddy calls them.. the exploited owner operators (high interest rate loan holders) who chase the American dream in old junker trucks..

    There are many reasons that the trucks will become the bottle neck..

    Just my opinion, I could be wrong..

  10. #10
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    I think you are right----and I must confess that "dock Gypsies" is a warmer term for them than the terms I use!
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  11. #11
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    In California trucks are already part of the problem. It seems California has banned older trucks causing a shortage of trucks eligible to haul from the docks. I don't remember where I read that.
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  12. #12
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    The port of NY/NJ had a similar issue with old trucks and pollution.

    They stepped up and devised a program that offered a minimum "trade-in" value and a low interest loan to buy newer compliant trucks. The "trade-ins" were scraped. Non-compliant trucks were going to be banned from the port. Those who qualified, received up to $25,000 or 50% of the cost of a replacement truck. I can verify that it got a huge fleet of wrecks off the highways. I was favorably impressed by what I saw as an imaginative and proactive program developed and implemented by the port authority and the Federal Government. The program included a number of measures to eliminate gaming the system.

    While the trucks have improved the drivers are the same----and I give way to a large dose of caution when in proximity to any of them on the highway, they fall in the same class as trash haulers.

    Poke here for details of the replacement program.
    Last edited by Dave Grubb; 10-14-2021 at 09:50 AM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  13. #13
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    If anyone wants to "see" the real time situation at any port you can find it here I can tell you that my own experience of tracking my shipments the ships in and around the east coast ports is not near typical--they are all "harboring" far more ships than normal.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  14. #14
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    I'd bet the unions are not helping much...

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phillbo View Post
    I'd bet the unions are not helping much...
    From what I have read they are actually being "partners" in this venture----which makes sense since it is more money in their coffers. By doubling the operating hours they will be forced to bring in more people and/or increase OT---either event adds to the unions purse.

    I suspect the weak link in this plan is with the crane operators----that is a very highly specialized job and you don't just send anyone up there to do it. I'll be surprised if they have enough operators in reserve to fully double the operating hours.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

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