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Cargo congestion at Hampton Roads container terminals are posing a public relations challenge on top of logistical hurdles for the Virginia Port Authority.
Virginia Port Authority officials say they're aware of the urgency of the situation have promised port stakeholders better communication and greater transparency.
Industry publications have been printing quite a few stories about chronic cargo backups and wait times at the East Coast port. "Virginia port plagued by inefficiency as truck waiting times rise," said one headline from a maritime news website.
Although Virginia port officials did not dispute they had cargo delays, they said it was not as bad as reported.
Hampton Roads, the East Coast's third-largest port, had record volume last year, as did No. 1-ranked New York/New Jersey and No. 2 Savannah.
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Savannah moved 3.34 million TEUs compared to Hampton Roads' 2.39 million.
Starting this week, the VPA said the weekly publication that lists port metrics will include how long truckers wait to get into a port terminal, not just how long it takes to pick up and/or drop off a container once inside.
Other items on the to-do list include extending gate hours for truckers on weekends. The port continues to text truckers with updates on conditions at the terminals. And an appointment system for truckers at Norfolk International Terminals is still in the works, a year after it was brought up.
In January the authority board approved spending $9.4 million on infrastructure improvements.
For more of the Hampton Roads story: hamptonroads.com
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