A potential supply chain meltdown resulting from Hanjin Shipping’s bankruptcy has been averted at the Port of Oakland. The Port will receive empty containers owned by the ocean carrier, which filed for bankruptcy protection Aug. 31, the company said in its press release.
The announcement means cargo owners and truckers won’t have to find storage space for the unwanted boxes after they’re emptied. It also means empties can be removed from chassis, freeing up the scarce equipment to transport new loads. Storage space is needed worldwide because Hanjin Shipping has said it won’t accept empty containers on its vessels.
The Port said empty Hanjin-owned containers can be returned to its Roundhouse property on Middle Harbor Road. The site is adjacent to Oakland International Container Terminal, where Hanjin ships are loaded and unloaded. The Port said containers identified by the prefix HJCU will be received. It advised truckers to contact Hanjin to ensure that the empty containers are Hanjin-owned and not leased.
The Port said the terminal will process empties and remove them from chassis. It added that truck drivers will then be required to return the chassis through the main gates at Oakland International Container Terminal.
The Port said harbor truck drivers can begin returning Hanjin-owned boxes Sept. 22. They’ll be accepted between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
Hanjin’s filing for bankruptcy protection has disrupted the global supply chain. Many of the carrier’s ships are stranded at sea, forbidden to berth at ports. Two Hanjin ships have arrived in Oakland to discharge cargo since the filing was announced.
The Port said operations haven’t been hampered by Hanjin’s predicament. It added, however, that the empty container problem threatened to inhibit cargo flow in and out of Oakland. It expected the newly designated storage property to avert that outcome.
About the Port of Oakland:
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 73,000 jobs in the region and nearly 827,000 jobs across the United States.