General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumshow about we send the military to LA?
... and Huntington Beach, California and unload those backed-up container ships? And bring in some big trucks to ship the goods across country? or planes.
We're not at war anymore. Are we? Military needs to do something constructive.
The labor unions might howl, but where are the union workers?
Eliot Rosewater
(31,109 posts)RussBLib
(9,008 posts)I would also oppose military deployment to bust a strike.
at least, I have not heard of striking unions at the docks.
Eliot Rosewater
(31,109 posts)Shortage of truck drivers is one thing but why would workers not want to go to the docks to do this work?
7wo7rees
(5,128 posts)Only starting now to consider round the clock operations, but probably not enough trained workers.
I think bringing in military to help is an excellent idea!
marybourg
(12,631 posts)dont want the catch covid.
Eliot Rosewater
(31,109 posts)couldnt understand why it would be worse now vs earlier.
former9thward
(31,997 posts)marybourg
(12,631 posts)the past few weeks on the L.A and N.Y. Times. Perhaps search the LA. Times first, if interested. Theyre pretty tough to access without a subscription, though.
haele
(12,650 posts)Along with the required qualified equipment operators.
Once the pandemic slowed down port operations, those union workers either took early retirement or went to work other jobs when they got laid off due to Covid shipping curtailment.
Being a dockworker or crane operator is hard, dangerous work.
And it's difficult to "just rehire" qualified personnel once half of them have been gone for a year or so.
The issue is not just Port of LA and Long Beach, the issue is also with other West Coast ports where they closed down and are still trying to ramp back up to normal, they also don't have open dock space and enough workers, so they sent them down to LA, which had managed to remain somewhat open during the slowdown.
Haele
Klaralven
(7,510 posts)For example, truckers can't haul as many loads as before because they have to wait longer to get their containers.
It's not clear that things are well planned or that there is any overall authority for the movement of freight through the port. Do they know what containers are on the next ship to dock? Do they have the truckers arranged to get them out of the port ASAP?
The port is supposedly managed by the Los Angeles Harbor Department, a unit of the City of Los Angeles, but it's not clear whether that includes day to day operational management.
Possibly an Army logistics expert in overall charge would be a good thing.
Eliot Rosewater
(31,109 posts)if they are hiring and training now. And yes dangerous, one of the highest work comp rates as I recall.
maxsolomon
(33,327 posts)Amishman
(5,557 posts)but we have huge bases too. I wonder if the huge naval base in San Diego could be used as a temporary additional cargo port? The navy operates its own container ships. The navy's Shughart class cargo / logistics ships are 900 feet, 55k tons - pretty close to the size of a panamax size container ship.
UTUSN
(70,686 posts)East-A-Squared
(14,505 posts)sarisataka
(18,633 posts)Getting fat off the government teat with nothing to do...
First problem- do you know how to offload a container ship? Guess what- most of them don't either.
RussBLib
(9,008 posts)... but they have experience in shipping all sorts of stuff overseas: planes, trucks, food, barracks, all sorts of logistics. And driving a truck is not all that hard.
it could be done
sarisataka
(18,633 posts)Most of that shipping is done by civilian contractors.
The military does have thousands of drivers but most of them are not trained on semis. Truck driving school for a class A CDL is a minimum 6-8 weeks. You don't want to just toss the keys of a Peterbuilt to a 19 year old PFC and tell him to drive this truck to Omaha.
ETA> rail is more efficient than trucking however- Why The U.S. Armys Rail Transport System Is A Wreck
Calista241
(5,586 posts)doc03
(35,328 posts)prices and high inflation. Then ad the compete failure to get Democrats in line to pass our agenda. It the recipe for a total blood bath next year.
Retrograde
(10,136 posts)and increase the manufacture of more necessary items here? As a country we managed to get by for decades without loads of inflatable lawn items - customized for each real or Hallmarked holiday - and other use-once-then-landfill stuff. (Yeah, I'm feeling curmudgeonly after walking past the 5th house with a yard full of inflatable pumpkins and ghosts - and the month isn't halfway through!)
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,329 posts)RussBLib
(9,008 posts)very persuasive
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,329 posts)RussBLib
(9,008 posts)There are not enough workers. AFAIK there are no active strikes on the docks, nor are truckers on strike. It would just be supplying some of the personnel that is needed until the companies and/or unions can staff back up.
Captain Stern
(2,201 posts)First of all, because there aren't a lot of military guys that specialize in 'unloading stuff'.
Secondly, I don't want to see our military used to solve 'problems' (real or perceived) at home