Part 6/12:
Port Infrastructure: U.S. ports, like Los Angeles and Long Beach, are handling their capacity limitations. Although automation has increased, the inland transportation system—railroads and warehouses—are not operating 24/7, causing delays in cargo movement.
Geography and Logistics: U.S. ports are less suitable for direct ultra-large vessel calls due to fewer deepwater terminals and higher handling costs.
Operational Challenges: These ships would sit idle longer at ports due to limited infrastructure, making ultra-large vessels less economically viable for intra-U.S. routes. Instead, they tend to serve as transshipment hubs, offloading containers onto smaller ships for inland delivery.