On July 22, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) asked Class I railroads to provide information on congestion at key container terminals.
STB also requested the railroads’ policies and practices for assessing storage charges.
These requests come in response to concerns over persistent intermodal congestion and significant container storage fees some shippers must pay to receive their containers.
STB hopes to better understand the magnitude of container congestion, the purpose and effect of storage fees, and whether there is relief for receivers who cannot facilitate the release of their containers.
Tracking just one of several affected grain commodities, the Soybean Transportation Coalition expects “supply chain issues for exporters to continue for the foreseeable future, including the container squeeze and rail availability, as well as the nationwide shortage of truck drivers.”
Soybeans are the largest U.S. containerized grain export, representing more than 40 percent of the market on average.
