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Truck Drivers Suffer Through Long Waits At Port Of Virginia

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Truck drivers are reporting 5-hour delays as the try to drop off or pick up containers at the Port of Virginia.

Profits and Wait Times Both Rising at Port of Virginia

The Port of Virginia has boasted increasing revenues and volume in recent months. They recently announced that they have saved millions of dollars by reducing debt. However, truck drivers attempting to get into the port have reported that they must wait 4 to 5 hours backed up on Western Freeway to load or unload freight.

Drivers Impacted In Multiple Ways By Delays

Not only is the situation frustrating for truck drivers, but it also cuts into their daily earnings. When a driver must spend almost half of his or her 11-hour driving day idling in line, it can do severe damage to the amount of take-home pay. Ed O’Callaghan with Century Express said that inefficiencies at the Port of Virginia have resulted in a 50% loss in driver productivity.

Sanitation issues are also part of trucker’s frustration with the port’s inefficiencies. Without access to restroom facilities, many truck drivers are unable to wait 5 hours, leading to problematic waste issues.

Authorities Promise To Address Delays

Port of Virginia spokesman Joe Harris said that the port is operating above capacity, partly because winter weather shut down the port for four days. However, drivers say that the problem has been going on for months. After hearing the complaints, the Chief Operation Officer for the port ordered a bank of toilets for waiting truck drivers. Port authorities also plan to increase efficiency at the Portsmouth Marine Termina to reduce some of the volume at the Port of Virginia. They also plan to extend their hours of operation to reduce driver wait times. Click here for the Port of Virginia’s official memorandum on how they plan to ease congestion in the port.

Sources:
WAVY News 10
The Virginia Pilot Online

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