MIAMI -- The backlog of 6,000 containers that built up during the two-week boycott by independent truckers at the Port of Miami has been reduced to 1,900, according to Javier Miranda, senior manager of customer services for the Port of Miami Terminal Operating Co.

Most of the backlog occurred at POMTOC, the port's largest container terminal, at one point leading management to ask ships with substantial import cargo bypass the terminal.

Seaboard Marine, which operates its own terminal, remained open during the boycott and continues to operate as usual. The Universal Maritime Services Terminal was closed one day during the boycott and is now operating close to normal.
A federal judge earlier extended an injunction barring a boycott by truckers until Sept. 3.

"The situation is sufficiently under control that no ships are being diverted," Miranda said. "But we still have a hold on cargo from two vessels while we finish sorting the remaining stacks that are four high and five wide. That should be resolved in a day or so."

The port's terminal hold procedures and its repeated requests that truck dispatchers make certain containers are ready to be discharged before sending trucks has helped, Miranda said.

Miranda said POMTOC would be open this Saturday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and he reminded truckers and dispatchers to use the port's Forecast notification system to determine if all releases and bookings are in place before coming to the port.

POMTOC container yard staff are working overtime to break down stacks so the boxes can be handled by top-loaders. At the same time they log the container status into the Forecast system for next-day pick-up.

More cargo has been released by the terminal, and shipments from recent vessel calls that is 100 percent available increased dramatically by Thursday. Those ships include CMA CGM vessels Arno, Rhone and Hudson; Libra Rio, CSAV New York, Elqui, Katsuragi, MOL Initiative, Priwall, MSC Aniello, Libra Santos, OOCL Faith, Cap San Agustin, and P&O Nedlloyd Nina.

Cargo from the following vessels is partially available: MSC Arizona, Ville de Taurus, Lykes Achiever, OOCL Fortune, Guanajuato and Lykes Hero. In several cases terminal holds on cargo were required to organize hundreds of containers for federal Food and Drug Administration inspections.

Recent arrivals Norfolk Express and MSC Donata remain on terminal hold.

By Rick Eyerdam