Although ports may reopen Wednesday, in parts of the US Northeast, over-the-road freight transport remains frozen. The blizzard that didn’t quite hit New York City or Philadelphia dumped heavy snow inland, closing roads and businesses in Pennsylvania and New York.
New York state lifted a tractor-trailer ban on I-84 late Tuesday, but a temporary tractor-trailer ban remains in effect on I-81, a key north-south truck route linking Canada and the Southeast, I-86/Route 17, I-87 from Albany to the Canadian border, I-88, and the New York State Thruway.
An advisory remains in effect Wednesday in Broome County, New York, one of the areas hardest hit by snowfall Tuesday. Binghamton in Broome County is the crossroads for I-81, I-86, and I-88. The tractor-trailer advisory will snarl supply chains, delaying freight even after snow is cleared.
“Due to road restrictions and ongoing snow removal efforts throughout the region, there is currently no service in northeastern Pennsylvania; much of New York including Hudson Valley, Albany, Syracuse, and Buffalo; and Vermont,” less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier A. Duie Pyle said.
Other facilities in the Pyle’s network of LTL, warehousing, and truckload terminals are open, but the West Chester, Pennsylvania carrier expects “delays throughout the day.” Even if the trucking company were ready to roll, its customers may not be ready to ship or receive freight.
North Carolina-based Old Dominion Freight Line kept terminals closed in Buffalo and Syracuse, New York; Scranton, Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Vermont, Wednesday. Other terminals in New York and New England were open but reported varying levels of service delays.
One factor in service delays cited on the company’s website: black ice. Also, limited access to customers, with secondary roads in some areas still not plowed or plowed sufficiently.
At the height of the storm Tuesday, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) warned rail shippers to expect delays of up to two days. “Some intermodal terminals and automotive ramps in the Northeast will be closed for the next 24 to 48 hours,” CSX said. “Customers with freight traveling through impacted areas should expect delays during this time period.”
NS was more specific, telling customers heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions were expected to impede train movement and working conditions particularly in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York markets. Both railroads advised customers in the Northeast to contact sales or customer service representatives for details on specific shipments. Additional updates for CSX customers are available at shipcsx.com and for NS customers via Pacesetter and accessNS.
The Northeast, of course, knows snow. Roads will be cleared quickly. LTL terminals and intermodal ramps will reopen. Businesses will pile up snow at the back of their parking lots and open their doors as employees return to work and customers resume shopping.
Supply chain delays may linger for days, however. Not only will delays and temporary closings affect the availability of freight, but storms such as Stella force shippers to make alternative plans to route freight to destinations affected by heavy snowfall or interstate truck bans.
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Source: JOC
