Thousands of truck-sized 30-ton shipping containers are stacked aboard the Hanjin Oslo freighter in the Port of Los Angeles March 29, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. (File/David McNew/Getty Images)
CHARLESTON — An unspecified software malfunction disrupted traffic for a second day at South Carolina’s port, a major economic driver for the state, before reopening Tuesday afternoon. The economic impact of the temporary closure is unknown.
The port discovered the software problem Saturday night. The port typically closes its gate to trucks on Sundays. It notified customers Sunday evening that it would delay the opening of its terminals the next morning, according to posts on the state Ports Authority’s website. The gate normally opens at 5 a.m. weekdays.
But the issue dragged on throughout Monday, as posted re-opening times were repeatedly moved until the port ultimately took the rare step of closing for the day. Typically, any closures are weather-related.
“We understand the impact that this issue is having on our partners in the industry,” the Ports Authority wrote, adding that it was working diligently to fix the lingering issue. The port did not suspect any cybersecurity problems.
Meanwhile, trucks lined stretches of highway near the port Monday and electronic signs along interstates alerted drivers to the delay.
It would take crews util 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to solve the malfunction that impacted a port server and left truckers who depend on the port for their livelihood in the lurch.
Port employees resumed loading and unloading ships several hours earlier, around 11 a.m.
The Ports Authority did not respond to messages left by the SC Daily Gazette.
“This is just another day in the supply chain jungle,” said Rick Todd, president of the state Trucking Association.
That’s particularly the case when it comes to trucking companies that transport maritime freight, he said. The workload for hauling shipping containers fluctuates, creating some days where half a trucking fleet is left without work and others where companies struggle to keep up.
And once a truck is loaded down with a container, the driver does not have many options for picking up another job.
“You may have a yard where you can drop it and pick up another load, but more than likely you’re just stuck,” Todd said.
Plus, there are only so many containers in need of hauling and most freight is already booked with another driver.
“Sometimes this is just the cost of doing business,” Todd added. “I don’t mean to dismiss it and say it’s ok. It just is what it is.”
The port typically sees upwards of 6,000 truckloads coming in or out of its terminals each day.
The fourth-busiest port for container imports on the East Coast, Charleston handled 2.48 million 20-foot containers in 2023, including 204,481 vehicles assembled by the state’s major automotive manufacturers.
Manufacturers in the state did not report any supply disruptions, according to the South Carolina Manufacturers Association.
Port operations have a direct annual economic impact of $1.8 billion, according to a study by the University of South Carolina. South Carolina, and exports $19.3 billion worth of goods made by South Carolina companies. Those companies that use the port for shipping and receiving goods directly contribute an additional $57.5 billion to the economy.
Todd estimates about a quarter of the state trucking association’s 600 member companies are connected in some form or fashion to the port. And the port supports the careers of an estimated 3,525 drivers, according to the USC study.
Todd said it’s hard to pin down a dollar amount on how much the delay cost drivers and trucking outfits due to the varying size of companies. And companies pay drivers in a variety of ways — by the load is more common with self-employed contract drivers; by the mile is more common for long haul drivers; or by the hour. Smaller operations, which make up the vast majority of the trucking industry, tend to be most heavily impacted by delays.
To help drivers catch up, the port extended hours until 7 p.m. Tuesday, two hours past normal closing.
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