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Short-haul freight intelligence for shippers and logistics teams.

Cargomatic is a short-haul logistics platform connecting shippers to a network of 35,000+ trucks across 50 markets, including the top 20 U.S. ports. The company publishes content on freight efficiency, drayage operations, and supply chain visibility for logistics managers and procurement teams. Its MarketScale channel offers operational insight for companies moving goods in the final and first mile.

59 episodes
Channel Brief·Cargomatic · 59 episodes
Updated Oct 20, 2023

Port competition is reshaping U.S. container trade patterns

As West Coast ports face regulatory and labor headwinds, East Coast gateways capture diverted cargo through infrastructure investment and global trade route shifts. The channel grounds this in throughput data and port executive testimony.

Cargomatic's core argument is that U.S. containerized trade is undergoing structural rebalancing away from congested West Coast ports toward East Coast and Gulf alternatives, driven by both operational friction and geopolitical trade route shifts. The content supports this with port throughput analysis, direct quotes from port authority executives, and month-over-month cargo diversion tracking that shows East Coast benefits accumulating from Suez Canal routing and West Coast labor uncertainty.

Drawn from Port Everglades steps up its game in the inter… and 4 more →

“The work of the supply chain is mostly taken for granted. It is underappreciated and undervalued.”

John McLaurin, President of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association

By the numbers

450,000

annual intermodal lifts at Port Everglades ICTF

1 million TEU

annual container volume at Port Everglades

18%

year-over-year decline in August 2023 imports vs. August 2022

1.93 million TEU

containers handled at top U.S. ports in May 2023

What the channel argues

DataPort Everglades ICTF capacity grew from 100,000 to 450,000 annual lifts after 2014 unveiling.→
InsightCargo diverted from West Coast to East Coast and Gulf ports during peak season is reversing back.→
InsightPort of Virginia benefits from cargo shifting via Suez Canal as new trade lanes open.→
DataU.S. containerized imports expected to peak in August but down 18% year-over-year from August 2022.→
DataCalifornia Air Regulations Board unanimously passed Advanced Clean Fleets rule prohibiting medium and heavy-duty diesel truck sales by 2036.→
InsightFederal Maritime Commission study found data sharing in supply chain industry was inadequate, triggering Maritime Transportation Data Initiative.→

What you'll learn

•Port Everglades positions Florida as a strategic alternative to West Coast congestion through rail and highway intermodal access.
•East Coast ports are capturing Suez-routed cargo from India and Southeast Asia as a structural, not temporary, shift.
•Data is the foundational requirement for AI to work in supply chain operations, and gaps remain in maritime data standardization.
•California's environmental and regulatory burdens constrain West Coast port competitiveness relative to peers, according to industry leaders.
•Empty container flows represent a hidden but economically significant logistics problem affecting import-export balance.

What to do about it

→Audit your import routing strategy against East Coast and Gulf port capabilities to capture savings from diverted West Coast volumes.
→Invest in data collection infrastructure and standardization, as Federal Maritime Commissioner Carl Bentzel flagged data sharing inadequacy across maritime commerce.
→Plan fleet electrification timelines now to comply with California's 2036 advanced clean fleets rule and similar emerging state regulations.

Who and what shows up

Stephen Edwards

CEO and Executive Director, Virginia Port Authority

Articulated Virginia's strategic positioning to capture cargo via Suez Canal and described infrastructure investments for larger vessels.

John McLaurin

President, Pacific Merchant Shipping Association

Stated California ports are underappreciated and undervalued due to political and environmental constraints on competitiveness.

Carl Bentzel

Federal Maritime Commissioner

Released Maritime Transportation Data Initiative study, finding data sharing in supply chain industry inadequate and identifying gaps in maritime data definitions.

Sunil Sharma

Chief Product and Technology Officer, Cargomatic

Explained that data is the foundational requirement for building solid artificial intelligence in supply chain operations.

Ed Aldridge

President, Cargomatic; 50-year supply chain veteran

Expressed optimism about cargo recovery despite current import downturn, citing historical pattern of market recovery after peaks and valleys.

Questions this channel answers

Q

Is cargo returning to West Coast ports after diversion to East and Gulf ports?

Yes, a close analysis of port throughput suggests cargo diversion from West Coast to East Coast and Gulf ports is beginning to reverse as the year progresses.

U.S. imports up in September as West Coast sees return o… →
Q

What is driving East Coast port growth beyond domestic capacity?

East Coast ports benefit from shifting trade routes through the Suez Canal carrying cargo from India and Southeast Asia, creating new trade lanes for Virginia Port Authority and other East Coast facilities.

Port of Virginia looks east of Suez to grow its market s… →
Q

Why are West Coast ports at a competitive disadvantage?

California ports operate under political and environmental constraints, including strict environmental legislation and regulatory burdens that limit competitiveness compared to other regions.

California ports ‘underappreciated and undervalued’ mari… →
Q

What is the outlook for U.S. import volumes in the second half of 2023?

Industry analysts expect imports to peak in August 2023, but still remain down 18% year-over-year from August 2022, with growth driven partly by early retail stocking.

Peak season to come in August barring any labor disrupti… →
Q

What role does data play in modern supply chain operations?

Data is the fundamental fuel powering artificial intelligence in supply chain management, and the Federal Maritime Commission found that data sharing across the maritime industry was inadequate.

Cargomatic’s many-bladed ‘Swiss Army Knife’ eases data c… →
Topics:Port throughput and container diversionEast Coast versus West Coast logisticsIntermodal infrastructure and capacityData and AI in supply chain operationsEnvironmental regulation and fleet modernization
Themes:Geographic rebalancing of U.S. container trade driven by regulation and laborData and AI as foundational to supply chain transparency and optimizationPort infrastructure investment as competitive advantage in shifting global trade lanes

Industry context

U.S. containerized imports rebounded 6.6% in May 2026 to 2.43 million TEUs, signaling renewed seasonal demand pressures on port infrastructure and trade logistics capacity.