- Yes, they're calling it a perfect storm

thanks to a COVID backup.

Ships backlogged for monthsnow pushing full steam ahead

into ports and warehousesthat have no room for product,

and that's because truckers who move cargo

are dropping in droves.

- The Port of Los Angeles announced today

that it's gonna beginoperating 24 hours a day,

seven days a week.

- The misinformation, Ithink, was by saying, "Okay.

Biden just ordered all the ports 24/7.

That's gonna solve the problem."

No, it won't.

- [Brody] For 15 years,Captain Manny Aschemeyer

oversaw our nation's largest port complex

as executive directorat the Marine Exchange

for Southern California.

- Answering that age oldquestion, "Has my ship come in?"

and we answer that question

literally thousands of times a day.

- [Brody] Based on his experience,

Captain Manny says thearound-the-clock mandate

only works if each partof the distribution chain

plays by the same rules.

- When you deliver that cargoto a distribution center

or a warehouse or some guy'sbusiness and they're not open,

they're only open 8:00 to 5:00,then 24/7 doesn't help much

because they can't leave that box there,

or if they leave that box there, it sits.

- [Brody] The logistical nightmare

certainly begins at the ports.

If this map looks complicated,that's because it is.

In this snapshot from arecord-breaking day in October,

these nearly 100 markersrepresent ships waiting to unload

in the LA/Long Beach port complex.

Dozens more wait off thecoast for room to get to port.

- So you have a lot ofthings that are stacking

on top of one another that'screating this glut of cargo

coming to the states.

- [Brody] Backlogs begandue to COVID shutdowns,

which sparked massive warehouse layoffs.

Then the hyper buying of goodsto restock shelves followed,

leaving only limited staff to do the work.

- Well, I would say everydeadline's being missed.

Many of them have been on their ships now

for nearly two years,unable to get a relief.

And that is a nasty reality.

- [Brody] Captain Manny saysthe real panic in the pantry

comes from what's happeningin the trucking industry.

- The last mile in tradeis the most critical.

That's when it goes from thewarehouse to the store shelf,

and that's usually done by a truck.

- [Brody] California independent truckers

are fighting an uphill battlewith the state legislature.

That's because AssemblyBill 5, which is intended

to give Uber and Lyft drivers minimum wage

and other benefits, also affects

about half of the state's truckers.

The bill stops them fromoperating their own rigs

by their own rules.

- And a lot of independentcontractors simply took a hike

and went to other portsaround the country to work,

or frankly, got out ofthe business altogether.

- [Brody] Another hurdle

is a California environmentalgroup barring truckers

from registering rigs built before 2010.

- And suddenly, you're telling a guy

that's got a truck that's 10 1/2 years old

and they say, "Well, youcan't use it anymore."

- [Brody] Given theserestraints and driver shortages,

Captain Manny says store shelves

will sit bare past Christmasand the cost of everything

will continue going up.

- The West Coast hasevolved the way it has

through no one's fault.

- While that might be true,more trouble could lay ahead.

Given the excessivebackup in incoming cargo,

contracts fo about 15,000West Coast dock workers

is set to expire next summer.

This as union workers fightthe impact of automation,

which is expected toincrease at more terminals.

I'm Brody Carter, CBN News.