Winter storm roils Eastern US supply chains

JOC Staff | Jan 22, 2016 3:03PM EST

U.S eastern railroads, parcel providers and trucking companies are warning shippers that a winter storm with blizzard conditions affecting 18 states will delay shipments Friday and through the weekend.

U.S. North Atlantic ports are shortening their operating hours in preparation for Winter Storm Jonas. Much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, as far west as the Tennessee-Missouri border, and north as Connecticut, was under a mix of winter storm, blizzard, and flood warnings and watches, with Jonas threatening to dump anywhere from six to 30 inches of snow and precipitation on the Eastern U.S.

“The biggest concern for us is are customers ready to receive deliveries,” whether it’s city street access or customers having cleared their receiving areas and parking lots, New England Motor Freight President Tom Connery told JOC.com Friday.

The first NEMF terminal to be impacted was in Roanoke, Va, which focused on local and short distance deliveries, while the Richmond, Va. terminal will wind down operations earlier than normal, he said. NEMF has its own snow removal equipment and crews, so when the roads are ready to be travelled, the company will be ready to hit the ground running, he said. The company will still run its line haul operation where possible, most likely skipping the most heavily impacted areas such as Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Md.

A. Duie Pyle has closed its Baltimore, Md. terminal but operations throughout its network have not yet been heavily impacted, Chief Operating Officer Randy Swart told JOC.com. A. Duie Pyle has begun to carry out the procedures called for in its snow plans, which include ensuring there is equipment and staff in place to get snow out of its terminals. Swart echoed Connery's sentiment that given the timing of the storm on a Saturday, the question is not whether A. Duie Pyle will be ready to make deliveries, but if customers will be capable of receiving them.

Norfolk Southern Railway Friday told shippers that it expected delays from 24 to 48 hours in the areas expected to be hit the hardest by the storm.

“Norfolk Southern operations in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast areas are expected to be impacted over the next several days by heavy snow, blizzard conditions and sub-zero temperatures in association with Winter Storm Jonas,” the company said.

NS customers in those areas were cautioned and advised to keep a close eye on shipments and contact operations and service support representatives should they have questions or concerns.

CSX Transportation told customers to expect delays over the weekend as conditions deteriorated. The Jacksonville, Fla.-based railroad said it had planned ahead and moved as much freight before the first flakes hit the ground.

“Snow desks” went online Friday and were scheduled to be staffed around the clock through the duration of the storm. Equipment, generators, and locomotives were moved to areas expected to be heavily impacted in order to assist in recovery, the railway said.

“Snow removal contractors have been contacted and are standing by at all intermodal ramps across the rail network from Charlotte, N.C., to New England,” CSX wrote to customers.

CSX customers were also advised to keep in contact with the railway and reach out to 24/7 staffed customer service hotlines with any questions or concerns.

UPS and FedEx, the first and second-largest U.S. trucking operators, also told customers to prepare for delays. UPS said there will be no pick-ups or deliveries in affected areas and contingency plans were in place to minimize disruption as much as possible. FedEx said its Memphis, Tennessee, hub was suffering “substantial” disruptions that would impact deliveries scheduled for arrival Friday and it also had plans in place to reduce the impact on shippers.  

FedEx has today closed its Charlotte, NC and Norfolk, VA Trade Networks offices and said the Port of Memphis, Tenn. and Richmond, Va. had also been closed.