Much of the cargo arriving by ocean freight from Northern European ports enters the US via the Canadian Border, transiting Canada by CN Rail into Chicago, Detroit or other various Midwest railhead locations. In early March, the CN Rail implemented a rigorous safety plan to address the novel Coronavirus that causes the COVID19 disease. Elements of that plan have resulted in significant dwell time increases.

Dwell time is the time it takes from the point a container is unloaded from a vessel until the time it departs on a railcar. Prior to implementation of the safety plan, dwell time was 3-4 days, it is now at 12.9 days. This is just the average, and some containers are dwelling for longer.

The curve is not flattening, it is still climbing.

This information took us a bit of digging and in the interest of ‘we are all in this together’ we want to share what we have learned with our clients, partners, and friends. We are doing all we can, but the reality is we do not have control over this situation. We will continue to keep you informed. We don’t want to flood you with information you don’t need, but if you do want further updates, please leave your name here or send us a message at onboard@reillyinternational.com.