U.S. companies face urgent cargo pickup as global ocean carriers are put on the hook by the Baltimore port bridge collapse.

• Container vessel companies are not providing accurate information on the diverted trade, and logistics companies are struggling to track it within the next 36 hours. This could lead to penalties for not picking up shipments promptly.

Logistics companies and U.S. shippers, including retailers, are being informed by ocean carriers that they are responsible for picking up cargo once it is dropped off at alternate ports due to the Baltimore port bridge crisis.

The first ocean carrier to invoke force majeure was declared.

Maersk is providing transport for cargo already on water, but instead of discharging it in Baltimore, it will be done in nearby ports. From these ports, customers can utilize landside transportation to reach their final destination. However, Maersk noted that the situation is still fluid and they are still working through various contingencies with their customers. They will continue to provide both specific and general customer advisories as the matter progresses.

Neither Hapag Lloyd nor MSC responded to inquiries regarding their future plans.

CNBC reports that logistics executives believe the next 36 hours will be crucial in diverting trade away from the Port of Baltimore following the tragic accident involving the 10,000-container capacity ship Dali colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning.

The Baltimore port stoppage may have a considerable effect on construction and contractor supply chains, according to William George, director of research for ImportGenius.

Logistics managers report that a major issue is that ocean carriers are not updating their vessel transits quickly enough to inform them of new diverted ports, which hinders their ability to plan for customers' container pick-ups.

"According to Brashier, the biggest issue with data integrations with ocean carriers is that the port of discharge is not yet updated. Using ITS Logistics' ContainerAI platform, Brashier explained that they are currently managing logistics of containers through data provided by terminals, which means they are alerted when the container has already arrived, rather than planning while it is still en route to the port."

As soon as a container reaches a terminal, the countdown for free time begins. When the free time runs out, detention and demurrage fees are incurred.

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Tracking containers diverted from Baltimore

FLOW has partnered with retailers such as Home Depot, Nike, Walmart, and Target, railroads like Union Pacific and BNSF, and logistics providers including CH Robinson, DHL, and FedEx. This collaboration allows for real-time data analysis on port and inland network congestion, as well as monitoring unexpected cargo shifts caused by global events, such as the ongoing accident at the Port of Baltimore.

The DOT's Office of Multimodal Freight has received feedback from FLOW ocean carriers and shipper members regarding the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and they are considering both short-term and long-term solutions to reroute their cargo.

By participating in the data-sharing program, we can gain insight into industrywide trends for ocean bookings 15, 30, 45, and 60 days in advance, said Matt Castle, vice president for global forwarding at CH Robinson. All ocean bookings in and out of Baltimore must be rescheduled until the port is operational again. This information will help us ensure that our customers have enough equipment, appointments, and staff to handle the increased demand.

Although the FLOW program has grown significantly in the past two years, not all East Coast ports are included in the database. Specifically, New York/New Jersey and Savannah are among the diverted ports that are included.

"But that's a start," Castle said.

Rail and truck service concerns

The DOT's Office of Multimodal Freight officials stated that FLOW is not currently capturing export cargo. Nevertheless, the booking data it has will allow participants to observe changes in trends related to truck versus rail bookings entering key impacted ports that receive diverted trade.

Logistics companies are worried about the availability of chassis for both truck and rail to handle the diverted cargo, which is expected to be received by the ports of Savannah, Brunswick, Virginia, Charleston, and New York/New Jersey. Despite the ports' ability to receive the extra cargo, logistics managers are concerned about the availability of chassis to handle the increased freight.

"Val Noel, COO at TRAC Intermodal, stated that the company has ample supply in Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey to handle any diverted cargo. However, they do not provide chassis in Norfolk or Charleston, which are Port Chassis Pools."

Mike Wilson, CEO of Consolidated Chassis Management (CCM), which serves as the sole manager and chassis provider for SACP 3.0., stated that if cargo is diverted, it should be directed to New York and Norfolk, and CCM should be able to serve the ports of Wilmington, Savannah, and Jacksonville.

Noel stated that once the SSL finalizes the diversion plan to discharge import volume, the SSL will redirect the outbound boxes holding in Chicago to allow the outbound vessel to be fully profiled. Although there may be an initial delay, the supply chain should be able to pivot to the diverted gateways and minimize any significant congestion issues.

Alan Baer, CEO of OL USA, reveals to CNBC that he has containers on the Dali.

"Baer stated that the cargo destined for UAE, Saudi, Doha, India, and Bangladesh is being transported. For U.S. customers, imports are being diverted to New York/New Jersey and Virginia (Norfolk), while cargo for the Midwest was originally intended for Norfolk. However, Baer believes that Midwest exports will be sent to New York, Norfolk, and Montreal as well."

The Port of Virginia is prepared to assist the Port of Baltimore in handling surges of import and export cargo by offering its expertise in discharging cargoes as requested.