GSC Logistics steps up growth plans to meet cargo surge

West Coast freight hauling giant adds people, space in Oakland, Northwest

Trucking giant GSC Logistics said today it’s accelerating growth plans to manage a U.S. West Coast import onslaught. The seaport freight-hauler said it’s adding everything from people and drivers to real estate and chassis equipment as containerized cargo volume surges. The latest expansion: doubling its headquarters office footprint this month at the Port of Oakland.

“Cargo is flooding ports up and down the West Coast and we’ve got to grow if we’re going to deliver it efficiently to our customers,” said GSC President Dave Arsenault.  “The opportunity is great, but so is the challenge because there’s no sign of a letup in trade flows.”

GSC Logistics is the largest freight hauler at the Port of Oakland and the fastest-growing player in Seattle. The firm said it expects to make good on a forecast of 25 percent volume growth in 2021. Here’s what GSC Logistics has done since summer to cope with record-setting import volume coming from Asia:

• Grown full-time staff from 80 to 180 people which necessitated the lease of more headquarters office space
  
• Created over 400 jobs in West Oakland
  
• Increased the number of truckers hauling cargo by 20% in Northern California and 15% in the Pacific Northwest
  
• Boosted chassis fleet to over 1000 pieces of long-term lease equipment in Oakland
  
• Leasing additional acreage in the Northern California market on behalf of clients to support cargo flow
  

Expansion at GSC Logistics reflects unprecedented U.S.-Asia trade volume which has soared throughout 2021. Asian manufacturers are jamming West Coast ports with everything from appliances to assembly line components. The result has been historic levels of congestion at seaports struggling to move cargo to final destinations.

GSC Logistics said port bottlenecks are creating shortages of containers, storage space and chassis – the equipment needed to transport freight. The company said it has created its own fleet of over 1000 chassis to overcome the equipment drought. GSC Logistics said it has leased added space to transport containers from marine terminals and store them until delivery.

A pressing need now is for more truck drivers, GSC Logistics said. The company said it’s advertising on billboards near the ports of Seattle and Tacoma for drivers.