Lifting emergency status. I still have backlog going back over a month and will be focusing on that, but can accept limited communication and respond accordingly again. Pretty much everything people were going to be waiting on me for has come into the warehouse, so it’ll honestly be better overall as a lot of cabs can be looked over and sold with more information.
Some background. We were supposed to get 4 or so containers last month while I was in Japan, and I set up provisions to have crew handle that, manage outgoing freight, keep the warehouse sane. The first container kept getting delayed until it showed up something like 8 hrs after I flew out to Japan (GDI). After that, every single container got delayed until I got back, to the point where the second one had an abandonment notice from the carrier. That is an automated notice that the carrier sends if it sees in the system a container with a LFD (last free day) around 3-4 weeks. The port doesn’t update LFDs until they make the container available, so essentially they didn’t make it available for so long that the carrier was going to salvage it. This in practice wouldn’t have actually happened, but it was a first for me and quite a thing to wake up to lol
Any rate, about 11 days ago, we got it. Then the driver said “btw there’s another driver 2hrs behind me”. Normally we at least get a day notice if a container is available at port, even at worst. This was one we didn’t even get that notice for, it just showed up with no notice from my trucking line AT ALL. Cool though, happy to get stuff out! Except the next morning, I got a call from the driver saying he was 2hrs out. We had barely started processing what we had, but that was fine, there was still just enough space, so we took it.
That night I messaged the trucking company to let them know we’d like to get notice on this stuff sooner since warehouse capacity came fast, and freight doesn’t go out until Friday, 2 days. They responded by saying the container we weren’t supposed to get until Friday night was coming Thursday morning (tomorrow). This is where I went emergency status, since I had a truck to deliver SoCal(which we barely rented in time), a 26’ trailer here from Maryland, and another trailer from Texas, no warehouse space and 7 people on crew already working non-stop. We had to cancel that container, which then got held up by weather over the pass until Tuesday and rent a second storage unit last-minute, and rearrange the entire warehouse to get certain things out as not to disrupt operations later. The delay on the container cost quite a bit too, as demurrage fees for MSC containers after LFD is at least $350 a day. At this point, costs weren’t an issue as long as they weren’t too high, just the logistics of making it all work were massive.
Part of the problem was that Friday was a tight schedule for freight, and the driver wasn’t coming the next week (this week), so we barely had time to throw on everything we could. Having everything actually tested and ready to go was a lot of manpower when we’d already been buried in containers. The weekend was spent trying to arrange SoCal deliveries and loading up the two other trailers. Tuesday, we finally got container 5, followed very quickly behind by container 6, again same day. I honestly don’t know how that worked. That was all the containers expected November or very early December, so great! That’s it!
Nope. Container 7 showed up. When I ship containers, I estimate around 3 weeks to arrive, 1 week to clear and be delivered, then 2-4 weeks for variance because global shipping is fucked rn. This container was one I told people to expect early January, based on the above criteria. Instead, it showed up completely on-time, for the first time since the pandemic. I really don’t remember another container being so punctual! I scrambled to load Bay Area deliveries since SoCal’s truck was back, even though it wasn’t a full run, as well as moving several cabs into the Game Center that would eventually end up there, even though I wasn’t ready for it. Somehow we made enough space, and it all came in.
This truly is the last for the year, though. Everything that hasn’t arrived ships this month, and if on-time, would arrive January at the earliest, with early February as the estimate given to buyers. It’s 4 containers, so I’ve got hell ahead of me if I don’t clear inventory and it all vomits at once. Our convention schedule is pretty savage for January/February as well, and I’m back in Japan for all of March.
Oh also my landlord scheduled yearly heater maintenance now with almost no notice. They need to bring a scissor lift in. There’s literally no path and we’ve all basically worked 16+ hr days for 11 days straight lol, gotta figure that out still. Freight doesn’t go out for a week, I can’t even clear it in time
Maryland is out, Bay Area comes back today, Texas leaves today. In short, got 3 containers in 24hrs, they tried to vomit a 4th a day later, ended up with 4 and 5 the next week, a 6th unexpected, shipped out 5 batches of freight, rented a new storage unit. Could not have done it without a crew of 5-7. Normally only 2 of us. Costly and all time-consuming, but done. Lot to do still, but will start processing people’s requests.
Will post further updates when ready! Feel free to send contact and I’ll at least get you in the response queue!