> "You can’t return empties, so you can't free up the chassis required to move full containers out of the port. And because you're not pulling the containers out of the port, you're not able to return empties to the port. I did not know that this was the case before I went down there. We only discovered it during that three-hour boat ride."

It's interesting that he got this data by asking the owners of the many different companies involved (Ports / shipping / trucking).

Is this gridlock something that could be solved at-scale through short-term government intervention? That is, could the military provide "Free" storage in a boneyard out in the desert near LA for 6-24 months? Could permits and/or fees be waived to provide incentives? Should a new "Reef" be built by depositing 10k empty containers out in the Pacific (ick!)? The problem seems to be getting worse, and tipping points best avoided...

Seems like 1-off efforts to unlock the gridlock may be needed.