The Government of California has leased six sites to Chunker, a US warehouse marketplace, for the storage of shipping containers aiming to ease the congestion at California ports.
The access to the state property will allow Chunker to store 20,000 boxes or more, which will free up a significant amount of space at the ports, according to the company’s CEO, Brad Wright, who noted that the container storage is a major component of the congestion at the ports as well as a part of the nationwide supply chain crisis.
“We are thrilled to partner with Governor Newsom and the state of California to create a solution that will have a major impact on the problem,” he said.
Chunker has signed a one-year leasing agreement with the California Department of General Services for the six properties, with an option for a second year.
The sites include three armories (in Lancaster, Palmdale and Stockton), a former prison site (Deuel Vocational Institute in Tracy), and two fairground sites (San Joaquin County and Antelope Valley Fairgrounds).
Chunker will coordinate between California ports, shipping/trucking companies, and cargo owners to help move containers and free up needed space elsewhere.
“California has taken swift action to keep goods moving at the state’s ports, leveraging our strategic partnerships to develop multifaceted solutions, including securing additional storage space for thousands of shipping containers,” stated Governor Newsom, adding “These efforts are a vital investment to help meet the needs of not only Californians, but our entire nation.”
Dee Dee Myers, director of the Governor’s office of business and economic development, commented, “By creating additional storage space for shipping containers, we can relieve some of the congestion at our ports, keep our imports and exports flowing and strengthen our economy.”
Meanwhile, the Governor’s California Blueprint has also proposed US$2.3 billion for supply chain investments next fiscal year, including US$1.2 billion for port, freight, and goods movement infrastructure and US$1.2 billion for other related areas such as workforce training and zero-emission vehicle equipment and infrastructure related to the supply chain.
