FINALLY! Got a boat!
over 4 years ago
– Wed, Oct 20, 2021 at 09:45:37 PM
Hi Everyone!
So after waaaay too long, we finally have a boat to load our kitties into! And it's loading... Tomorrow! (Oct 20th if you read this later than today). Before I go into details I just wanted to talk all of you for your patience and understanding as we deal with the world being upside down with pandemic and whatever new catastrophe is happening this month. Did you know that last week Shen Zen, the port we come out of from China, had a Typhoon?! Crazy Stuff.
Anyways!
It's certainly later than we hoped but we planned ahead with this shipment to avoid the massively bogged down western AND eastern ports in the US... and Canada. So instead it's being dropped off down here in Houston of all places and then we will truck it up to Chicago where our friends at TOYNK will be helping us fulfill all of your pledges and get your kitties to you asap! We had TOYNK process our previous Kickstarter: Tentacle Kitty: First Responders & Essentials and they were pretty awesome at it! There was only a few issues and they were fixed lickity split!
The kitties are getting on the boat on Oct 20th, and we should see the boat arrive here in Houston around mid November. At that point hopefully Customs doesn't give us any lip, and we can get the kitties to Chicago asap. After that it's going to take a couple weeks to process all 5,000 orders. I can't guarantee they will arrive before Christmas, but we hope that since this is the second time TOYNK has been fulfilling Kickstarters for us that they have their system down and it should go even faster than last time. Not to mention they just got a new big ol warehouse and more crew, so I'm hoping that helps too.
Either way I am going to make a Christmas Card you can print up you can use to explain that the kitties tried to drive the boat and went around in circles for months until they figured out how to use a compass and that they are now on their way to you!
We won't be locking addresses until the boat arrives and we clear Customs. After that you will have 48 hours to change your address or it will be locked and you won't be able to make any additional adjustments.
Again, thank you all for being to kind and patient during all this chaos. Hopefully going forward we can get these kitties moving along much faster!
Love you all, sincerely!
~John and Rae
Shipping Delay Update:
over 4 years ago
– Wed, Oct 13, 2021 at 04:15:01 AM
Hi Everyone!
So I just heard today that we should be getting bookings this week. Apparently China had a holiday week last week which added to the delay... wish our holidays lasted a whole week... Anyways, its a simple "Hey we should learn more soon, but we are keeping an eye on things" kind of update, but better than nothing right?
At the same time, our new Marketing Specialist, Panda (feel free to welcome her to the team, she talks to everyone pretty regularly on the discord community), wrote up a deep dive into what's going on, and I thought that any of you that wanted to get some more technical information could take a look below.
So hang tight everyone, we are keeping tabs on everything and should have a more definitive update soon.
The big question:
what's the hold up? This is a very technical update of what is holding up the Kickstarter shipments for Tentacle Kitty. We know that you really want is a date or a time table but, we do not have that information just yet. As we appreciate your loyalty and support for backing our projects and want your continued support on future projects, we want to keep you informed on what the delays with our shipments are.
The words we need to discuss are Transpacific Shipping and Inland Trucking Capacity.
What’s the Transpacific shipping situation of current Trucking capacity and congestion issues?
Over 90% of all the world's trade is carried by sea and even more in some countries. As a general rule, shipments weighing more than 100kg, or consisting of multiple cartons and or containers, will be sent by sea.
Current shipping situations face different challenges due to Covid-19, port congestions, tropical storms and container shortages. As we enter peak season not much is expected to change in terms of available capacity and the general levels of congestion across the global supply chain networks.
The current shortage of empty containers, which continues to be an issue across Asia and around the globe, is not likely to improve in the immediate future.
The shortages are being caused by a ripple effect of factors. These include but are not limited to, rising demands around the world and operational challenges in turning around empty containers for multiple shipments. This turnaround delay has caused disruptions in ports and hubs overseas due to COVID restrictions and a shortage of drivers. Severe port congestion has resulted in an imbalanced supply of equipment across Asia. Dry containers are in short supply in China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.
COVID 19 outbreaks remain a challenge across different countries. For example, the Vietnamese Government extended lockdowns and the factory closures in Malaysia and Indonesia have become common. This has triggered a spike in congestion levels across the Eastern provinces of China.
Additionally, Tropical Storm Ida affected parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida with high winds, heavy rain, and the threat of tornadoes. This resulted in port closures and supply chain disruptions throughout different areas.
Once it makes it off the boat now what?
The trucking capacity crisis is due to a driver shortage. This year has seen a decrease in drivers surpassing 100,000. That leads to an average delay of 4-7 days waiting on trucking capacity. The reasons for the shortage are many and include but are not limited to: increased regulatory pressures and changes, ageing driver population, driver schools not operating, COVID-19 and the effects of global disruption.
Transportation companies' practices had to evolve with new regulations due to current world events. Increased pressure to update current regulations include an updated day to day operations strategy. They are also facing widespread regulations with the implantation of stricter anti-drug enforcement and limitations to working hours. They are also seeing losing workers due to retirements.
The average age of truckers in the US is 55 years old. As drivers retire, there aren't enough young drivers to fill the gap. In numbers, this means a driver turnover of 92%. The reason we are not seeing younger drivers is the lack of operational driving schools.
Though there is a demand for these jobs, they are being hindered by COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions. Many driving schools and testing facilities are partially or completely closed following these procedures. This has directly correlated to a major backlog in getting new drivers qualified, in seats and on the road.
The whole logistics industry has felt the effects of the pandemic, and in the US, trucking is no different. As a result of lockdowns, restrictions or simply personal choice – some truckers have stayed home, having been given financial support from stimulus payments. For those working, the fierce driver retention market has seen wages rise, increasing freight rates but not improving capacity.
The impacts on ports, container terminals and warehouses due to the pandemic and a surge in demand are causing a ripple effect that is being felt in inland capacity. Backlogs in cargo processing at warehouses are delaying container returns, resulting in a shortage of the trailers required to transport shipping containers.
On top of these critical factors, it also can't be underestimated that unforeseen events can add to the lack of inland transportation capacity. At the end of August, the southern and north-eastern United States was struck by Hurricane Ida – which caused widespread flooding; this only added to disruptions to supply chains. In the event of natural disasters, trucks become a crucial tool in delivering relief supplies. While being a significant cause, has naturally led to even
tighter capacity. With that, shipping to or from the US is even more challenging than ever before.
Though we are facing issues we have never dealt with before in the past and we are not alone in this global logistical nightmare. You will be the first to know of any further issues or updates as they become available.
We do want to pledge to keep you informed and updated as the situation changes quickly.
Lastly, we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused to any of our backers. We here at Tentacle Kitty want to thank you for your continued patience during this logistical situation. Your Tentacle Kitty’s want to be in their new homes as much as you want them to be!!!
Sincerely,
The TK Team
