[City, State] — [Opening with key fact]` -> Los Angeles, California — President Joe Biden’s mandate to keep California ports operating around the clock has failed to clear dock congestion because truckers are skipping their scheduled pick-up slots. - `

[Background paragraph]` -> The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have sat gridlocked for months amid a worldwide logistics breakdown. Opening terminal gates at night was supposed to accelerate cargo movement, but the strategy ignores the physical realities facing freight haulers on the ground. - `

[Detail paragraph]` -> Maersk reported that roughly half of its 2,000 available appointment slots at the Port of Long Beach terminal went completely unused during a single Friday. The National Retail Federation pointed out that chassis shortages and delayed empty container returns remain unresolved bottlenecks. Port authorities are now drafting new penalties to fine carriers who leave loaded boxes sitting on pavement for multiple days. - `

What This Means for Drivers

[Real operational impact, min 3 sentences]` ->

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