Drayage provider ContainerPort Group (CPG) has increased its trucking capacity with the launch of Bristol Transportation, which will provide drayage services in Chicago, Charleston and Savannah. The expansion responds to increased import volumes along the East and Gulf Coasts, business leaders said. “The expansion of the CPG network with the opening of Bristol Transportation in these strategic locations will help us respond to the change we are seeing by diverting freight from the West Coast and increasing volumes on the East and Gulf Coasts,” said said CPG President Joey Palmer. in a statement Wednesday. “Investing in solutions that address the supply chain challenges our customers face demonstrates our relentless commitment to ensuring that we deliver solutions that meet the goals of our customers and owner-operators.” Bristol Transportation has 40 trucks on the road serving customers in Chicago, Charleston and Savannah. East Coast ports have handled record cargo volumes over the past year as imports increase. This week, Port of Virginia officials said June cargo volume increased by nearly 36,000 units, with the port handling more than 317,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Imports increased by 10% during the month. It was the fourth consecutive month of cargo volumes above 314,000 TEUs, bringing the total TEU volume for its fiscal year 2022 to a record 3.7 million units, a 15% increase over fiscal year 2021. Ports in South Carolina posted similar gains for fiscal year 2022. In a news release this week, port officials cited a 12% increase in cargo volume for the year, with more 164,000 more containers passing through the Port of Charleston compared to a year ago. Imports were up 22% year-on-year, officials also said. On the West Coast, Port of Los Angeles officials reported a record June this week, with the port moving 876,611 TEUs during the month. Midway through 2022, the port matched last year’s record pace, handling more than 5.4 million TEUs. But imports are down in Los Angeles from a year ago. Imports loaded in June reached 444,680 TEU, down 5% from June 2021. Exports loaded also fell, down 2% from a year ago. Officials said U.S. exports from the Port of Los Angeles had declined for 39 of the past 44 months.