With vessel tracking teams working overtime this week to provide clients with information about ships bound for the North American west coast amid a period of labour strife, the fluid situation along the coastline is changing by the hour.

According to Adil Ashiq, who heads up operations for MarineTraffic in North America, Friday will see a considerable number of containerships call at crowded Oakland, while the ports of Seattle and Tacoma are also becoming noticeably busier.