Congestion indigestion

Hauliers trapped in ports, 150 km queues, and a Catch 22 for business – UK government Brexit ‘plan’ laid bare

Brexit’s continuing comedy of errors may see drivers stranded in ports on both sides of the Channel as a result of the UK government’s ongoing failure to prepare and properly advise.   
Head of global and European policy at the FTA Pauline Bastidon told The Loadstar she fears drivers may be caught in a “Catch-22” as a result of divergent no-deal customs processes.   
“Under the plans, documentation for Calais-bound exports will be pre-lodged on IT systems, with the idea that …

The post Hauliers...

https://theloadstar.com/hauliers-trapped-in-ports-150-km-queues-and-a-catch-22-for-business-uk-government-brexit-plan-laid-bare/

DHL calls on Brazil to streamline taxes in a bid to boost supply chain efficiencies

Brazil’s government must streamline its tax systems to boost trade and reduce the overwhelming levels of congestion that have plagued its ports in recent years.  
Chief executive of DHL Supply Chain in Latin America, Javier Bilbao, said Brazil ranked among one of the most complicated countries in the world for logistics operators.   
“There are issues with geography and there is a lack of infrastructure encapsulated by poor quality roads away from the main centres,” he told The …

The post DHL...

https://theloadstar.com/dhl-calls-on-brazil-to-streamline-taxes-in-a-bid-to-boost-supply-chain-efficiencies/

Yellowhammer paper confirms warnings of supply chain disruption after no-deal Brexit

A newly released UK government paper has reignited fears that UK-continental Europe supply chains could face severe disruption if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal. 
The Yellowhammer document, written at the beginning of August after the new exit deadline of 31 October was established, outlines the government’s “worst-case scenario” in the event of a no-deal Brexit and was made publicly available yesterday. 
It warns that although French authorities …

The post Yellowhammer paper...

https://theloadstar.com/yellowhammer-paper-confirms-warnings-of-supply-chain-disruption-after-no-deal-brexit/

FMC set to review ‘costly and unfair’ demurrage and detention fees

The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is backing proposals aimed at reforming how demurrage and detention fees are levied by ocean carriers on shippers. 
The main change would be that charges be suspended in cases when shippers and their 3PLs are prevented from moving cargo out of terminals by factors beyond their control.
Following an 18-month investigation into the topic by FMC commissioner Rebecca Dye, the FMC announced on Friday it had …

The post FMC set to review ‘costly and unfair’...

https://theloadstar.com/fmc-set-to-review-costly-and-unfair-demurrage-and-detention-fees/

Container terminal throughput set to hit near a billion teu in five years

Global container terminal utilisation levels are set to increase over the next five years, according to new research from shipping analyst Drewry Maritime Advisors.
According to the newly published Global Container Terminal Operators Annual Review and Forecast 2019, global container port traffic is expected to grow by 4.4% a year for the next five years – meaning global throughput will be near a staggering 1bn teu by the end of 2023.
According …

The post Container terminal throughput set to hit...

https://theloadstar.com/container-terminal-throughput-set-to-hit-near-a-billion-teu-in-five-years/

Fears of ‘no-deal’ Brexit road and port congestion growing among hauliers

Hauliers are growing increasingly concerned by the confusion surrounding Brexit as the potential for a no-deal scenario intensifies.
A Department for Exiting the EU consultation paper reportedly says the onus should be on hauliers to travel with correct documentation, should Operation Brock come into force after a no-deal Brexit.
Operation Brock would see coastbound lanes of the M20 at junctions 8 and 9 reserved for HGV traffic and the middle lane kept clear …

The post Fears of ‘no-deal’ Brexit...

https://theloadstar.com/fears-of-no-deal-brexit-road-and-port-congestion-growing-among-hauliers/

18,000 teu container vessels were “a step too far”

Container lines may have overshot in terms of calculating the optimum size of vessels as they sought economies of scale, according to a new Long Read from The Loadstar.
In advance of this month’s TOC Container Supply Chain event in Rotterdam,  the decision of carriers to build vessels in the 18,000-22,000 teu ULCV class has one more been called into question, as new trends such as trade regionalisation and trade wars …

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https://theloadstar.com/18000-teu-container-vessels-were-a-step-too-far/

More empty containers going to Asia than loaded ones as tariff effect lingers

Transpacific ocean carriers are deadheading more equipment back to Asia than ever before – with US import tariffs actually exacerbating the imbalance.
According to a survey of the top 10 US ports by Alphaliner, the imbalance rate deteriorated significantly in the second half of last year, with inbound containers outstripping export boxes by a ratio of 2:1.
The consultant said imports grew 6.2% last year, at the 10 ports surveyed, to 20.66m …

The post More empty containers going to Asia than...

https://theloadstar.com/more-empty-containers-on-the-transpacific-than-loaded-ones-as-tariff-effect-lingers/

A ‘freight first’ approach is need to beat road and rail congestion in the UK

A new report from UK Major Ports Group (UKMPG) has established what most container truckers and their customers know from everyday experience: that vast amounts of time are lost due to road congestion.
A Strategic Freight Network for the UK report by industry consultant MDS Transmodal found that an astonishing 50,000 HGV hours a day are wasted, amounting to 19m a year.
And combined, road and rail congestion costs the UK’s economy …

The post A ‘freight first’ approach is need to beat road and...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/a-freight-first-approach-is-need-to-beat-road-and-rail-congestion-in-the-uk/

US deliveries hit by delays as record imports spark west coast port congestion

US importers are bracing themselves for more delays in the coming weeks, as congestion at the major west coast container gateways worsens, exacerbated by shortages of container chassis and rail cars.
“We’re seeing unprecedented levels of cargo,” said Mario Cordero, executive director of Port of Long Beach. And a spokesperson for the port of Los Angeles added: “We have seen particularly heavy volumes in recent months, warehouse space is at a premium …

The post US deliveries hit by delays as...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/us-deliveries-hit-by-delays-as-record-imports-spark-west-coast-port-congestion/

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