Ongoing congestion and delays resulting in increased detention charges from shipping lines

Attention: Shipping Manager

We have been advised of ongoing congestion and delays at many depots nationally, due to operational impacts from catastrophic weather events and ongoing Covid impacts on logistics.

Shipping lines however, are still operating under conditions that are no longer relevant, on top of monumental increases to their freight rates.  Most shipping lines will only offer 7 free days after container discharge from the vessel within which to return the empty container.  In the current operating environment, with vessel bunching causing excessive amounts of containers to be cleared from terminals prior to storage commencing, along with any quarantine or fumigation requirements that may apply on top of this, it is an impossible task to return containers on time.

Despite industry protestations, shipping lines have refused requests for a blanket extension of free time days.  Most say the problems are “outside of their control”.  Not helpful at all and unfortunately means that we will see an increase in the frequency of detention charges applied to shipments over the coming months.  Unfortunately, we will have no option but to pass these on when they are applied.