Global supply chains are a complex network of trade flows where maritime transport takes up more than 90% of the volume of global trade, the backbone of the global economy. The structure of this trade flow network also impacts the region’s ecosystem to a large extent. Shipping companies amended their schedules anticipating reduced demand and closure of international borders during the pandemic in 2020. As a result, today, port congestion has become a growing concern for several parts of the world.
Supply chain & logistics companies, irrespective of the situation, should always have access to accurate information about global shipments to avoid any disruptions along the way and plan securely for the future to save themselves from unwanted hassles.
Access to such enhanced data and end-to-end visibility will help increase the efficiency of the supply chain in the short, medium, and long run. The most important factors that one should look for before finalising a container line for the shipment - Container Sailing Schedule, Blank Sailings, and Carbon Emissions - are discussed below.
Such information includes the ETA of the cargo, real-time updates about the location of the vessel, how global container lines are performing, the number of blank sailings being announced by each carrier, and the amount of carbon being emitted, amongst other things.
Container Sailing Schedule
A container sailing schedule mentions the global vessel arrivals and departures. It allows you to track the entire route and the time taken on the journey to ensure the cargo is delivered on-time. The schedule can help you have a look at the port trends so that you’re aware of the containers that have the quickest time to reach their destination. By getting a hold of such information, otherwise not advertised by the freight forwarder, gives you the option for choosing the most suitable container line for your freight.
Blank Sailings
Blank or void sailing, on the other hand, is a term used when a carrier or shipping line skips a particular port or the entire scheduled sailing route altogether. This can happen due to reasons such as port congestion, the low demand for container space, labour unrest, port strikes, mechanical problems, reduced capacity of the shipping line, and bad weather conditions, amongst other situations.
Since some delays can have consequences on the balance sheet and inventory and by having an Ocean Blank Sailing report handy, you can have updated data analysis on a route-by-route basis about which shipping line is reliable for the shipment.
Carbon Emissions
Knowing how old the vessel transporting your cargo is, the type of fuel the vessel uses, or how much emissions are they going to generate is very important in today’s time. The Timber Exchange Carbon Emission calculator tool helps you to predict, amongst your choices of vessels, which one would generate the least emissions.
Once the delivery is complete, you also get a report on exactly how much emissions the freight generated, based on the weather and speed, amongst other factors. Especially in Europe, this is becoming extremely important by the day because companies are limiting how much emissions they are allowed to generate. Tracking how much emissions you are creating before booking a freight is thus crucial.
When you’re generating less emissions, even though the cost of transport becomes higher, you’re saving money. This is because when the report of emissions generated by the company is analyzed, if the amount comes within the authorized limit, you don’t need to buy Carbon Removal Rights. However, if you go beyond, you would have to buy a licence to compensate for the extra emissions you generate, costing you more money than anticipated.
How Can Timber Exchange Help Improve Your Global Container Shipments
At Timber Exchange, we specialise in the supply chain industry knowledge to come up with ways we can bridge the information and transparency gap between global counterparties. As part of the 100+ advanced supply chain tools on the platform, we provide a detailed report on the Container Line Performance.
Through that section, when you’re searching for freight from the Port of Loading to the Port of Destination, you have the choice to filter your options based on price, speed, and carbon emissions, thereby allowing you to analyse all aspects before moving forward. You can also get a detailed list of blank sailings for a well-informed decision. To know more about the topic, feel free to reach out to Timber Exchange’s team of experts today.