Price war as carriers compete for cargo driving down container spot rates
Container spot freight rates on the major east-west liner trades experienced another week of decline, ...
By Mike Wackett
This story has been updated with the following statement from MSC.
“The Loadstar incorrectly reported that MSC has announced the suspension of bookings of cargo for export from the UK. In fact, MSC continues to accept bookings on all trades and has worked hard to provide continued service to customers amid a challenging and congested market.”
2M partners Maersk and MSC are swapping Felixstowe for Liverpool on their TA2/NEUATL2 transatlantic loop from the end of the year, in order to “provide stability ...
Comment on this article
G Bryan
December 07, 2020 at 10:25 pmI suspect a lack of forward planning partially by the shipping companies themselves. Had they shown more interest in the Bristol “Super port” scheme which had planning consent then it is likely that this dilemma would never have happened as there would have been sufficient capacity. I would remind some that MSC have been using Portbury for years so were well aware of the scheme and the possibilities presented by a deep water port in the Bristol area.
Alan Kelly
December 08, 2020 at 5:19 amLooks like we are going back to the problems of yesteryear, the ports need to be working as near to a 100 percent as possible which is not the case at the moment, from my point of view as a transport driver working from Felixstowe and Immingham docks the systems seem to be set up to be as slow as possible with very little leeway for vehicles turning up early or late and being turned away and having to rebook leaving loads having to return a 2nd time and containers and trailers remaining on the docks when they should have been removed promptly which is highly frustrating for both haulage companys and drivers alike, as most times its outside the control of the haulage companys and drivers, it has been for years an attitude of if you don’t do it the way we want you don’t do it, we all need to work together to get goods in and out as fast as possible which will need a change in attitude from all concerned
David Meacham
December 08, 2020 at 2:30 pmSo why not use DLP World Essex? (London Gateway)??? It is big enough to cope!!
matthew griggs
December 08, 2020 at 11:30 pmPort of felixstowe’s incompetence could cost alot of local drivers there jobs.
Again the driver bearing the brunt of someone else’s cock ups
Alan Rouse ( former hauler )
December 09, 2020 at 8:48 amFelixstowe has never considered haulers needs, they also have a bad attitude.
Everything should be fine now they have made the stunning decision to bring Failing Grayling on board