Zim Integrated Shipping was the most punctual carrier in 2019 with 65% of its services arriving on time, a full 7% ahead of second placed Evergreen who were closely followed by Maersk on 58%. Hapag Lloyd, Wan Hai and ONE were the least reliable, with ONE achieving on-time arrivals in just 27% of services.
Overall the figures for the liner trade remain poor with an average of 47% of services arriving within the eight-hour period around the scheduled time, considered as an ‘on-time arrival’ with December rounding the year off with a below par performance of 43%.
Regional carriers fared better in the report with Independent Container Lines recording a 93% reliability rate, and Messina 73%, while overall the regional carriers managed a 57% punctuality record on average for the year.
Port statistics showed that the Dominican Republic Port of Rio Haina was the most efficient with 92% of departures and arrivals executed on time. The UK’s Port of Tilbury was second with the Port of Koper in Slovenia third. US ports on both coasts were the least efficient with the west coast region achieving a 35% reliability rate with the East Coast marginally better on 36%.
Details of the reliability statistics were compiled, for the first time, in 2019 by the data company eeSeas, who are based in Copenhagen. The company says that the statistics are based on 400,000 data points reporting on the three main east/west trades, container lines and ports.
Simon Sundboell, founder and CEO at eeSea, told Container News that some 60% of eeSea’s clients are ports and terminal operators, a further 20% are service providers, such as agents and freight forwarders and the remaining 20% carriers.
Shipper’s have not yet discovered eeSea although Sundboell said that the main beneficiaries of this data would be shippers. “Whenever there is a discussion about reliability in contract negotiations the discussion is based emotions,” he said, adding that “Visibility and transparency are just buzz words”.
By producing the reliability statistics eeSea aims to “put some consistency into the process,” explained Sundboell.
In addition, shippers can plan better when they know when a ship will arrive, and with eeSea’s Vessel Forecasting tool launched in 2018 and the company’s Strategic Marketing Intelligence along with the reliability data shippers will have real data to add to contract negotiations.
Nick Savvides
