Crew change crisis deepens with 400,000 seafarers stuck at sea
Some 400,000 seafarers from across the globe are now stranded on ships, continuing to work but unable to be relieved, in a deepening crew change crisis which threatens trade and maritime safety.
During a high-level event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (24 September), Captain Hedi Marzougui, who was in command of a vessel between December 2019 and May 2020, appealed to Governments to act to allow seafarers to come home.
World Maritime Day 2020 – sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet
On 24 September, IMO and the global maritime community came together to celebrate the annual World Maritime Day.
The 2020 theme is “Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet”.
ZIM to enter Australian market with a new China-Australia Express service
Defeating demurrage and detention with data – Register for the Webcast
To many customers around the world, demurrage and detention costs represent some of the most expensive fees that they will incur in the process of a trade transaction..
Although demurrage and detention are not standard charges that are applicable on every shipment, there are many shipments on which these charges are levied..
They are probably two terms that top the list of controversial charges levied by shipping lines on customers..
The seriousness of demurrage and detention charges is evident when you consider that EVERY shipment has the potential to incur both these charges during loading and unloading..
Demurrage and Detention really are avoidable costs and it is something that can be defeated with data..
Learn exactly how, in a webcast which focuses on ways and means customers can reduce and/or avoid demurrage and detention charges through the effective usage of data..
The role of ship agents and shipbrokers in a digital shipping environment
Ship agents and shipbrokers have been active in the industry since the beginning of commercial shipping and that coffee shop in London and have been playing an important role in the provision of services to various ship and cargo owners..
Digitalization is now changing the environment in which ship agents and also ship brokers operate, and we are seeing new and adjusted services emerging as ship agents and shipbrokers continue to strive to enhance service levels and provide added value to their principals..
This article by Mikael Lind, Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), Jonathan C. Williams FICS, FONASBA, Sue Probert, UN/CEFACT, and Juan Carlos Croston, Manzanillo International Terminal (Panama) takes a look at how the traditional roles played by the ship agent and shipbroker might change in this digital shipping environment..
8 tips to help you master the art of handling a freight tender
Tenders are an integral part of shipping and freight for the carrier, BCOs and OTI (freight forwarder or NVOCC)..
I headlined this article as “the art of handling a freight tender” because majority of the tenders are quite complicated and capable of pushing people over the edge due to its complexity with its tight deadlines and the nearly impossible task of compacting the costs..
People in our industry who have handled some complicated global freight tenders such as the ones floated by global companies will understand what I am talking about..
So how does the whole thing work and how does a tender influence or impact on a carrier and/or freight forwarder and their business.. Is it really an art..??
More and more ship captains are seemingly facing personal prosecutions
The Sri Lankan Attorney General’s office has indicated that there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the Captain of the VLCC, New Diamond, under the country’s marine pollution act as well as the penal code for criminal negligence and pollution charges..
This announcement has seemingly raised concerns in shipping circles about the number of Captains who have recently been held personally responsible for maritime disasters..
Shipping your first container..?? Here are some tips to help you
In anything that we do in life, the first time is a scary thought – first time on a bike, first time driving a car, first time swimming, first date, first kiss ……………….. etc..
So why should shipping your first container be any different..??
It could be a scary thought if you are a first-time exporter or importing for the first time, but like everything else, if done and handled correctly, shipping your first container can be a good experience as well..
Here are some tips to assist you in shipping your first container..
Creating a common environment for smarter collaboration – Executive Insights with Wesley Mann – Turvo
Executive Insights is a series by Shipping and Freight Resource that provides ongoing insights and thoughtful analysis..
This series features selected individuals from the industry and is aimed at enriching the knowledge of the readers with what is happening in the shipping, freight, maritime, logistics, and supply chain industry..
Executive Insights also gives you a chance to pick the brains of these industry veterans, leaders, and enablers..
In this edition of Executive Insights, we caught up with Wesley Mann, Senior Product Manager at Turvo, on how digitalisation helps create a common environment for smarter and faster collaboration in logistics..
Product Review : Ocean Insights’ ocean freight visibility platform
Global sea trade has been trading blind for centuries because once the ship left the port of load with the goods, there was very little visibility on the whereabouts of the ship or the condition of the cargo till it arrived at the destination..
Historically, the shipping and freight industry has been slow to adopt new technologies and standards, unlike its airborne cousin which is highly standardized and regulated internationally..
The advent of containerisation and intermodalism, made ascertaining the whereabouts of a container all the more difficult because containers move to remote locations with relative ease using a combination of rail and road options..
With the exponential increase in the movement of container volumes around the world, it would be impossible to meet all the requirements of the customer using manual processes..
There has been a noticeable acceleration in the digitalisation of the industry in the last decade and this digital evolution is set to shape the future of the industry..
As much as the industry needs to embrace the digital evolution and the competitive advantage it can provide, there are several challenges as well.. It is more than just about getting together the required hardware and software and converting a paper based model to a systems based model..
It requires innovation.. Innovation is not a product but rather a culture that needs the right people following the right methodology using the right tools with the right thinking..
One company that presents innovation as being at the heart of its service offering is Ocean Insights – Innovators in Container Tracking..
Here is my review of Ocean Insights’ container freight visibility platform and what the industry can expect from this platform..
Liner and Tramp Service – similarities and differences
Currently, there are more than 55,000 merchant ships plying global trade around the world..
These ships include General Cargo ships, Bulk and Break Bulk ships, Container ships, Chemical, Oil and LNG Tankers, Passenger, and various other types of ships..
While these are types of ships, these ships could be operating on two main types of services – Liner and Tramp services..