Transfer Pause
Delays occurring during the transfer of cargo between vessels at intermediate hub ports disrupt the synchronization of the global shipping network. The transshipment delays often result from a failure in the scheduling of feeder services. The measurement is confined to the time spent at the transfer hub and does not include the duration of the deep-sea voyage.
Port Congestion
If a transshipment hub becomes overwhelmed with cargo, containers may sit on the dock for weeks waiting for a slot on an outgoing ship. This creates a backlog that is difficult to clear and often requires the carrier to reroute other services. Shippers who choose routes with multiple transfers accept a higher risk of these interruptions.
High volumes of transshipment cargo can strain the storage capacity of a terminal and lead to slower crane productivity.
Reliability Factor
The efficiency of a hub port’s crane operations and its ability to manage large volumes of data are critical for minimizing these pauses in movement. Digital tracking has improved the visibility of cargo during these handoffs, but the physical reality of port capacity remains a constraint. High rates of these occurrences can lead to a loss of competitiveness for a particular trade route.
Ocean carriers monitor the performance of their hub terminals to ensure that transshipment operations do not become a permanent drag on their service reliability.
