The decrease in vessel schedule adherence on the Asia-Europe route has become a serious challenge for shipping companies. According to published statistics, the percentage of vessels arriving at their destination on the scheduled day has dropped from 51% in May to 31% in September. This statistic includes the average of all ports and all companies.
Poor Performance of Shipping Companies
Even the "G6" alliance, which has a track record above average in schedule adherence, has only managed to record 34% in September. All shipping companies on this route have performed poorly on average in schedule adherence. The new shipping method and the cancellation of some trips, known as "blank sailings," have contributed to increased problems in this area.
Overall, with a combination of two types of unforeseen changes and delays, the percentage of completed and timely trips on the Asia-Europe route has decreased to about 29% in September. Based on analyses conducted, the schedule reliability scores for shipping companies on this route in September varied between 19% to 38%, and the percentage of canceled trips ranged from 0% to 23%.
Impact of Port Traffic on Scheduling
Data shows that the increase in traffic at the Port of Shanghai has directly impacted the schedule reliability of vessels. With waiting times at the Port of Shanghai increasing from 1.6 to 3.9 days, schedule reliability dropped from 55% to 10%. While this impact is not observed at the Port of Rotterdam, the largest container port in Europe.
Therefore, it is important for transport and shipping companies to monitor the traffic at major Asian ports, as this issue affects schedule reliability on many routes. Ultimately, shipping companies should actively assess the performance of their suppliers and consider additional times in their supply chain.
