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Work together to beat port delays
Page 26
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AS BRITAIN faces the challenge of adapting to the decline in manufacturing and a move towards a knowledge-based economy, our ports are under pressure to cope with increased demand for imported manufactured products, principally from Asia.
There is also increased demand in short sea shipping services via the Continent as hauliers and shippers seek to avoid our congested road network.
As a result ports such as Southampton are operating at full capacity. putting the muchvaunted vehicle booking system under strain as hauliers and shippers complain of delays and unfair penalties. Felixstowe plans to introduce a similar booking scheme to meet projected demand. And similar pressures appear to be surfacing at our east and west-coast ports with reports of delays at the Port of Liverpool in last week's CM (3 May).
These and other UK ports are investing substantially in new capacity along with road and rail infrastructure connecting the ports. Felixstowe has rightly incurred the wrath of its customers by imposing a surcharge to recover the latter investments.
Delays cause inefficiencies in the supply chain and place unacceptable cost burdens on logistics operations that are pared to the bone.
In 2004 the FreightTransport Association worked with all stakeholders in the supply chain to develop best practices to alleviate congestion (see the FTA paper Beating Port Congestion).The recent delays show we must reinvigorate our efforts to resolve these problems.TheFTA is engaged in talks with Southampton and Felixstowe and your report suggests we should take similar action in Liverpool. We believe agreed performance standards for collections and deliveries are needed, as well as a mechanism for ongoing dialogue between the ports and their customers.
Delays at ports are bad news for drivers, hauliers and port operatorswe must sort these costly and frustrating problems out as soon as possible.
Chris Welsh General manager, campaigns Freight Transport Association