Maersk Line to address priorities for refrigerated container trade

As head of the world’s largest refrigerated container shipping operation, Mr Eskesen is responsible for Maersk Line’s worldwide temperature-controlled activities, covering commercial, operations, cargo care, innovation and business development. In his speech he will give the carrier’s thoughts on key trends in the global refrigerated container trades and discuss the specific implications of its change manifesto for shippers of chilled and frozen cargoes.

The Maersk manifesto urges the shipping industry to move away from a narrow transactional focus on freight rates and focus instead on improving service reliability, ease of doing business and environmental performance. According to the company, on average the shipping industry only delivers 50% of containers on time today, while booking a container can require up to 19 touch points between the shipper and carrier. It argues that the industry must do much better in both respects to take cost, waste and uncertainty out of international supply chains.

Subsequently, Maersk Line has announced that it will introduce load protection fees in a bid to reduce the number of customers failing to deliver cargo on time and to cut delayed shipments. Under the new system, shippers will pay a penalty for no-show containers, but will also be compensated for rolled boxes. For refrigerated cargoes, the load protection fee is understood to be in the region of $500 per container.

“The issues raised by Maersk Line are particularly pertinent to perishable shippers and in fact have been voiced by a number of prominent producers and cargo owners at previous Cool Logistics conferences,” said Rachael White, Joint Event Director for Cool Logistics. “For many temperature-controlled cargoes, including fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled meat and fish, sensitive flower bulbs and high-value pharmaceuticals, on-time delivery is utterly critical to product out-turn and final market value. With global rivalry now the reality for many perishable trades, reliable transport and logistics makes the difference between success and failure in world markets.”