Freight forwarders in the US are being encouraged by shipping lines to book space for shipments as far ahead as possible amid a situation of limited container space on board vessels.
George Hearn, vice president and managing director in the south US for APL, was cited as saying that within the current US economic environment liner carriers expect to see some shippers make export container bookings eight to 12 weeks ahead of shipment, reports American Shipper.
"Most carriers know we're going to give them the same amount of containers each month," said David Pope, North American region logistics manager for chemical firm Rohm and Haas. "But booking our cargo 11 to 12 weeks out would be tough."
Thomas Keene, vice president of BDP Transport, the non-vessel-operating common carrier arm of freight forwarder BDP International, said most shippers are only able to book their export shipments four to six weeks ahead of schedule.
Mr Hearn told attendees of the recent Virginia Maritime Association's International Trade Symposium in Norfolk, "there's no easy answers" to the export dilemma in the US liner trades.
The report said that in addition to making advance bookings, freight forwarders would be advised to: seek multiple carriers to spread the risk; look at long-term needs and plan ahead, even beyond the peak season; attempt to level out "peaks and valleys" in cargo flows; and work closely with their carriers.
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