This congestion, caused by the Evergreen-operated Ever Given vessel that got stuck in the Suez Canal last month, resulted in a backlog of ships transiting the Canal and anticipation of ports dealing with a larger number of vessels at any one time.
To enable smoother logistics management, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, subsidiary PortBase, and five deep sea terminals have developed a digital overview of arrival times on www.portbase.com/suez to provide transporters, shippers and other market parties with real-time information.
Allard Castelein, Port of Rotterdam Authority CEO, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer our clients digital solutions. Forwarders that need to collect containers from the Port of Rotterdam can use this real-time digital overview to take the necessary preparations well in advance of the vessel’s arrival in the Port of Rotterdam. This can accelerate the smooth handling of containers and certainly of cargo that is now arriving later in Rotterdam as a consequence of the Suez Canal obstruction. This service demonstrates the added value of sharing data to the entire logistics chain.”
Vessel arrival times insight
Stakeholders can see well in advance when and which vessels are scheduled to be processed in Rotterdam. PortBase provides market parties with insight into the terminal schedules at all Port of Rotterdam deep sea terminals in one central overview.
The website is freely accessible for everyone, requires no login and looks further ahead than other tracking websites, said the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Website visitors can also find useful information on the available tracking options after cargo has been unloaded in the port.
For the time being, the online service will be offered until 9 May.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, ports have been turning to technology to enable paperless processes that ensure compliance with social distancing and that maximise efficiency during a year that has been plagued with congestion and delays.
