Foodcareplus reports huge improvement in quality reefer equipment
foodcareplus, the Antwerp-based international logistics service provider specialized in the shipping of perishables, emphasizes that the total logistics cost is more than just a freight bill. As one of the sub-projects under its plus|3 program, foodcareplus has identified a number of aspects that play a crucial role in the value added cold chain. One of these is the quality and speed of services rendered by the reefer container depots that are subcontracted by the shipping lines.
Results from the report
The enclosed half year summary uses processed statistics for the throughput of 1,307 randomly selected reefer shipment transactions via the port of Antwerp between January 2015 and July 2015 with 13 different shipping lines, categorized under “A” and “B”. The latter are carriers operating limited services, including specialized services that place reefer boxes on deck.
The average waiting time to queue, inspect/approve and pick up a reefer box for all reefer depots is 47 minutes, an increase with 3 minutes compared with H2Y2014. Statistics show that 3.43 percent of released reefer containers have an issue reported (mostly concerning dirt, odors and/or damp). It is also notable that there are important performance differences between reefer container depots and shipping lines. When it comes to the average handling time, the best performing depot handles the full release process in about 15 minutes, where the worst averages
1 hours and 20 minutes. For shipping lines, the best average time for the release process is approximately 30 minutes, while the worst performing shipping line averages an hour. The same counts for the quality of containers released. The best performing depot has no issues with the released containers, while the worst performing scores slightly above 50 percent.
The best performers
For the period of January 2015 and July 2015 and based on its own scoring methodology of handling quality and speed, foodcareplus announced that MARETRAIL container depot scores the highest in the port of Antwerp, followed closely by HANDICO and ICTC. The highest average score for the “A” category shipping lines is OOCL, followed closely by YANG MINE LINE and CMA CGM. UNITED ARAB SHIPPING is the best performer in the “B” category.
Inspection program roll-out
The plus|3 program of foodcareplus aims to optimize low-risk shipping, operational efficiency and industry expertise in order to achieve a new working model between carriers and service providers. Special frameworks and service level agreements with foodcareplus approved transporters and intermodal operators have been put in place in order to facilitate the completion of the inspection forms, both manually and electronically.
The main objective of the inspection program is to advise carriers about preferred container depots at the time of booking with a shipping line in order to improve lead times and minimize the risk of claims. Additionally, it allows foodcareplus to report the contracted reefer depots’ performance to the shipping lines, allowing them to benchmark the performance of their subcontractors.
For more information:
Steve Alaerts
foodcareplus
Tel: +32 (0)3 242 91 54
s.alaerts@foodcareplus.com