Port Direct Newsletter
July 2024
Welcome to the new edition of the Port Direct newsletter, we hope you enjoy reading our latest containerised cargo news and updates.
MSC Britannia Service Underway
The First Vessel MSC Tokyo is due to arrive into Liverpool August 11th. This means a 35 day transit from Ningbo!
The shorter lead times vs Southern Ports and reliability of the arrival date will ensure less delays and disruptions for UK supply chains. Our customer service team is unparalleled in the industry and will ensure full visibility of the status of the containers on arrival, improving stock accessibility.
The Irish Sea Hub Advantage
Utilising the western sea route into the UK & Ireland’s major consumer markets offers numerous cost effective and congestion reduction advantages to cargo owners. Some of the benefits include;
∘ Reaching 40 million consumers by getting goods closer to their end destination.
∘ Connecting empty containers with the large export generating regions of Scotland and Ireland.
∘ Simplifying the UK feeder network.
∘ Delivering shorter lead times to/from Liverpool and Ireland & Scotland vs North-west Continent connections.
Leading BCO's take advantage of new service
Many leading BCO's have taken advantage of the new direct service, taking the opportunity to have stock arrive into the UK closer to its end destination. These BCO's operate distribution centres in the North and are keen to explore a two-port, North-South strategy to improve stock availability and bolster their whole supply chain.
BCO's already on board include below;
- Tesco
- Morrisons
- QVC
- John Lewis
Enabling a more sustainable future
In our efforts to become net zero by 2040, we now power our plant equipment with greener fuels, and we’ve transitioned from using diesel vehicles to electric.
We’re building the UK's largest solar panel network at the Port of Liverpool and investing in wind turbines to boost our use of greener energy.
But that is not all, we’ve developed beneficial ways to reuse dredge materials and we’re proactively investing in the protection, conservation, and enhancement of marine biodiversity.
A successful recruitment period for the Port of Liverpool
Recruitment at the Port of Liverpool Container division has stepped up in recent weeks ahead of the game-changing new ‘Britannia’ service coming this August.
So far, over 20 new port operatives have joined the team and are already well underway with their training programmes as we seek to increase headcount and skillsets to comfortably service the increased volume.
Looking forward, a large focus is being placed on internal training with the existing Port Operative workforce in order to upskill our team members and ensure we have the correct skill levels required to be productive in servicing the increasing volumes of vessels calling into our ports.
Export focused discussion at the Port of Liverpool
This month, we welcomed members of Mediterranean Shipping Company's (MSC) export trade team to the Port of Liverpool. With much of industry focus currently being placed on head haul trades, its vital to continue working with our partners to support UK exporters who can equally benefit from the proximity of ports to production facilities.
Exporting via ports closer to cargo origin creates reliability and efficiency based benefits inclusing reduced lead times, lower transportation costs, reduced carbon emissions and reduced UK distribution network congestion.
We look forward to continuing to add value to the supply chains of our partners.
