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The United Truckers Group has asked members to temporarily stop accepting import containerized cargoes of TS Lines from November 1
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This is until issues on the return of empty containers are resolved
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The group’s Committee on Shipping Lines has received complaints from members of alleged “extraordinary difficulty and delays” in returning empty containers to the shipping line
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TS Lines agent Ben Line Agencies said it “currently has no issue with empty returns”
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Ben Line Agencies said it has requested the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines for a meeting to discuss truckers’ concerns
A group of truckers has asked its members to temporarily stop accepting import containerized cargoes of Taiwan-based carrier TS Lines starting November 1 until issues on empty container return are resolved.
The United Truckers Group, in an advisory dated October 20, said its Committee on Shipping Lines received complaints from members about alleged “extraordinary difficulty and delays” in returning empty containers of the shipping line.
The group, which consists of the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP), Inland Haulers and Truckers Association (INHTA), and Haulers and Truckers Association in the Watersouth (HATAW), said “there appears to be no immediate solution to the problem of returning empty containers” to TS Lines.
The group also advised clients/consignees to use “alternate shipping lines with favorable records.”
Ben Line Agencies Phils. Inc., the general agent of TS Lines, told clients in a letter dated October 21 that it “currently has no issue with empty returns”.
Aside from direct empty returns to Manila South Harbor and Manila International Container Terminal, Ben Line said it uses Manila North Harbor and six other container yards in Metro Manila, Cavite, and Bulacan.
Ben Line also told PortCalls in an email it has reached out to CTAP “requesting… a meeting to discuss their concerns in the spirit of fairness and cooperation.”
CTAP president Maria Zapata, in a phone interview with PortCalls on October 25, confirmed that they have received Ben Line’s letter but has yet to respond pending discussions with INHTA and HATAW.
Zapata said they are open to revoking the advisory if Ben Line/TS Lines commits to truckers’ planned proposal during their upcoming meeting with the agent/carrier.
She admitted that while truckers have difficulty returning empties of most foreign carriers, there are a few shipping lines that still have available slots.
As of October 25, there are slots for TS Lines in Pacific Road Link Logistics Inc.’s Manila, Cavite and Bulacan depots, according to the yard operator’s website. Slot availability is updated daily.
Stakeholders, particularly truckers and customs brokers, have been raising issues on the return of empty containers, including the non-availability of slots and queueing in container yards, which they said results in additional costs, lost opportunities to handle more containers, and drivers leaving due to difficult working conditions.
The Alliance of Container Yard Operators of the Philippines (ACYOP) told PortCalls on October 24 that utilization of member depots is at 94% for Metro Manila and 90% for Bulacan.
ACYOP said the high utilization rate is due to an imbalance in container movement, with more container returns than pullouts. One of ACYOP’s members is a container yard provider for TS Lines.
The group earlier said member-depots have a high utilization rate due to higher return rates resulting from high import volumes and vessel arrival delays.
Association of International Shipping Lines (AISL) president Patrick Ronas earlier explained that the high utilization rate of container yards is mainly due to delays of vessels coming to Manila due to various factors, including delays in other ports.
READ: Empty container depots record high utilization amid strong imports, ship delays
Ronas said the situation may persist until next year or in the near term, but noted that “containers and ships are moving.”
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said in a statement last September that it would be requiring empty container yards to be accredited with the agency so the latter can exercise supervision and control as part of its trade facilitation mandate.
READ: BOC to accredit empty container yards
BOC said it has also formed a task group to work closely with stakeholders on issues relating to the return of empty containers and is also discussing a proposal to automate the monitoring of return of empties to shipping lines’ designated container yards. – Roumina Pablo
