Containers win on handling cost, security and schedule reliability, and for the overwhelming majority of cargo the answer is simply to use one. The exceptions are dimensional, structural or economic: items that exceed internal dimensions, loads whose weight distribution makes containerisation impractical, and consignments large enough that chartering outright beats paying per box.
The decision has consequences well beyond freight rate. Breakbulk means lifting plans, stowage approval, specialist lashing, longer port stays and different insurance treatment. It is more work to arrange and more work to supervise. When the cargo genuinely calls for it, though, forcing it into containers is the more expensive mistake.
Harbour Strategies (HK) Limited · 21 May 2024
Editorial commentary by Harbour Strategies. Figures and regulatory details should be verified against primary sources before being relied upon.
