Just-in-Time Arrival/Departure and Improved Cargo Handling

The search for efficiency across the entire transport chain takes responsibility beyond what can be delivered by the owner/operator alone. A list of all the possible stakeholders in the efficiency of a single voyage is long; obvious parties are designers, shipyards and engine manufacturers for the characteristics of the ship, and operators, charterers, ports and vessel traffic management services, etc., for the specific voyage. All the involved parties should consider the inclusion of efficiency measures in their operations both individually and collectively. When it comes to efficient port operations that aim to reduce ship’s time in port. If the ship involved gets a berth on-arrival, there will be no waiting time. In this regard, just-in-time arrival and departure is very important for shipping lines to operate their fleet efficiently. Good early communication with the next port of call should be an aim in order to give maximum notice of berth availability and facilitate the use of optimum speed where port operational procedures support this approach. Optimized port operation could involve a change in procedures that are engaged in different handling arrangements in ports. Port authorities should be encouraged to maximize efficiency and minimize delay. From the viewpoint of ship operators, the reliability of the berthing window is another issue to be looked at. In another words, on-arrival services for ships have to be guaranteed between port authorities and shipping lines. Otherwise, even though ships are already in port, they might have to wait until the berths are available. This will definitely make the time at sea shorter than anticipated, thus increased ship speed in passage will be used to counter act the lost time. This will be counterproductive in terms of efficiency of total voyage time or fuel consumption (MariEMS 2017).