Vessel delays at DCT Gdańsk, Poland’s largest container port, have exceeded the 10-day mark this week. Port workers continue to experience several issues that hamper timely vessel handling, including equipment breakdowns, staff shortages, and high yard utilisation.
Vessels not calling the port according to their planned arrival only add to the difficult situation. Delays in vessel arrivals disorganise container pickups and deliveries. This eventually leads to longer queues of trucks waiting for loading and unloading containers.
Port authorities are attempting to take corrective action to ease the congestion. This includes increasing the port’s capacity, expanding automated services and employing more workers.
The current capacity of DCT Gdańsk, also called Baltic Hub, is currently 3 million TEU per year, and it services direct lines from the Far East. One of the projects to expand the terminal is set to be completed in 2025 and would increase the port’s annual capacity to 4.5 million TEU.
Truckers plan to strike
Disruptions at the port are taking a toll on the trucking community. To draw attention to their daily struggles, the Pomeranian Association of Road Transporters is planning a strike action next week.
Between 12 and 15 p.m. on 8 November, truckers serving the Baltic Hub will halt their operations and stage a protest near the terminal, announced the association. In addition, strikers intend to reduce transhipment efficiency, which is likely to increase container handling delays.
Local news reported that the truckers complain about the port's poor quality of service, an inefficient registration system for trucks and a shortage of sanitary facilities for drivers.
Vessels currently at anchor
Seaexplorer data shows that today’s 7-day average vessel waiting time at Gdańsk is 5.33 days. While the average does not exceed one week, delays for some vessels exceeded 12 days in some cases.
One of the ships currently waiting to berth is the 20568-TEU Mumbai Maersk, which has been waiting since 24 October and is predicted to arrive on 1 November for now.
Another ship is the 21413-TEU OOCL United Kingdom. According to our data, the ship has been waiting outside the port since 24 October, and its predicted time of arrival is 29 October.
Original article: 12.10.2023
Operations at Poland's main port, DCT Gdańsk, have been witnessing delays in the past few weeks due to several factors. These include labour shortages, increased volumes, terminal constraints, and high yard utilisation. Some carriers have decided to divert cargo to alternative routes.
Danish carrier Maersk announced yesterday that "a selection of long-standing units (import volumes) which arrived at Gdansk DCT Terminal will be diverted to Gdansk Balticon Terminal."
Kuehne+Nagel sources confirmed that the situation at the port remains critical, and shipments are experiencing excessive delays. Yard density this week reached 74.7%, and vessel delays for week 41 are expected to reach an average of 11 days.
The impact on import and export supply chains is expected to continue for October. Importers are requested to pick up their shipments as soon as possible to help alleviate the congestion.
