Cargo is finding its way. After Brexit, more and more companies are discovering shipping as a new transport solution for UK traffic. “The traffic flows are changing. We are noticing a shift of transports to the water,” reports Björn Zirotzki, Managing Director at HSW Logistics. Truck shortages, long waiting times at borders and uncertainties in handling are the triggers for this development, he says.
With its own time-charter fleet, HSW Logistics organizes short-haul liner services with up to three departures per week to the English seaports of Boston, Flixborough (Humber) and Seaham. Steel products are primarily loaded, which go on board at the company-owned steel terminal of the HSL group in Duisburg.
“We have not had any Brexit-related delays in our shipments since the changeover on 1 January. That clearly sets us apart from the truck,” sums up Matthias Groß, who specializes in Brexit at HSW Logistics. From his experience with the current handling, there are numerous arguments in favour of shifting transports to waterways right now.
The linchpin is that export and import customs declarations are usually carried out per transport unit. “With the river-sea vessel, the customs processes ideally only have to be gone through once. So one river-sea vessel, depending on its size, not only replaces up to 100 truck transports, but also 100 export and import customs declarations.” Zirotzki concludes, “This is less prone to disruption and saves time and money, as the customs declarant is usually remunerated per transaction.”
Another advantage is the time saved by the possibility of duty-free storage in the ports of call. If import customs clearance is delayed, for example because documents are missing, the ship can be unloaded without hindrance and no demurrage charges are incurred. This is different for trucks: they have to wait until the customs problem is solved, combined with high demurrage charges, and in the worst case they are turned away.
