Community hub
0 subscribers8 pages, 0 posts
Recent from talks
All channels
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Welcome to the community hub built to collect knowledge and have discussions related to Transshipment.
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Transshipment
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
Look up transshipment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Transshipment, trans-shipment or transhipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, then to another destination.
One possible reason for transshipment is to change the means of transport during the journey (e.g., from ship transport to road transport), known as transloading. Another reason is to combine small shipments into a large shipment (consolidation), or the opposite: dividing a large shipment into smaller shipments (deconsolidation). Transshipment usually takes place in transport hubs. Much international transshipment also takes place in designated customs areas, thus avoiding the need for customs checks or duties, otherwise a major hindrance for efficient transport.
An item handled (from the shipper's point of view) as a single movement is not generally considered transshipped, even if it changes from one mode of transport to another at several points. Previously, it was often not distinguished from transloading, since each leg of such a trip was typically handled by a different shipper.
Transshipment is normally fully legal and an everyday part of world trade. However, it can also be a method used to disguise intent, as is the case with illegal logging, smuggling, or grey-market goods.
Transshipment at container ports or terminals
[edit]
The transshipment of containers at a container port or terminal can be defined as the number (or proportion) of containers, possibly expressed in TEU, of the total container flow that is handled at the port or terminal and, after temporary storage in the stack, transferred to another ship to reach their destinations. The exact definition of transshipment may differ between ports, mostly depending on the inclusion of inland water transport (barges operating on canals and rivers to the hinterland). The definition of transshipment may:
- include only seaborne transfers (a change to another international deep-sea container ship); or
- include both seaborne and inland waterway ship transfers (sometimes called water-to-water transshipment). Most coastal container ports in China have a large proportion of riverside "transshipment" to the hinterland.
In both cases, a single, unique, transshipped container is counted twice in the port performance, since it is handled twice by the waterside container cranes (separate unloading from arriving ship A, waiting in the stack, and loading onto departing ship B).
Transshipment at sea
[edit]Transshipment at sea is done by transferring goods from one ship to another.
Fisheries
[edit]In global fisheries transshipment is used to transfer catch to refrigerated cargo vessels that also supply fishing vessels with fuel, food, equipment and personnel allowing them to stay at sea for months or even years.[2] This guarantees that fish quickly find their way to the market without a decrease in quality.
Since transshipment at sea encounters often happen on the high seas, in regions with poor regulation and oversight, they are also used to disguise criminal activities such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, forced labor, human trafficking and drug smuggling.[3] Several states and regional fishery management organizations have therefore prohibited the practice for certain vessel types or issued a complete ban within their zone of jurisdiction.[4]
Bulk products
[edit]Transshipment at sea also occurs in the export of bulk products. Choosing to transship reduces capital costs for port developers and can overcome problems arising from limited access to deep water. Loading barges typically specify 4 to 7 meters of draft. Since at least 2011, transshipment has been used in northern Australia in the export of bulk minerals including bauxite, iron ore and potash from mines in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.[5]
Transshipment at a break-of-gauge
[edit]At a break-of-gauge, cargo is transloaded from boxcars or covered goods wagons on one track to wagons on another track of a different rail gauge, or else containers are transloaded from flatcars on one track to flatcars on another track of a different gauge.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Botas, Zoltan (2023-09-19). "Singapore Port: The World's Largest Transshipment Hub". Silver Runner. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ Ewell, Christopher; Cullis-Suzuki, Sarika; Ediger, Mikaela; Hocevar, John; Miller, Dana; Jacquet, Jennifer (2017). "Potential ecological and social benefits of a moratorium on transshipment on the high seas". Marine Policy. 81: 293. doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2017.04.004.
- ^ Miller, Nathan A.; Roan, Aaron; Hochberg, Timothy; Amos, John; Kroodsma, David A. (2018-07-23). "Identifying Global Patterns of Transshipment Behavior". Frontiers in Marine Science. 5: 1. doi:10.3389/fmars.2018.00240. ISSN 2296-7745.
- ^ Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2016) Global Study on Transshipment: Regulations, practices, monitoring and control. 11, 15. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "Transhipment Services Australia". TSA. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
References
[edit]- E. Rojas. "MCS Observers on board at-sea Transshipment Vessels." In: APO Mail Buoy Vol. 10 (3). pp. 8–9. 2007.
Transshipment
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Transshipment is the logistical process of transferring cargo, often in containers, from one mode of transport—such as from one ship to another, or from ship to rail or truck—at an intermediate location en route to its final destination, without the goods formally entering the customs territory of that intermediate point.[1][2][3]
In global maritime trade, which handles over 80% of international merchandise by volume, transshipment facilitates route connectivity for ports lacking direct liner services, enables economies of scale through hub-and-spoke models where large mother vessels feed smaller regional feeders, and optimizes costs by consolidating smaller shipments into fuller loads.[4][5]
Major transshipment hubs, such as those in Singapore and the Mediterranean, process billions in annual cargo value, enhancing supply chain efficiency but introducing vulnerabilities like delays from port congestion, higher risks of cargo damage or loss during handling, and enforcement challenges against practices like tariff evasion or sanctions circumvention via misdeclared origins.[6][7][8]
While transshipment boosts port revenues and trade volumes without contributing to local import/export statistics, its reliance on just-in-time coordination underscores the need for advanced technologies like automated cranes and digital tracking to mitigate disruptions, as evidenced in post-pandemic supply chain analyses.[9][10]
Multimodal transshipment excluding maritime modes facilitates cargo transfer between rail, road, and air transport at inland facilities, optimizing domestic and continental supply chains by leveraging each mode's strengths such as rail for long-haul efficiency and road for flexibility.[56] This process typically occurs at intermodal terminals equipped with cranes, reach stackers, and automated systems to handle standardized units like containers or semi-trailers, minimizing manual intervention and damage risks.[57] Rail-road transshipment dominates non-maritime applications, particularly in North America and Europe, where containers are loaded from trains onto trucks or vice versa to serve regional distribution. In the United States, intermodal rail networks connect inland terminals to support domestic freight, with over 200 such facilities handling millions of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually, reducing reliance on pure road transport for bulk goods.[58] European intermodal terminals, numbering around 1,000 as of recent mappings, enable combined rail-road operations that have grown by more than 5% annually, driven by policies promoting sustainable logistics on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).[57][59] A 2022 European Commission study identified advanced transshipment technologies, such as automated guided vehicles, as key to enhancing terminal capacity and competitiveness in these networks.[60] Air cargo transshipment, often integrated with road transport for last-mile delivery, occurs at major airports serving as hubs for express parcels and high-value goods. This involves unloading, sorting, and reloading shipments onto connecting flights or trucks, with operations optimized for speed—sometimes achieving turnaround times under two hours.[61] In hub-and-spoke models, facilities like those at Memphis International Airport process transshipped cargo for global networks, supporting e-commerce demands where air-to-road transfers enable rapid inland distribution without maritime legs.[61] Such applications prioritize time-sensitive commodities, contrasting with rail-road's focus on volume efficiency.[62]
Fundamentals
Definition and Process
![Container transshipment operations at a port][float-right] Transshipment refers to the logistical process of transferring cargo from one mode of transportation to another, or from one vehicle to another within the same mode, at an intermediate location en route to the final destination, without long-term storage.[11] [2] This transfer occurs to optimize routes, consolidate shipments, or accommodate changes in transport modes such as from ship to rail or truck to barge.[1] [12] The transshipment process typically involves several sequential steps to ensure efficient and secure cargo handling. Initially, cargo is loaded at the origin point onto the first transport vehicle, such as a container ship or truck.[13] Upon arrival at the transshipment hub or port, the cargo is unloaded using specialized equipment like cranes or forklifts, often involving temporary holding in staging areas for sorting and inspection.[14] [15] Next, the cargo is reloaded onto the subsequent transport mode, which may require repacking, reconfiguration for compatibility, or customs clearance if crossing jurisdictions.[3] The final step entails the departing vehicle transporting the cargo toward its end destination, with documentation updated throughout to track movement and maintain chain of custody.[13] This process minimizes direct origin-to-destination shipping by leveraging hub efficiencies, though it introduces risks like delays from weather or equipment failure.[16]Key Concepts and Terminology
Transshipment entails the unloading of cargo from one mode of transport—such as a ship, truck, or rail car—and its reloading onto another at an intermediate location before reaching the final destination, enabling efficient routing when direct paths are impractical due to geography, vessel size limitations, or network optimization.[2][1] This process contrasts with direct shipment, where cargo travels uninterrupted from origin to end point, and is prevalent in maritime logistics to consolidate volumes for larger vessels.[10] Central to transshipment operations are transshipment hubs or transshipment ports, which serve as intermediate facilities optimized for high-volume transfers, often featuring advanced cranes, storage yards, and connectivity to global trade routes; examples include ports like Singapore or Rotterdam, handling millions of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually through specialized infrastructure.[17][10] In maritime contexts, feeder vessels—smaller, agile ships typically under 3,000 TEUs capacity—collect cargo from regional or minor ports and deliver it to these hubs, "feeding" into larger networks to overcome draft restrictions or low trade volumes at peripheral locations.[18][19] Complementing feeder vessels are mother vessels (also termed mainline or ocean-going vessels), which are large container ships exceeding 10,000 TEUs, operating fixed deep-sea routes between major hubs to maximize economies of scale by minimizing port calls and leveraging high-capacity holds for long-haul efficiency.[20][21] The feedering process describes this shuttle system, where cargo from multiple feeder services consolidates at the hub for reloading onto mother vessels, reducing overall transit times and costs compared to exclusive reliance on oversized ships for all routes.[22][23] Beyond maritime applications, transshipment extends to multimodal scenarios, such as break-of-gauge transfers in rail networks, where cargo shifts between tracks of differing widths (e.g., from standard 1,435 mm to broader gauges like 1,520 mm in parts of Europe or Asia), necessitating specialized facilities to avoid unpacking goods.[24] In all cases, terminology like twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) quantifies containerized cargo volume, standardizing measurements for planning transshipment capacities, with one TEU equating to a 20-foot container's space.[25] These concepts underpin logistical modeling, including the transshipment problem in operations research, which optimizes intermediate node flows in transportation networks using linear programming to minimize costs subject to supply-demand constraints.[26]Historical Development
Pre-Container Era Practices
Prior to the introduction of standardized shipping containers in the 1950s, transshipment practices centered on break-bulk cargo handling, where goods were packaged in individual units such as barrels, sacks, crates, or bales and manually transferred between vessels, lighters, or other transport modes without standardized intermodal equipment.[27] This method, rooted in maritime trade practices dating back to the age of sail, involved dockworkers unloading cargo from ocean-going ships onto piers or barges, temporary storage in transit sheds to protect against weather and theft, and subsequent reloading onto feeder vessels, rail cars, or wagons for onward distribution.[28] The process was inherently fragmented, with each leg requiring sorting, repacking, and securing to prevent shifting during transit, often extending port dwell times to days or weeks and limiting vessel turnaround efficiency.[27] Labor-intensive techniques dominated, relying on gangs of longshoremen who handled units typically weighing 30-80 kg, such as cotton bales or sugar sacks, using basic tools including ship's derricks, booms, pulleys, nets, and hand carts.[27] In early 20th-century ports like New Orleans, crews employed slides and pulleys to elevate bagged goods from dockside to vessel decks, achieving collective productivity of 5-10 tons per hour per gang, constrained by the physical limits of manual lifting and the absence of mechanized cranes at many facilities.[28] For inter-vessel transfers, particularly in shallow-water hubs or during lighterage operations, cargo was slung in nets or hooks and swung directly between ships or via intermediate scows, a method prone to accidents, spillage, and damage from repeated exposure and rough handling.[29] Wooden piers and open holds exacerbated vulnerabilities, as mixed cargoes complicated stowage planning and increased risks of contamination or pilferage during the multiple touch points inherent to transshipment.[28] These practices persisted through the steamship era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, supporting expanding global trade but at high operational costs—often exceeding sea voyage expenses due to labor and delay factors—and with limited scalability for growing volumes.[27] Specialized adaptations emerged for certain commodities, such as log booms for timber or pallet-like bases for heavy machinery introduced sporadically post-World War I, yet the core reliance on human labor and ad-hoc packaging underscored systemic inefficiencies that containerization later addressed.[29] Transshipment hubs, including colonial entrepôts, amplified these challenges by necessitating cross-docking of diverse goods from multiple origins, fostering environments where documentation errors and customs delays compounded handling bottlenecks.[27]Rise with Containerization and Globalization
The advent of containerization in the mid-20th century fundamentally transformed transshipment practices by enabling the standardized, efficient transfer of cargo without unpacking. In April 1956, American trucking entrepreneur Malcolm McLean launched the first container ship, the SS Ideal X, which transported 58 containers from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston, Texas, marking the practical inception of intermodal container shipping.[30] This innovation reduced loading and unloading times from days to hours, minimized damage and pilferage, and lowered labor costs, making transshipment at intermediate ports viable for high-volume, long-haul routes.[31] Prior to containerization, break-bulk cargo handling dominated, rendering transshipment labor-intensive and prone to inefficiencies; standardized 20- and 40-foot containers, secured in cellular ship holds, facilitated seamless vessel-to-vessel transfers using gantry cranes introduced in ports during the 1960s.[32] By the late 1960s and 1970s, containerization spurred the proliferation of dedicated transshipment operations as shipping lines adopted hub-and-spoke networks to optimize vessel utilization and reduce empty sailings. The introduction of the first cellular containerships, such as the C7 class in 1968, allowed for greater capacity and stability, with early vessels like the Tokyo Bay reaching 2,300 TEU by 1972.[33] Ports adapted by investing in infrastructure, including deeper berths and automated handling equipment, which supported the shift toward transshipment-dominant facilities; for instance, deeper drafts became essential post-1960s to accommodate container vessels, enhancing port efficiency and connectivity.[34] This era saw transshipment volumes surge alongside global container throughput, as lines consolidated cargo at strategic intermediate hubs to feed larger mainline ships serving direct origin-destination pairs.[35] Globalization amplified this rise, as post-World War II trade liberalization and economic integration drove exponential increases in maritime cargo, necessitating transshipment to bridge disparate markets and vessel sizes. Containerization slashed shipping costs—often cited as reducing them by up to 90% through economies of scale—and enabled just-in-time supply chains, propelling transshipment hubs like Singapore and Rotterdam to handle disproportionate shares of world container traffic.[36] By the 1980s and 1990s, hubs in Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean captured growing transshipment ratios, with facilities processing 50-90% transshipped volumes, fueled by Asia's export boom and rerouting around chokepoints like the Strait of Malacca.[37] UNCTAD data underscores this linkage, noting sustained maritime trade growth—averaging over 3% annually since the 1970s—reliant on efficient transshipment to sustain global supply chain resilience amid expanding networks.[38]Types and Applications
Maritime Port and Terminal Transshipment
Maritime port and terminal transshipment involves the unloading of cargo, typically containers, from an incoming vessel at an intermediate port and reloading it onto an outgoing vessel bound for a different destination, without the cargo entering the local hinterland economy. This process supports the hub-and-spoke model in global shipping, where large mother vessels exchange cargo with smaller feeder ships serving regional ports. Operations occur at specialized terminals equipped with quay cranes, gantry cranes, and yard handling equipment like straddle carriers or automated guided vehicles to minimize turnaround times.[16][3][39] The transshipment process begins with the arrival of a vessel, followed by berthing and unloading via ship-to-shore cranes that transfer containers to the terminal yard for temporary storage. Containers are then sorted, inspected if required, and loaded onto the connecting vessel using similar equipment, often within 24-48 hours to optimize vessel utilization. Efficiency relies on precise scheduling, digital tracking systems, and minimal customs intervention for transshipped goods, which are sealed and documented under international conventions like the Hague-Visby Rules. Ports with deep drafts, such as those accommodating ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) over 20,000 TEU capacity, dominate this activity due to their ability to handle high volumes.[6][40] Singapore exemplifies a premier transshipment hub, handling over 40 million TEU in 2024, with approximately 90% of its container throughput consisting of transshipped cargo destined for other ports. This volume, surpassing the 2023 record of 39.01 million TEU, underscores its role in connecting intra-Asia and trans-Pacific routes. Other major hubs include Busan, South Korea, and Port Klang, Malaysia, which facilitate similar transfers amid rising global trade demands, though congestion at these facilities can extend vessel waiting times to 14-21 days during peak periods.[41][42][43] Transshipment at maritime terminals enhances economies of scale by allowing carriers to deploy larger vessels on mainline routes while feeders distribute to secondary ports, reducing overall shipping costs. However, it increases vulnerability to disruptions, as evidenced by port delays impacting global supply chains. UNCTAD reports highlight that ports adopting automation for transshipment achieve reduced waiting times and improved cargo tracking, with Asia leading in such implementations.[4][44]At-Sea Transshipment
At-sea transshipment refers to the transfer of cargo, most commonly fish catches, supplies, or equipment directly between vessels while on the open ocean, bypassing port facilities. This practice typically involves fishing vessels offloading their catch to larger refrigerated carrier vessels, known as reefers, which then transport the goods to distant markets. The process requires precise coordination, often using cranes, pumps, or manual handling, and is conducted in designated areas such as high seas pockets beyond national jurisdictions. From 2012 to 2017, global vessel tracking data identified over 10,510 likely transshipment events, predominantly involving trawlers (53%) and longliners (21%) in hotspots like the northwest Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans.[45] In legitimate applications, at-sea transshipment supports extended fishing operations in distant-water fisheries, particularly for species like tuna, by allowing catcher vessels to remain at sea without the fuel-intensive return trips to port. This enables continuous harvesting, reduces operational costs for individual fishing vessels, and accelerates delivery of perishable seafood to processors, potentially minimizing spoilage. Carrier vessels involved are often flagged to a few nations, with Panama accounting for 54% and Taiwan for 10% of key operators as of 2023. Regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) oversee much of this activity, imposing requirements such as mandatory observer presence, advance notifications, and catch documentation to ensure compliance. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued voluntary guidelines in 2023 emphasizing monitoring and control to promote sustainable practices.[46][47][48] Despite these benefits, at-sea transshipment heightens risks of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by obscuring catch origins and volumes, facilitating the laundering of illicit seafood into legal supply chains. Poorly enforced regulations in unregulated high seas areas enable vessels to evade quotas, misreport species, or conceal overfishing, undermining stock assessments and conservation efforts. Studies link the practice to elevated human rights concerns, including forced labor on fishing vessels, as extended voyages increase isolation from oversight. The Environmental Justice Foundation reported in 2023 that transshipment exacerbates these issues by allowing operators to avoid port inspections where IUU catches could be detected. Efforts to mitigate include port state measures under agreements like the FAO Port State Measures Agreement, effective since 2016, which deny entry to suspect vessels, though gaps persist in international coordination.[49][50][51]Break-of-Gauge and Land-Based Transshipment
Break-of-gauge transshipment entails the manual or mechanized transfer of cargo between railway wagons incompatible due to differing track widths at network junctions. This necessity stems from disparate gauge adoptions, including the 1,435 mm standard gauge prevalent in Europe and China, the 1,000 mm or 1,067 mm narrow gauges in Southeast Asia and parts of Australia, and the 1,520 mm Russian gauge or 1,600 mm Irish broad gauge. Such discontinuities, often rooted in colonial or national engineering choices, impede seamless freight flow, imposing delays and handling costs equivalent to traversing an additional 100 km.[52][53] The process requires unloading goods via overhead gantry cranes, mobile equipment like forklifts, or conveyor systems for bulk commodities, followed by interim storage in adjacent sidings or warehouses before reloading onto destination rolling stock. These operations demand substantial infrastructure investment in transshipment yards, including parallel tracks for both gauges and specialized handling gear to minimize damage and expedite turnaround. While alternatives like bogie exchanges or variable-axle wagons exist, transshipment remains prevalent where full gauge conversion proves uneconomical.[53][54] In Australia, the legacy of multiple gauges—standard, broad, and narrow—has sustained numerous historical break-of-gauge sites, such as Peterborough, Gladstone, and Port Pirie in South Australia, where transshipment activities historically elevated local employment by approximately 50% upon opening, though effects dissipated post-closure with all such points eliminated by 1996 through progressive standardization. These facilities underscored the economic drag of gauge fragmentation, constraining overall rail network viability and inflating interstate freight expenses.[52] A contemporary instance operates at Vientiane South freight yard in Laos, commissioned on July 1, 2022, to bridge China's 1,435 mm lines with Thailand's 1,000 mm network. Featuring one standard-gauge track and two metre-gauge tracks, it accommodates 25-wagon metre trains, initially handling containerized goods bound for Laem Chabang port, with annual throughput projected exceeding 300,000 tonnes of items like agricultural products and rubber. Rail transit here cuts delivery times by about one day and costs by 20% versus road alternatives, bolstering ASEAN-China connectivity.[55] Beyond rail-specific gauge breaks, land-based transshipment encompasses intermodal hubs where cargo shifts between rail, road, or inland waterways, employing reach stackers, top handlers, and automated guided vehicles for containerized loads. These terminals, akin to dry ports, mitigate last-mile constraints but amplify vulnerability to labor disruptions and equipment failures, paralleling gauge-break inefficiencies in amplifying supply chain frictions.[53]Multimodal and Non-Maritime Applications
Multimodal transshipment excluding maritime modes facilitates cargo transfer between rail, road, and air transport at inland facilities, optimizing domestic and continental supply chains by leveraging each mode's strengths such as rail for long-haul efficiency and road for flexibility.[56] This process typically occurs at intermodal terminals equipped with cranes, reach stackers, and automated systems to handle standardized units like containers or semi-trailers, minimizing manual intervention and damage risks.[57] Rail-road transshipment dominates non-maritime applications, particularly in North America and Europe, where containers are loaded from trains onto trucks or vice versa to serve regional distribution. In the United States, intermodal rail networks connect inland terminals to support domestic freight, with over 200 such facilities handling millions of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually, reducing reliance on pure road transport for bulk goods.[58] European intermodal terminals, numbering around 1,000 as of recent mappings, enable combined rail-road operations that have grown by more than 5% annually, driven by policies promoting sustainable logistics on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).[57][59] A 2022 European Commission study identified advanced transshipment technologies, such as automated guided vehicles, as key to enhancing terminal capacity and competitiveness in these networks.[60] Air cargo transshipment, often integrated with road transport for last-mile delivery, occurs at major airports serving as hubs for express parcels and high-value goods. This involves unloading, sorting, and reloading shipments onto connecting flights or trucks, with operations optimized for speed—sometimes achieving turnaround times under two hours.[61] In hub-and-spoke models, facilities like those at Memphis International Airport process transshipped cargo for global networks, supporting e-commerce demands where air-to-road transfers enable rapid inland distribution without maritime legs.[61] Such applications prioritize time-sensitive commodities, contrasting with rail-road's focus on volume efficiency.[62]