The humble shipping container has existed for over 60 years, admirably facilitating global trade through intermodal supply chains with great efficiency. In recent years,  however, there have been numerous innovators seeking to harness emerging capabilities and imagine boxes integrated into broad supply chain activities. 

The advent or electronic bills of lading (e-bills) has been promised for around a quarter of a century. The pinch points encountered through the pandemic doubtless have catalysed developed and acceptance, together with a drive for business efficiencies. Are they now poised to play an important role in shaping the future of the transport industry?

A Singapore appeal judgment delivers some clarity on court procedural practices. However, the broader application really relates to ensuring that 'know your customer' and due diligence procedures are robust in order to provide protection where fairly usual requests for changes are made in the course of a transaction. 

The requirement for employers engaged in the transport of dangerous goods by road, rail, or inland waterway to appoint a Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA) was introduced from 1 January 2000, through EC Directive 96/35/EC. With changes afoot, is this enough? 

At TT Club, we frequently emphasise the vital importance of due diligence. Since the vast majority of trade and transport transactions are conducted without the opportunity to meet your counterparty in person, rigorous processes are required to protect your own business and maintain safety and security more generally. Legislative backing in Germany is a welcome development, albeit initiated form a perspective of human rights. 

While most directly involved in the freight supply chain will have an awareness of the principles of General Average, they might struggle to explain them to their customers. TT's latest StopLoss briefing provides a straightforward summary of the topic, along with essential good practice advice. 

An important decision given by the English Commercial Court clarifying the application of time-bars in relation to deliveries made after discharges from the ship. While potentially subject to appeal and clearly decided on specific contractual wording, this case brings welcome certainty.

Lithium batteries was a topic that TT Talk covered in February 2022 in recognition of emerging concerns over incidents through the global supply chain. One such concern was a shift away from air transport towards maritime and road. Over the last eight months, such fears appear to have materialised with an increasing number of incidents recorded through other modes of transport.

Container operators have enjoyed a buoyant period with high levels of equipment utilisation through the last couple of years. Increased demand has, of course, been accompanied by issues arising from congestion and supply chain bottlenecks, presenting challenges in repositioning empties to be packed. 

Supply chain security often focuses on cargo, but that is not alone as target for thieves. While the circumstances are typically more complex, containers and trailers are also subject to theft globally. This type of theft reveals methods that are quite distinct from cargo theft incidents, so being aware of the threat landscape is critical.