When a vessel’s tracking shows delays after departure, differentiating between shipping company delays, customs delays, and transshipment port congestion requires examining the point of delay, official information, and abnormal characteristics.
Weefreight will provide a detailed analysis below, hoping it will be helpful to you.
I. Shipping Company Delays (Voyage/Port Call Issues)
Delay point: Mostly occurs during the voyage or during port calls/departures. The tracking shows the vessel sailing slowly at sea, waiting at anchor, or not berthing for a long time after arrival.
Judgment basis:
The shipping company’s official website/tracking system shows multiple extensions of the ETA and publishes announcements such as “voyage delay, port congestion, vessel adjustment.”
The tracking shows the vessel deviating from its route or sailing at reduced speed (due to fuel, weather, or capacity allocation).
Other shipping companies’ vessels on the same route are also generally delayed, indicating an industry-wide problem.
Typical characteristics: Long delay period (3-10 days), no customs/terminal operation records, and the shipping company will issue a delay certificate.
II. Customs Delays (Customs Clearance/Supervision Issues)
Delay point: Occurs only during customs clearance at the destination port/transshipment port. The tracking shows the vessel has berthed and unloaded, but the goods have not been released for a long time and are under “customs supervision.”
Judgment basis:
The freight forwarder/shipping company notifies that the goods are being inspected, valued, or controlled by customs, and requires documentation for customs clearance.
The manifest and customs declaration information is abnormal (inconsistent product name, under-declaration, lack of qualifications), or the goods are sensitive items (dangerous goods, counterfeit goods).
Port operations are normal, only this shipment is delayed, and other goods on the same vessel have been released. Typical characteristics: Delays are concentrated in the customs clearance phase, with clear customs instructions requiring the cargo owner to provide additional information for further processing.
III. Congestion at the Transshipment Port (Transshipment/Terminal Issues)
Delay point: Occurs after unloading at the transshipment port and before loading onto the second leg vessel. The tracking shows that the first leg vessel has arrived at the port and unloaded, but the goods have not been loaded onto the second leg vessel for a long time.
Judgment criteria:
High congestion index at the transshipment port (e.g., Singapore, Rotterdam, Los Angeles), resulting in yard congestion and low loading/unloading efficiency.
The shipping company notifies of “transshipment port congestion, tight capacity on the second leg vessel, and the need to wait for subsequent sailing schedules.”
The cargo status remains “awaiting transshipment at the transshipment port” for a long time, with no customs inspection records.
Typical characteristics: Delays are common for transshipped goods in the same batch, the ETD of the second leg vessel is repeatedly postponed, and it is unrelated to customs clearance at the destination port.
IV. Practical Steps for Quick Differentiation
Check tracking and status: Check the cargo location through the shipping company’s official website and freight forwarder system – At sea/anchorage = shipping company delay; berthed but not cleared = customs detention; awaiting loading at transshipment port = transshipment congestion.
Verify official notifications: Shipping company announcements correspond to sailing/berthing delays; customs/freight forwarder notifications correspond to customs detention; transshipment port congestion notifications correspond to transshipment congestion.
Check related cargo: If all cargo on the same vessel is delayed = shipping company/port problem; if only this shipment is delayed = customs problem; if all transshipped cargo is delayed = transshipment congestion.
Obtain written proof: For shipping company delays, obtain a delay certificate; for customs detention, obtain a customs inspection notice; for transshipment congestion, obtain a transshipment port congestion explanation. V. Corresponding Remedial Measures
Shipping company delay: Apply for reallocation to an earlier vessel, simultaneously notify the consignee, and purchase delay insurance.
Customs detention: Immediately cooperate in providing supplementary documents and paying taxes, apply for expedited inspection, and avoid exceeding the permitted storage period.
Transit congestion: Coordinate with the freight forwarder to reallocate to another connecting vessel, or adjust the transshipment plan at the destination port to reduce detention time.
(Note: The timeliness and costs mentioned above are for reference only. Please refer to the actual situation at the time of shipment for specific details. Thank you!)
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