Hurricanes Harvey and Irma recently caused significant damage to Texas and Florida, respectively. From a shipping perspective, the short-term effects of these hurricanes were immediately evident. Shipments and cargo were forced to be rerouted and faced significant delays. Only time will tell the exact long-term effects the hurricanes will have on the shipping industry, but signs point to these imminent changes.
Larger Ships
Ocean carriers are realizing that it’s more efficient to bring larger vessels that feature more diverse cargo loads. It’s easier to reroute one ship than multiple. This will also reduce the number of port calls required by a vessel. Ports will be forced to update their infrastructure to handle larger ships and increased loads.
Vessels that feature diverse cargo loads will need to take additional measures to protect their products. Pharmaceuticals, perishables, and electronics could all be shipped on one vessel. All need to be handled differently. Suppliers could take measures to control the temperature ranges of their shipments with a SureTemp Elite Container Blanket.
These cargo blankets will protect not only shipments as they travel across the sea but also the products as they sit in port awaiting transportation. SureTemp’s cargo blankets can help maintain a standard temperature range by reducing extreme temperature fluctuations.
Rail Could Take Hold Over Trucking
Shipping by rail is typically cheaper and more sustainable than trucking. It is also quicker and more reliable. Rail delays are caused by more drastic delays than trucking delays, which can be caused by something as simple as traffic.
Road congestion is a growing problem for the trucking industry. Until they figure out a solution, expect rail to capitalize as a more attractive option.
