Maritime
May 1: Congestion and Rising Costs at Europe’s Box Ports Forecast to Last into Summer – The Loadstar
Major congestion across north European ports is forecast to last well into the summer, with this week’s strikes at Antwerp-Bruges not having helped the situation.
Before the start of industrial action on April 29, yard utilization at Antwerp had already hit 96%, with reefer plugs reportedly over capacity at 112%. More than 100 vessels were awaiting service after the strike concluded on the morning of April 30.
This latest strike is not the sole cause of the difficulties being felt in Northern Europe.
Maersk began to issue advisories in mid-April that operators were contending with “increasing congestion levels and operational disruptions at several ports,” pointing to low inland water levels, amendments to ocean networks, and a drop in available labour.
Added to which, said a spokesperson for the Belgian gateway: “Schedule reliability and large calls-sizes also are an issue.”
May 12: Service Chaos from Trade Ban with India a Problem for Pakistan Shippers – The Loadstar
Pakistan’s main container gateways of Karachi and Port Qasim are reportedly facing serious congestion after mainline carriers halted direct calls there in the wake of the trade ban with India.
The disruption followed a May 2 order by New Delhi, preventing carriers from moving Pakistan-origin cargo through Indian ports.
According to multiple industry sources, the sudden ‘tit for tat’ embargo created chaos, with little time for ocean carriers to plan alternatives, leaving Pakistan exports stranded and boxes dropped off at other Asian transshipment ports, particularly Sri Lanka’s Colombo.
There has been a large pileup of boxes on the dock, available reports from Pakistan suggest.
May 14: South African Port Union Votes to Authorize Strike – The Maritime Executive
The main labour union for South African ports operator Transnet is preparing to go out on strike by the end of the week if last-ditch wage negotiations fail.
The United National Transport Union (UNTU) is in talks with Transnet for renewal of its labour contract, which covers more than 26,000 employees. Transnet has offered a raise of six percent per year for the next three years, but UNTU is seeking a raise of 10 percent in the first year.
On May 14, the union’s membership voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike if last-minute arbitrated talks do not succeed. The negotiations were set to run through May 15, at which point the UNTU could stage a walkout and paralyze the nation’s main seaports.
May 16: World’s First Successful eBL Transaction Announced – Splash
The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) has announced the world’s first successful interoperable electronic bill of lading (eBL) transaction, marking a major step toward digitizing global trade.
Until now, eBL adoption has been limited by fragmented platforms requiring all parties to use the same provider. Using DCSA’s interoperability framework, this breakthrough enables real-time document exchange across different platforms, overcoming a key barrier to widespread adoption.
The achievement promises major efficiency gains, with McKinsey estimating $6.5 billion in cost savings and $40 billion in increased trade. More interoperable eBL transactions are planned with major carriers and shippers in the coming months.
May 27: New Services and Reinstated Blanked Sailings Boost Transpacific Capacity – The Loadstar
The Gemini Cooperation has introduced an additional transpacific service as a rush of demand and rising rates tempt carriers to bolster east-west capacity.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have announced the new TP9/WC6 service, covering East China and North-east Asia to Long Beach, adding to Gemini’s existing transpacific service portfolio. Its rotation of Xiamen-Busan-Long Beach-Xiamen will connect the ports in China and South Korea with the U.S. west coast in 18 and 14 days, respectively.
May 29: Houthis Claim Red Sea Safe for Box Ships Not Calling at Port of Haifa – The Loadstar
Spokespersons for the Yemeni-based Houthi militia have said they will no longer target commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea.
Last week, the group said they would target vessels entering Israel’s port of Haifa, but their statement was ambiguous on what this meant for ships using a waterway under threat of attack for the better part of 18 months.
But on May 28, the group confirmed: “Ships transiting the Red Sea without stopping at port of Haifa will not be targeted.”
Air
May 30: Air Traffic Control Shortages Seen at U.S. Facilities Nationwide: FAA Data – NewsNation
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is short about 3,000 air traffic controllers nationwide, increasing pressure on airports, flights, workers and passengers.
According to FAA data, Denver is short 47 air traffic controllers, Jacksonville, Florida, is short 31 and northern California is short 34.
Overall, agency records show nearly half of the FAA’s air traffic facilities are below target staffing levels. However, the staffing issues are not evenly distributed. Some have double-digit disparities, but most are missing five workers or fewer.
On May 28, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said safety is the agency’s “top priority.” If staffing is too low, he said the FAA reduces flight traffic and clears fewer planes for takeoff or landing in a given airspace.
But that means more ground stops, more passengers waiting and more burnout for the controllers on duty.
Trucking
May 2: North American Class 8 Truck Orders Plummet in April – Today’s Trucking
The impact U.S. and retaliatory tariffs are having on the North American new truck market are becoming clearer, as more fleets choose to sit on the sidelines amid the uncertainty.
Preliminary North American Class 8 orders in April fell to 7,400 units, according to FTR, the lowest monthly total since May 2020, when order activity cratered due to COVID shutdowns. The seven-year average for April is 18,963 units, FTR reported.
The industry forecaster blames uncertainties over tariffs, the economy and freight markets, which have collectively killed enthusiasm about making capital investments in new rolling stock.
May 27: FMCSA Reveals English Proficiency Enforcement Standards – Trucking Dive
Starting on June 25, state and federal officials will enforce out-of-service violations for failure to comply with English-language proficiency, following several rule changes made in May.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration circulated a new enforcement policy on May 20, asking officials to begin all roadside inspections in English. If the inspector suspects the driver lacks language proficiency, the official can then subject drivers to a test. Drivers who fail the test can be cited for a violation, effective immediately. Once the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria is updated, inspectors will also place the driver out-of-service for non-compliance with the language standard.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance will officially add non-compliance with English-proficiency requirements to the North American Out-of-Service Criteria on June 25. Both the FMCSA and CVSA’s rule changes come as a result of an executive order from President Donald Trump, in which he called on organizations to increase enforcement of English-language proficiency in trucking.
