<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">It is another bad news, good news statistic for Antwerp and Rotterdam. The bad: an intermodal operator has warned that barge congestion is already causing delays of up to 36 hours at Antwerp and 72 hours at Rotterdam. The good: container volume growth continues to shine.</div>

It is another bad news, good news statistic for Antwerp and Rotterdam. The bad: an intermodal operator has warned that barge congestion is already causing delays of up to 36 hours at Antwerp and 72 hours at Rotterdam. The good: container volume growth continues to shine.

<div><div><img></div>It is another bad news, good news statistic for Antwerp (above) and Rotterdam. The bad: an intermodal operator has warned that barge congestion is already causing delays of up to 36 hours at Antwerp and 72 hours at Rotterdam. The good: container volume growth continues to shine. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.The <a>Port of Antwerp</a> is fast reaching its maximum capacity as record growth in volume continues to flood into North Europe’s hub ports, an ominous sign for shippers already struggling with often lengthy delays in shifting containers from deepsea terminals to inland destinations.Europe’s No. 2 port of Antwerp saw container throughput...

It is another bad news, good news statistic for Antwerp (above) and Rotterdam. The bad: an intermodal operator has warned that barge congestion is already causing delays of up to 36 hours at Antwerp and 72 hours at Rotterdam. The good: container volume growth continues to shine. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. The Port of Antwerp is fast reaching its maximum capacity as record growth in volume continues to flood into North Europe’s hub ports, an ominous sign for shippers already struggling with often lengthy delays in shifting containers from deepsea terminals to inland destinations. Europe’s No. 2 port of Antwerp saw container throughput soar 8.2 percent to 5.57 million TEU in the first six months of the year compared with 2017, while the region’s busiest port of Rotterdam reported a 6.2 percent increase in first half volume to 7 million TEU. Both ports recorded record volume in May, and in the first quarter Rotterdam actually grew its market share compared with other Northern Range ports from 30.9 percent to 31.2 percent. Record volume and barge delay now pressuring intermodal But the growing volume entering Europe via the north and Mediterranean ports in the south has been placing the intermodal network under increasing pressure, with barge congestion, road bottlenecks, and rail delays experienced at many points. With Antwerp approaching its maximum capacity, those shipper frustrations could become even more acute. Port Authority CEO Jacques Vandermeiren said the strong performance of Antwerp was good news for the Belgian economy in general and the volume figures confirmed the port’s attractiveness to shippers. But he issued a stark warning, saying that the figures also confirm forecasts that the port will soon reach its maximum container capacity. “During the past period we have well exceeded the optimum utilization level for the terminals below the locks, which can have a negative impact on efficiency. We will therefore continue to emphasize the importance of having additional and commercially useful container capacity below the locks,” he said. Barge waterway network complexity magnifies congestion A growing consequence of the flood of containers is barge congestion that also affects the port of Rotterdam. Both ports have a wide network of waterways that enable containers to be moved inland at a lower cost than the road or rail alternatives. About 25 percent of the containers arriving in each port are transported from the deepsea terminals to inland terminals by barge, but the huge number of barge operators is clogging the system. Thijs van den Heuvel, operations director for Combi Terminal Twente, an inland terminal in the Netherlands that handles about 330,000 TEU a year, said the eight deepsea terminals at Rotterdam had several operators and 600 barges with 150 different owners. The many deepsea and inland terminals have the effect of fragmenting container volume on both sides and adding to the incredible layer of complexity involved in managing the barge transport. Both Rotterdam and Antwerp have implemented initiatives to try to get on top of the barge congestion that intermodal operator Contargo said was currently resulting in delays of up to 36 hours at Antwerp and 72 hours at Rotterdam. To tackle the problem, each of the deepsea terminals in Antwerp will make a certain number of dedicated barge berths available with dedicated barge gangs to handle the volume. Barges will have central planning to manage schedules, with the three large terminals (PSA, MPET, and DP World) carrying out a large-scale trial to deal with barge scheduling on a portwide basis, which is aimed at simplifying and streamlining the entire scheduling process for all parties. A pilot project will be tested from September onward, and if the results are positive it will be continued. Antwerp's deepsea terminals will also not handle barges with fewer than 30 moves in a trial period that begins in October. The idea is to set up consolidation centers away from the port at inland terminals, and the Port of Antwerp has pledged to offer financial support at the inland terminals where that consolidation takes place. Rotterdam is working on the planning tool Nextlogic, which should be operational by the end of the year and will allow barges to input information on terminals they need to call at and the number of containers to be picked up, and terminals to enter the capacity they have available to handle barges. The planning tool will direct barges in a particular order in real time so when there is a delay, the barge calls will be rerouted or rescheduled. Rotterdam is also investing €175 million ($205 million) in an internal road system, or container exchange route, that will connect the five deepsea terminals at the Maasvlakte area. It means containers moving between the terminals will not need to move outside the gate requiring customs documentation, so if a barge has to pick up one or two TEU from a terminal, the containers can be transported by the internal road to an area where bundling of the volume could take place. Consolodated barges, more inland terminals deemed long-term solution Consolidating barge volume is crucial to cutting down the port traffic and reducing bottlenecks. Fewer but larger barges with point-to-point connections will call at one terminal with maybe 100 to 200 TEU, meaning fewer small exchanges and fewer vessels to manage. But increasing capacity at the major ports without building additional capacity downstream at inland terminals will not solve the problem, and Antwerp’s port alderman Marc Van Peel echoed the comments of the CEO in calling for greater focus on this area. “Creating additional commercially useful container capacity below the locks is a first step for us in the further development of the port,” he said. “Everybody stands to gain from a solution that will enable us to achieve the desired sustainable growth for our port.” Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@ihsmarkit.com and follow him on Twitter: @greg_knowler . ** RELATED STORIES: Port of Antwerp unveils barge congestion plan No silver bullet for Rotterdam port's barge woes

Rail News

International ports

Record volume at Antwerp port sends delay warning

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">STG said the filing will reset its balance sheet and reduce debt obligations, but drayage, domestic intermodal, transloading and warehousing operations will not be affected.</div>

STG said the filing will reset its balance sheet and reduce debt obligations, but drayage, domestic intermodal, transloading and warehousing operations will not be affected.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">STG Logistics, the US’s fourth-largest asset-based intermodal marketing company (IMC), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey Monday, entering a court-supervised restructuring that the company said will reduce its debt while keeping freight moving without disruption. STG will reduce funded debt by approximately $952 million, a deleveraging of about 91%, while securing commitments for up to $150 million of new capital, according to the agreement included in the bankruptcy filing. STG, which maintains a large drayage presence in the Port of New York and New Jersey, among other East Coast ports, expects to emerge from Chapter 11 in about five months. The new financing will be structured as debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, a form of court-approved bankruptcy that provides cash while STG continues day-to-day operations. The restructuring will change after STG exits bankruptcy. The financing is known as a debt-for-equity swap, under which the participating lender group will trade its debt claims for ownership of the business upon exiting bankruptcy. The new ownership group will be private equity firms Antares Capital, Fortress Investment Group and Invesco, which were part of a controversial 2024 financing transaction that triggered litigation by STG’s minority lenders. Ohio-based STG owns about 15,000 domestic containers, behind J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Hub Group and Schneider National. STG also operates a joint service with CSX Transportation called RailPlus, a door-to-door domestic intermodal product covering nearly 350 lanes across the US. STG owns 32 warehouses across North America and offers transloading operations for international shippers. The company runs agency-based ocean drayage operations in US ports and inland rail ramps. STG said the filing will reset its balance sheet and reduce debt obligations, but drayage, domestic intermodal, transloading and warehousing operations will not be impacted. Employees and drivers will continue to be paid, as will key vendors, including rail partners such as CSX and Union Pacific Railroad. STG’s bankruptcy was anticipated as the company faces multiple lawsuits and lacked the financial resiliency of larger intermodal competitors to navigate a freight recession approaching its fourth year. S&amp;P Global, the parent company of the Journal of Commerce, lowered STG’s credit rating in July to CCC, warning that free cash flow would end 2025 at $110 million in the red and that STG could run out of money early this year. A CCC rating is considered speculative-grade credit with a high risk of default. STG hired Kirkland &amp; Ellis and PJT Partners, firms known for bankruptcy filings, credit analysts at Octus reported last month. <h3>Lawsuits affected </h3>STG’s bankruptcy will impact two legal disputes involving the company. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin sued STG Logistics in December 2023 for worker misclassification, seeking back wages and penalties for more than 300 drivers. The lawsuit centers on the rules governing who qualifies as an employee versus an independent contractor. Like California’s AB5, New Jersey applies an “ABC test” that presumes employee status unless a company can satisfy three “prongs,” a high bar in drayage and trucking models. Those prongs are that the worker is free from the control of the hiring entity, that the work is performed outside the usual course of company business, and that the worker is engaged in an independently established trade or occupation. The New Jersey case would be frozen and transferred to the bankruptcy court. The bankruptcy filing comes a week after a New York state judge allowed another lawsuit by minority lenders Axos Financial and Siemens Financial Services to move forward, according to The Wall Street Journal. Axos and Siemens were lenders in STG’s 2022 financing to acquire the intermodal division of XPO Logistics. In October 2024, STG announced a $300 million financing package, but Axos and Siemens later sued, alleging the deal also functioned as a liability-management transaction that shifted collateral and other protections toward new lenders, leaving them with weaker claims in bankruptcy. The October 2024 transaction included Antares, Fortress, and Invesco, according to the Journal. The New York judge described the Axos and Siemens allegations as “lender bullying,” the Journal reported. Axos and Siemens were not parties to the agreement filed with the court. The filing triggers an automatic stay to the New York case, pausing litigation against the debtor as the restructuring proceeds. Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a></div>

STG Logistics, the US’s fourth-largest asset-based intermodal marketing company (IMC), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey Monday, entering a court-supervised restructuring that the company said will reduce its debt while keeping freight moving without disruption. STG will reduce funded debt by approximately $952 million, a deleveraging of about 91%, while securing commitments for up to $150 million of new capital, according to the agreement included in the bankruptcy filing. STG, which maintains a large drayage presence in the Port of New York and New Jersey, among other East Coast ports, expects to emerge from Chapter 11 in about five months. The new financing will be structured as debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, a form of court-approved bankruptcy that provides cash while STG continues day-to-day operations. The restructuring will change after STG exits bankruptcy. The financing is known as a debt-for-equity swap, under which the participating lender group will trade its debt claims for ownership of the business upon exiting bankruptcy. The new ownership group will be private equity firms Antares Capital, Fortress Investment Group and Invesco, which were part of a controversial 2024 financing transaction that triggered litigation by STG’s minority lenders. Ohio-based STG owns about 15,000 domestic containers, behind J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Hub Group and Schneider National. STG also operates a joint service with CSX Transportation called RailPlus, a door-to-door domestic intermodal product covering nearly 350 lanes across the US. STG owns 32 warehouses across North America and offers transloading operations for international shippers. The company runs agency-based ocean drayage operations in US ports and inland rail ramps. STG said the filing will reset its balance sheet and reduce debt obligations, but drayage, domestic intermodal, transloading and warehousing operations will not be impacted. Employees and drivers will continue to be paid, as will key vendors, including rail partners such as CSX and Union Pacific Railroad. STG’s bankruptcy was anticipated as the company faces multiple lawsuits and lacked the financial resiliency of larger intermodal competitors to navigate a freight recession approaching its fourth year. S&P Global, the parent company of the Journal of Commerce, lowered STG’s credit rating in July to CCC, warning that free cash flow would end 2025 at $110 million in the red and that STG could run out of money early this year. A CCC rating is considered speculative-grade credit with a high risk of default. STG hired Kirkland & Ellis and PJT Partners, firms known for bankruptcy filings, credit analysts at Octus reported last month. Lawsuits affected STG’s bankruptcy will impact two legal disputes involving the company. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin sued STG Logistics in December 2023 for worker misclassification, seeking back wages and penalties for more than 300 drivers. The lawsuit centers on the rules governing who qualifies as an employee versus an independent contractor. Like California’s AB5, New Jersey applies an “ABC test” that presumes employee status unless a company can satisfy three “prongs,” a high bar in drayage and trucking models. Those prongs are that the worker is free from the control of the hiring entity, that the work is performed outside the usual course of company business, and that the worker is engaged in an independently established trade or occupation. The New Jersey case would be frozen and transferred to the bankruptcy court. The bankruptcy filing comes a week after a New York state judge allowed another lawsuit by minority lenders Axos Financial and Siemens Financial Services to move forward, according to The Wall Street Journal. Axos and Siemens were lenders in STG’s 2022 financing to acquire the intermodal division of XPO Logistics. In October 2024, STG announced a $300 million financing package, but Axos and Siemens later sued, alleging the deal also functioned as a liability-management transaction that shifted collateral and other protections toward new lenders, leaving them with weaker claims in bankruptcy. The October 2024 transaction included Antares, Fortress, and Invesco, according to the Journal. The New York judge described the Axos and Siemens allegations as “lender bullying,” the Journal reported. Axos and Siemens were not parties to the agreement filed with the court. The filing triggers an automatic stay to the New York case, pausing litigation against the debtor as the restructuring proceeds. Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com

Intermodal providers

Surface

STG files Ch. 11 bankruptcy, but intermodal operations remain intact

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Most major carriers have set net-zero goals and are investing heavily in dual-fuel vessels that support their emissions-cutting strategies despite a lack of global regulatory support.</div>

Most major carriers have set net-zero goals and are investing heavily in dual-fuel vessels that support their emissions-cutting strategies despite a lack of global regulatory support.

<div class="phx-topic">Dual-fuel vessels capable of running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) continue to dominate the container shipping order book despite ongoing uncertainty around global emissions-cutting regulations.  While the overall newbuilding market across all shipping segments fell to 2,403 orders, down from 4,405 in 2024, in container shipping new orders rose from 447 in 2024 to 547 in 2025, accounting for 49% of all gross tonnage and 68% of alternative-fuel new orders, according to classification society DNV. “The resilience of the alternative fuels orderbook in 2025 is mainly driven by cargo owners who have set their own emissions reduction goals despite (the) market slowdown and regulatory uncertainty,” Jason Stefanatos, global decarbonization director at DNV, said in a market update Monday. "We see (ocean carriers) prioritizing investments where there is a strong alignment between fuel infrastructure, regulatory certainty and commercial viability, particularly in container shipping, where LNG and methanol are supported by established supply chains and customer demand,” he added. The chance for shipping to become the first global industry to implement emissions-reducing regulations was lost in October when <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/imo-punts-on-pivotal-net-zero-shipping-regulation-6099141">US-led opposition derailed the International Maritime Organization net-zero framework</a> at a pivotal Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in London. The net-zero framework was postponed for at least a year, and possibly longer if the US continues to lobby against it. At issue is the price differential between conventional bunker fuels and greener fuels. A global price on emissions is key to narrowing the price gap, spurring demand and giving green fuel producers an incentive to invest in production. The MEPC will meet again this coming October, and although the delay may hurt the broader case for investment in the development of alternative fuels and related infrastructure, container carriers and shipowners remain firmly focused on LNG as the top green fuel of choice in newbuild vessel orders. Net-zero targets set by carriers Most of the major carriers in container shipping have set net-zero goals and are investing heavily in dual-fuel vessels that support their emissions-cutting strategies despite the regulatory uncertainty.  Data from Sea-web, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global, shows that just over 4 million TEUs of capacity for LNG dual-fuel ships was on order in 2025 compared to 2 million TEUs of methanol-capable vessels <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="e8be4ac1-33cb-4758-93c4-1d0f92f52e7d"></dynamic-object></div>LNG as an interim alternative fuel solves multiple problems for container lines. It can reduce absolute carbon emissions by up to 20%, according to the American Bureau of Shipping, so progress toward decarbonization can be demonstrated to customers and the public. LNG is also more widely available than methanol, the supply of which is constrained and prices stubbornly high and will likely remain so due to IMO inaction on its zero-emissions framework. Maersk, for example, cited a lack of adequate supply when it <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maersks-lng-order-hedges-bet-on-green-fuel-technology-ceo-5703200">pivoted from methanol to LNG in late 2024</a> for its next round of 50 to 60 vessels. DNV said in its market update that investment in fuel infrastructure was continuing at pace with 22 LNG bunker vessels added to the orderbook alongside new bunkering vessels capable of supplying methanol and biofuel. These developments signal growing confidence in LNG supply chains and emerging multi-fuel capabilities, reducing operational risk and supporting the economics of alternative fuel adoption. With the IMO delay in adopting global decarbonization measures throwing interim greenhouse gas emissions targets into doubt, improving the fuel efficiency of vessels has attained even greater importance, particularly in Europe. The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) carbon tax and  Maritime fuel intensity regulations will come into full effect this year, and cutting vessel emissions will directly impact a carrier’s operating costs. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>.  </div>

Dual-fuel vessels capable of running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) continue to dominate the container shipping order book despite ongoing uncertainty around global emissions-cutting regulations.   While the overall newbuilding market across all shipping segments fell to 2,403 orders, down from 4,405 in 2024, in container shipping new orders rose from 447 in 2024 to 547 in 2025, accounting for 49% of all gross tonnage and 68% of alternative-fuel new orders, according to classification society DNV.  “The resilience of the alternative fuels orderbook in 2025 is mainly driven by cargo owners who have set their own emissions reduction goals despite (the) market slowdown and regulatory uncertainty,” Jason Stefanatos, global decarbonization director at DNV, said in a market update Monday.  "We see (ocean carriers) prioritizing investments where there is a strong alignment between fuel infrastructure, regulatory certainty and commercial viability, particularly in container shipping, where LNG and methanol are supported by established supply chains and customer demand,” he added.  The chance for shipping to become the first global industry to implement emissions-reducing regulations was lost in October when  US-led opposition derailed the International Maritime Organization net-zero framework  at a pivotal Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in London. The net-zero framework was postponed for at least a year, and possibly longer if the US continues to lobby against it.  At issue is the price differential between conventional bunker fuels and greener fuels. A global price on emissions is key to narrowing the price gap, spurring demand and giving green fuel producers an incentive to invest in production.  The MEPC will meet again this coming October, and although the delay may hurt the broader case for investment in the development of alternative fuels and related infrastructure, container carriers and shipowners remain firmly focused on LNG as the top green fuel of choice in newbuild vessel orders.  Net-zero targets set by carriers  Most of the major carriers in container shipping have set net-zero goals and are investing heavily in dual-fuel vessels that support their emissions-cutting strategies despite the regulatory uncertainty.   Data from Sea-web, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global, shows that just over 4 million TEUs of capacity for LNG dual-fuel ships was on order in 2025 compared to 2 million TEUs of methanol-capable vessels  LNG as an interim alternative fuel solves multiple problems for container lines. It can reduce absolute carbon emissions by up to 20%, according to the American Bureau of Shipping, so progress toward decarbonization can be demonstrated to customers and the public. LNG is also more widely available than methanol, the supply of which is constrained and prices stubbornly high and will likely remain so due to IMO inaction on its zero-emissions framework. Maersk, for example, cited a lack of adequate supply when it  pivoted from methanol to LNG in late 2024  for its next round of 50 to 60 vessels.  DNV said in its market update that investment in fuel infrastructure was continuing at pace with 22 LNG bunker vessels added to the orderbook alongside new bunkering vessels capable of supplying methanol and biofuel. These developments signal growing confidence in LNG supply chains and emerging multi-fuel capabilities, reducing operational risk and supporting the economics of alternative fuel adoption.  With the IMO delay in adopting global decarbonization measures throwing interim greenhouse gas emissions targets into doubt, improving the fuel efficiency of vessels has attained even greater importance, particularly in Europe. The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) carbon tax and  Maritime fuel intensity regulations will come into full effect this year, and cutting vessel emissions will directly impact a carrier’s operating costs.  Contact Greg Knowler at  greg.knowler@spglobal.com .   

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Container Shipping News

Maritime

Solid growth evident in LNG order book despite regulatory uncertainty 

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The delays began last month after the railroad transitioned its Louisville ramp to grounded operations, but NS says it is taking steps to mitigate the backups.</div>

The delays began last month after the railroad transitioned its Louisville ramp to grounded operations, but NS says it is taking steps to mitigate the backups.

<div class="phx-topic">Truck drivers have been facing multi-hour delays when picking up ocean containers at Norfolk Southern’s Appliance Park terminal in Louisville, Ky. However, the railroad says conditions are expected to improve this week. To help ease the backups, Norfolk Southern (NS) opened a satellite lot early Monday at a nearby ContainerPort Group facility about nine miles away, according to a customer advisory issued Jan. 10. The delays at Appliance Park began after NS converted international intermodal operations at the Louisville terminal to grounded stacks in mid-December and began requiring appointments to pick up loads. It’s the latest in a series of conversions across the railroad’s network, including in Atlanta, Chicago and Memphis. “At the same time, we launched a major repaving project (in Louisville) to improve pad conditions and stacking efficiency, while expanding our overall international footprint,” an NS spokesperson told the Journal of Commerce. “The holiday surge also contributed to the initial capacity influx, adding complexity to the transition.” Until last month, NS typically handled imports in Louisville using “wheeled” operations, in which ocean containers are placed on chassis and parked in designated spots. The shift to a grounded model, standard at most marine terminals, is intended to support long-term import growth. But the transition resulted in significant delays for truck drivers, often lasting several hours, particularly after the Christmas holiday. Drivers have been routed to staging areas inside the terminal and instructed to wait until directed to join long pickup lines. The Louisville terminal is a major inland hub for cargo moving through the Port of Virginia. <h3>Four-hour turn times </h3>An executive at a large drayage provider told the Journal of Commerce there were four-hour turn times and not enough lift machines in late December, and that conditions only worsened last week. “Trains are unable to get in; storage fees (are) still being charged; eight-hour turn times; lost containers,” the source wrote in a Jan. 10 message to the Journal of Commerce. NS said the satellite lot at the ContainerPort Group yard should quickly ease congestion at the main terminal. “We expect to reduce inventory at the main facility by approximately 50% and significantly cut driver dwell times,” the railroad said in its advisory. “As always, we will closely monitor performance throughout this process and pull additional levers to ensure long-term stability and support for this growing market.” Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a></div>

Truck drivers have been facing multi-hour delays when picking up ocean containers at Norfolk Southern’s Appliance Park terminal in Louisville, Ky. However, the railroad says conditions are expected to improve this week. To help ease the backups, Norfolk Southern (NS) opened a satellite lot early Monday at a nearby ContainerPort Group facility about nine miles away, according to a customer advisory issued Jan. 10. The delays at Appliance Park began after NS converted international intermodal operations at the Louisville terminal to grounded stacks in mid-December and began requiring appointments to pick up loads. It’s the latest in a series of conversions across the railroad’s network, including in Atlanta, Chicago and Memphis. “At the same time, we launched a major repaving project (in Louisville) to improve pad conditions and stacking efficiency, while expanding our overall international footprint,” an NS spokesperson told the Journal of Commerce. “The holiday surge also contributed to the initial capacity influx, adding complexity to the transition.” Until last month, NS typically handled imports in Louisville using “wheeled” operations, in which ocean containers are placed on chassis and parked in designated spots. The shift to a grounded model, standard at most marine terminals, is intended to support long-term import growth. But the transition resulted in significant delays for truck drivers, often lasting several hours, particularly after the Christmas holiday. Drivers have been routed to staging areas inside the terminal and instructed to wait until directed to join long pickup lines. The Louisville terminal is a major inland hub for cargo moving through the Port of Virginia. Four-hour turn times An executive at a large drayage provider told the Journal of Commerce there were four-hour turn times and not enough lift machines in late December, and that conditions only worsened last week. “Trains are unable to get in; storage fees (are) still being charged; eight-hour turn times; lost containers,” the source wrote in a Jan. 10 message to the Journal of Commerce. NS said the satellite lot at the ContainerPort Group yard should quickly ease congestion at the main terminal. “We expect to reduce inventory at the main facility by approximately 50% and significantly cut driver dwell times,” the railroad said in its advisory. “As always, we will closely monitor performance throughout this process and pull additional levers to ensure long-term stability and support for this growing market.” Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com

North-American rail

Drivers battling delays at Norfolk Southern terminal in Louisville

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The reinstated service connecting the port with Colombia and the Dominican Republic will be supported by Savannah’s new customs facility that specializes in reefer cargoes. </div>

The reinstated service connecting the port with Colombia and the Dominican Republic will be supported by Savannah’s new customs facility that specializes in reefer cargoes.

<div class="phx-topic">Seaboard Marine is resuming a weekly service connecting the Port of Savannah to the Caribbean and South America. The service comes as Savannah prepares to open a new on-site customs facility intended to serve cold-chain shippers that are likely customers for the service. The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) said Thursday that Seaboard has reinstated its direct, weekly shipping service between Savannah and the Colombian ports of Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta, along with Rio Haina in the Dominican Republic. The first Savannah call was on Jan. 7 by the 1,781-TEU Seaboard Gemini. The ship is expected to make its southbound sailing on Jan. 14, officially launching its schedule. “We are providing importers and exporters across the Southeast with improved transit times, greater schedule integrity, and the reliability they need to grow their businesses,” Piero Buitano, Seaboard’s senior vice president, said in a joint statement. Georgia Ports Chief Commercial Officer Flavio Batista said the service will offer cold-chain and transshipment options to and from the West Coast of South America. The service offers weekly Wednesday arrivals and departures in Savannah. The service will be supported by a US Customs exam site the GPA will open at its Garden City Terminal by the spring. The $44 million facility will offer on-terminal agricultural inspections in temperature-controlled environments, direct vessel discharge to inspection sites and multi-temperature zones designed for various produce types, allowing for 16 inspections per day, the GPA said. In 2025, Savannah handled 12,412 TEUs of imports from Colombia and the Dominicam Republic, a 21% drop from the year earlier, according to PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global. Exports to the two countries out of Savannah totaled 10,923 TEUs through November 2025, PIERS data show, a 25% drop from the comparable 2024 period. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Seaboard Marine is resuming a weekly service connecting the Port of Savannah to the Caribbean and South America. The service comes as Savannah prepares to open a new on-site customs facility intended to serve cold-chain shippers that are likely customers for the service. The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) said Thursday that Seaboard has reinstated its direct, weekly shipping service between Savannah and the Colombian ports of Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta, along with Rio Haina in the Dominican Republic. The first Savannah call was on Jan. 7 by the 1,781-TEU Seaboard Gemini. The ship is expected to make its southbound sailing on Jan. 14, officially launching its schedule. “We are providing importers and exporters across the Southeast with improved transit times, greater schedule integrity, and the reliability they need to grow their businesses,” Piero Buitano, Seaboard’s senior vice president, said in a joint statement. Georgia Ports Chief Commercial Officer Flavio Batista said the service will offer cold-chain and transshipment options to and from the West Coast of South America. The service offers weekly Wednesday arrivals and departures in Savannah. The service will be supported by a US Customs exam site the GPA will open at its Garden City Terminal by the spring. The $44 million facility will offer on-terminal agricultural inspections in temperature-controlled environments, direct vessel discharge to inspection sites and multi-temperature zones designed for various produce types, allowing for 16 inspections per day, the GPA said. In 2025, Savannah handled 12,412 TEUs of imports from Colombia and the Dominicam Republic, a 21% drop from the year earlier, according to PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. Exports to the two countries out of Savannah totaled 10,923 TEUs through November 2025, PIERS data show, a 25% drop from the comparable 2024 period. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Cool Cargo News

North American ports

Container lines

Seaboard restarts South America service calling at Savannah

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The commission’s review of an administrative law judge’s earlier decision on late fees that MSC charged for non-operating reefers found the overcharges amounted to a “practice” by the carrier.</div>

The commission’s review of an administrative law judge’s earlier decision on late fees that MSC charged for non-operating reefers found the overcharges amounted to a “practice” by the carrier.

<div class="phx-topic">The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has increased the total civil penalty Mediterranean Shipping Co. will have to pay for overcharging late fees on non-operating reefer containers from $16 million to over $22 million. In changing the penalty, the FMC determined that the overcharges were too frequent and persistent to be considered a billing mistake. In an order issued this week, the FMC’s three sitting commissioners reversed part of an administrative law judge’s February 2025 decision stemming from an agency investigation into MSC’s detention and demurrage charges for non-operating reefers (NORs). The investigation found that during 2021, MSC sometimes charged shippers late fees on NORs at the higher rate of an operating reefer container. MSC’s tariff did not outline the late fees for NORs. But it had an unofficial policy of billing customers the same late fees as a standard dry container as NORs served the same purpose. MSC said the overcharges were the result of problems with its billing software, which didn’t distinguish between operating and non-operating reefers. MSC refunded $2 million to customers for the overcharges. While the administrative law judge ruled MSC’s tariff violated shipping law for not outlining late fees on NORs, the actual billing was a “mistake” and not a “practice” that would indicate a knowing violation of the law. The judge cited that only 23% of the NOR invoices in 2021 had the overcharges and did not assess a penalty for the overcharges. However, the commissioners sided with the agency’s enforcement arm that the prevalence of overcharges, which occurred 2,629 times, did constitute a practice, even if they weren’t a willful violation of shipping law. The FMC’s decision said the overcharges occurred 10 times per day for more than eight months. “Even if mainly an unintentional result of a billing system error, the thousands of overcharges were too numerous and frequent to be considered anything but a practice,” the FMC said. “They were unreasonable charges for NORs, which do not require the enhanced care operating reefers do.” MSC was not immediately available for comment. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has increased the total civil penalty Mediterranean Shipping Co. will have to pay for overcharging late fees on non-operating reefer containers from $16 million to over $22 million. In changing the penalty, the FMC determined that the overcharges were too frequent and persistent to be considered a billing mistake. In an order issued this week, the FMC’s three sitting commissioners reversed part of an administrative law judge’s February 2025 decision stemming from an agency investigation into MSC’s detention and demurrage charges for non-operating reefers (NORs). The investigation found that during 2021, MSC sometimes charged shippers late fees on NORs at the higher rate of an operating reefer container. MSC’s tariff did not outline the late fees for NORs. But it had an unofficial policy of billing customers the same late fees as a standard dry container as NORs served the same purpose. MSC said the overcharges were the result of problems with its billing software, which didn’t distinguish between operating and non-operating reefers. MSC refunded $2 million to customers for the overcharges. While the administrative law judge ruled MSC’s tariff violated shipping law for not outlining late fees on NORs, the actual billing was a “mistake” and not a “practice” that would indicate a knowing violation of the law. The judge cited that only 23% of the NOR invoices in 2021 had the overcharges and did not assess a penalty for the overcharges. However, the commissioners sided with the agency’s enforcement arm that the prevalence of overcharges, which occurred 2,629 times, did constitute a practice, even if they weren’t a willful violation of shipping law. The FMC’s decision said the overcharges occurred 10 times per day for more than eight months. “Even if mainly an unintentional result of a billing system error, the thousands of overcharges were too numerous and frequent to be considered anything but a practice,” the FMC said. “They were unreasonable charges for NORs, which do not require the enhanced care operating reefers do.” MSC was not immediately available for comment. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

FMC raises fine on MSC in case over non-operating reefers

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