www.truckandtrack.com Summer 2025 Truck and Track 31 CONTAINER HAULAGE Summary: Overall, carrier haulage is a good option for large multinational shippers who have enough volume to negotiate better pricing, operational SLA’s and waivers for detention and demurrage with the shipping lines. This would also be an appropriate option for shippers whose volume are mainly UK exports or shippers that lack logistics experience, due to the low level of operational complexity. Merchant Haulage with a primary carrier Some shippers work with a single primary carrier or a broker. Bigger haulage companies can offer competitive pricing and on-time delivery during off-peak periods. However, during peak periods, these companies will rely more heavily on their subcontractor network, which can adversely affect service levels. The Pro: ■ Relatively simple operational process: One partner, the haulage company in this case, handles the journey between the port and the pickup or destination. A single point of contact simplifies communication, with potential access to tracking and one invoice for containers transported. ■ Competitive pricing for UK imports: As the UK has a high imbalance of import containers compared to exports, shipping lines need to take into account the cost of returning empty containers back to Asia. As shipping lines are unable to subsidise the pricing for import containers, merchant haulage will be able to offer more competitive pricing for the inland leg of UK imports when compared to shipping lines. ■ Better service levels: As haulage companies have one focus, handling the delivery of your container on the inland leg, the level of service provided is much better compared to most shipping lines. The best quality haulage companies will also keep an eye on the vessel ETA to make sure that containers are returned in time to avoid any detention and demurrage. The Cons: ■ Not as reliable during peak periods: Haulage companies will rely on their subcontractor network to manage peak periods. This may result in varying levels of service and does not always guarantee availability. Summary: Merchant haulage would be the preferred option for shippers arranging import shipments due to the combined value of price and service. It has a slightly higher level of operational complexity as the shipper would need to align with an additional party on the delivery of their imports and request merchant haulage release from the shipping line (who may also charge a Lo/Lo fee). Multi-carrier strategy There are different variations of the multi-carrier strategy. For ocean freight in the UK, an option could be to use a primary carrier for part of your volume and to split your remaining volume across a network of merchant haulage companies. The Pros: ■ Competitive pricing and market price awareness: Receiving quotes from multiple haulage companies enables you to compare the value of the different services offered. ■ More leverage with carriers: By not providing all your volume to one supplier, you are in a better position to use additional volume as leverage for maintaining good service levels and for future pricing negotiations. ■ Risk mitigation: The more haulage companies you are in contact with increases the chance of finding availability for your transport. In addition, if that haulage company comes into financial difficulty, you will have more backup options who could immediately cater for the rest of your volumes. The Cons: ■ Introduces more complexity to operational processes: This means onboarding multiple suppliers and implementing a structured process your operational teams can manage. Multiple parties to communicate with who may have different requirements, although the general requirements are relatively standardised for container transport in the UK. Summary: In general, the multi-carrier strategy is the most advanced strategy which yields the most benefits for experienced shippers. The variation of this strategy could be adjusted to suit your circumstances. For example, if you have regular volumes, you may choose to allocate 50% of the volume to a primary carrier and rely on a network of carriers for the remaining 50%. The main challenge would be the operational management of multiple suppliers. However, once a process is put in place, the benefits of competitive pricing, better leverage to improve service levels and lower supplier risk should be worthwhile. BoxHaul can help you implement a multi-carrier strategy instantly BoxHaul is a digital marketplace that connects shippers directly to haulage companies. The platform launched as a container
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