TT Club highlights ongoing efforts to prevent container losses

As explained, understanding the circumstances that lead to stack collapse and losses overboard incidents is of course vital in mitigating the risk. TT applauds the World Shipping Council initiative to publish the details of the annual survey into container loss and recognises the lowest level of recorded losses during 2023, including the important fact that around 33% of units initially lost are subsequently recovered.

Nevertheless, TT’s own analysis of historic incidents clearly shows that weather is the single most influential factor. Furthermore, the data demonstrate that this is far more complex a challenge, involving a wide range of interconnected operations.

While focus is, not wholly unreasonably, mostly on ship operations, TT has long recognised that all participants in the freight supply chain carry responsibility. When the transport order is initially placed the accuracy of the verified gross mass (VGM) is pivotal, as is the correct load distribution and securing when packing cargo into the container. Consequently, TT’s cargo integrity campaign remains central to its work, alongside partners in the Cargo Integrity Group.

At the ship/port interface, the terminal operating system (TOS) must support the appropriate stowage on board the ship, alongside stow planning software.  These systems need to plan heavier containers lower in any given deck stack. 

Conventional wisdom remains that heavy storms should be avoided where possible to minimise the risk of container loss. Re-routing away from the Red Sea this year has exposed many voyages to extreme weather off southern Africa. Nevertheless, deployment of innovative technology can assist in building greater safety margins, including leveraging data capture to improve understanding and predictions of changing sea conditions.

Ships will never be able to avoid the impact of heavy seas entirely.

…emphasises TT’s Peregrine Storrs-Fox.