Durban congestion is no excuse to shut out merchant hauliers
Carriers are moving import containers straight from the berth to their own depots, which leaves South African transporters standing idle and takes away the importer's right to choose who delivers their cargo.
The congestion at Durban, South Africa's busiest container port, has pushed at least one major ocean carrier into an unusual workaround that puts merchant haulage at risk. Instead of following the normal terminal process, the carrier is discharging at an alternative berth and moving the containers directly into its own depot, then asking consignees for delivery addresses so that it can handle the final leg itself.
Getting cargo off a ship that has been waiting at anchor is understandable. What is not acceptable is using the congestion to quietly turn merchant haulage into carrier haulage, because once the carrier controls the depot and the truck, the importer has lost the right to choose their own transporter and the price that goes with it.
What has happened
- In a customer advisory this week, MSC confirmed that the MSC ISHYKA III (voyage ZA639R) arrived at the Durban outer anchorage on 2 November.
- Because of ongoing berthing delays, the carrier secured a non containerised berth at NP107 to discharge, with berthing scheduled for 9 November, subject to change.
- The carrier has advised that it will move the discharged containers directly to its own depot and has asked consignees for delivery addresses to arrange final delivery.
Why merchant haulage matters to every importer
Under merchant haulage, the importer nominates the transporter who collects the container and delivers it. That choice is how importers control their costs, their delivery windows and the service they receive, and it is how hundreds of South African trucking businesses earn their living.
When the carrier moves cargo from the berth into a depot it controls and then manages delivery in house, the choice disappears. The importer is presented with carrier haulage whether they want it or not, often at a rate they never negotiated, while the transporter they would normally use sits with an empty truck.
Fair access means equal release from the depot
Our view at TSI is simple. Once a container has been discharged and is sitting in a depot, there should be no difference between a merchant haulier and the carrier's own transport partner.
If the importer's nominated transporter arrives with the correct documentation, customs has released the cargo and the charges are settled, the container should be released to that transporter without delay, without extra fees and without prejudice, exactly as it would be to the carrier's own trucks.
Anything less is anticompetitive. It uses a port problem that importers did not create to move revenue away from local transporters and into the carrier's own network, and at a time when South African businesses are already absorbing schedule disruption, detention and storage costs, that is the last thing the market needs.
What importers can do right now
Nominate your transporter in writing
Tell the carrier, before the vessel berths, that the shipment moves under merchant haulage and who your transporter is.
Ask for the depot release terms
Get the depot name, release procedure and every charge in writing, so you can compare it with carrier haulage before you agree to anything.
Watch your free days
Depot moves can eat into free time. Make sure detention and storage clocks are confirmed so that delays caused by the carrier are not billed to you.
Push back on charges you did not agree
Query any haulage or depot fee that was never quoted. If the carrier chose the depot, the cost of that decision should sit with the carrier.
How TSI is handling it for clients
TSI clients do not have to fight this on their own. Our controllers track every vessel and container from anchorage to delivery, confirm release procedures with the carrier and the depot, and make sure our clients' nominated transport collects on the same terms as anyone else. Where charges appear that the client never agreed to, we challenge them on the client's behalf.
The carrier's move to find an alternative berth may help clear the backlog, and the freight community will be watching closely how the cargo is released. If the industry is going to come through this congestion without permanently damaging local transporters, transparency and fair access to depots have to come first.
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Frequently asked questions
What is merchant haulage?
Merchant haulage is when the importer, or their logistics provider, arranges the road transport to collect a container from the port or depot and deliver it, rather than the shipping line arranging it. It gives the importer control over cost, timing and service.
What is carrier haulage?
Carrier haulage is when the shipping line arranges the inland delivery of the container, usually at its own rates and through its own transport partners.
Can a carrier force me to use its own transport?
Your shipping terms and the carrier's tariff govern this, so check them with your logistics provider. What you can do is nominate your transporter in writing early, ask for the depot release terms and question any charge that was not agreed.
Who pays if my container is moved to a depot I did not choose?
That depends on your contract and the carrier's terms, which is why every extra charge should be queried before it is paid. Where the carrier made the decision to move the cargo, there is a strong case that the cost should sit with the carrier.