Last Updated on 3rd August 2021 12:56 by Ron Fenton
Container Space
Please email for any quote requests ron@stsimports.co.uk
We bring bespoke containers in from the USA approximately every six weeks and we sell space in these containers for anything our customers wish to bring over – as long as it is legal!
The container is delivered to our site in Florida where we pack it ourselves. The container is then loaded, locked, sealed and sent to port.
Upon arrival in the UK it is custom cleared then delivered to our warehouse in Great Leighs, Essex where we unload it ourselves. Your goods are only handled both sides of the Atlantic by our own staff.
We think we have some good news that may stop the endless delays we are experiencing. We will still pack the containers in Florida but they will be trucked to Georgia and from there the crossing is direct to the UK. The transit time will be approximately one month.
The next container will be packed mid to late August, the exact date is to be arranged.
****************************
Container arrival dates are changing on a weekly basis. The shipping lines are responsible for these date changes and major delays with Covid and the Suez crisis being cited as the reasons. This is from a major shipping line:
“The operational environment prior to the Suez Crisis was already one of heavy terminal congestion and limited charter opportunities, causing unstable schedules and restrictions in capacity.
Regrettably, this update does not bring with it news of improvement. As expected, with the deluge of vessels have arrived in North Europe following the Suez Crisis, the European terminal landscape has deteriorated further. The sheer number of mother vessels arriving off schedule are placing considerable strain on terminals and as they struggle to even cope with mother vessel arrivals, their first choice is to push feeder operators to the back of the queue, even when arriving on time.
Therefore this is due to heavy congestion and feeder operators giving lower priority to mother vessels. We cannot commit to any confirmation at this time as to which feeder vessels containers will be loaded on.”
Thanks to everyone for your patience with these ongoing delays. Hopefully as Covid eases we will see a return to some sort of normality.
We currently have three parts containers in transit, the details are below.
Container number one was packed on in Florida 24th April.
The container number is HASU4755697. It was due to leave on 6th May but the vessel omitted Miami.
This container arrived in Felxstowe on 31st July.
It custom cleared, released and being delivered to us on Friday 6th August unless their are cancellations. Goods should be ready for collection or to be sent on by Monday or Tuesday the following week.
The container had a three week holiday in the Bahamas, went back to Charleston in the the USA, had a quick seven day crossing to Antwerp where it then sat for nearly three weeks.
On the 19 July we were given the following explanation from Maersk:
Thank you for getting in touch today. I have reviewed your booking and can confirm that this container has been impacted by quite a number of delays which I have outlined below for you.
1. Initial delay was due to planned transhipment vessel Sealand Washington omitting a call at Freeport, due to this the booking was updated to the next possible vessel MSC Alicante.
2. Unfortunately, the booking was updated to the MSC Alicante which was an unfeasible connection at Freeport and there was not enough time for the unit to reach this vessel so again the vessel changed to MSC Elodie.
3. Due to Network changes caused by port labour shortages in the US the schedule changed further, and the booking was re-planned to MSC Amsterdam.
4. Further delays on port for other vessels meant that MSC Amsterdam could not obtain a berthing window so the booking again was rescheduled to the MSC Ravenna with an ETA 02-08.
Please accept our apologies for the continuous delays to this shipment.
****************************
Container number two was packed on in Florida 27th May. The container number is GAOU6064533.
This container arrived in Felxstowe on 1st August.
It custom cleared, released and being delivered to us on Friday 6th August unless their are cancellations. Goods should be ready for collection or to be sent on by Monday or Tuesday the following week.
****************************
Container number three was packed on in Florida 12th July.
The container number is MSKU1735000
The situation appears to be following along the lines of the other two containers. It was due on a boat on 20th July and was cancelled immediately. We then received this from Maersk:
“Dear Customer, Due to internal system anomalies, your cargo has been re-planned on the next available departure 08/16. We encourage you to track your shipments online via ““https://my.maersk.com”” or reach out to your local Maersk representative for any questions. Sincerely, Maersk.”
At the moment, the container is scheduled for sailing on the MSC Altamira which is due to sail on August 16. Maersk will be providing a letter explaining the issue, not that it makes much difference. They have also informed me that they are working on getting another vessel to sail into port earlier and pick up all the containers that have been stranded.
I will be communicating with them on a daily basis in order to follow up on their progress but that’s where we are at present.
Container Warehouse Address – IMPORTANT NOTICE
AS OF 24th MARCH 2021 THE WAREHOUSE FACILITY MOVED TO PALM COAST IN FLORIDA.
If you did not receive an email with the new address please send a request to: ron@stsimports.co.uk