Ocean schedule reliablity on the up in Q2

   Industry-wide container vessel schedule reliability improved to a new record high of 75.7 percent in the second quarter of 2012, according to Drewry Maritime Research’s quarterly Carrier Performance Insight report.
   The latest score represents a 3.4 percent improvement from the reliability level seen in the first quarter of 2012. Ship arrival reliability improved particularly in May and June, which Drewry attributes to a settling down of schedules following network changes in April caused by the formation of new Asia-Europe alliances.
   “The latest data for the second quarter shows that freight rates have increased (from a low level), but so has ship on-time performance,” said Simon Heaney, research manager at Drewry. “We believe this is probably a fair deal for many shippers – a more expensive but more predictable service.”
   Maersk Line and Hanjin Shipping not only maintained their positions as the two most reliable major carriers, according to Drewry, but also improved on their performances of the first quarter.
   Based on Drewry’s regular surveys, Maersk had its best-ever all-trades on-time score of 91.4 percent in the second quarter, up from 89.8 percent in the previous quarter. The carrier set a goal in 2010 to reach a 95 percent level on-time arrivals.
   Seventeen of the 27 major container lines Drewry analyzed had a reliability score above the carrier industry’s 75.7 percent on-time average in the second quarter, and only seven of the sample failed to improve on their score from the previous quarter.
   Drewry also ranks reliability by ship operator (excluding slot charter parties), with the most reliable operators in the second quarter being Hanjin, Maersk, Hamburg Süd and CSAV.