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ICHCA Focuses on Helping Ships Transporting Ammonium Nitrate to Manage Risks for Fire Prevention and Mitigation

ICHCA terminals
Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Ocean Ports

ICHCA Focuses on Helping Ships Transporting Ammonium Nitrate to Manage Risks for Fire Prevention and Mitigation

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The risks posed by poor conditions of storage of this common compound, which is used extensively in the Fertilizers and Explosives industries, have been well documented but awareness of the dangers of fire during transportation by sea is less well known.  The objective of this guide, entitled ‘Ammonium Nitrate Fire Risk on Board Ships’ is to outline best practice with respect to the management of risk on vessels chartered to ship the compound through ports around the world.

Ammonium Nitrate (NH₄NO₃), a white to grey odorless chemical has a melting point of 169 degrees C and decomposes at 210 degrees C. While it does not burn by itself, significantly it will accelerate burning of combustible material, producing toxic oxides of nitrogen and ammonia, which will support combustion, even in the absence of oxygen. 

The whitepaper outlines in detail ammonium nitrate’s peculiar reactions to heat and subsequent conflagration, as well as the nature of its decomposition.  These characteristics mean that the specifications of vessels’ equipment, including deck cranes, hatch covers, hold linings, fuel tanks and pumps, also forklifts and other handling devices, must be precise.  The whitepaper offers comprehensive guidance on these particulars.

Above all however from a fire prevention point of view emphasis is put on compliance with IMDG Code, which typically requires ammonium nitrate to be stowed on deck only.  The Code does however allow an exception for certain forms of the compound and fertilizer containing it to be stowed under deck.  The rules for this are outlined in clause 7.6.2.8.4.

The whitepaper is at pains to underline that while all IMDG clauses are pertinent to fire risk, all ships and cargo operators must be particularly cognisant of Clause 7.6.2.8.4. as it is crucial to the ability to respond effectively if an ammonium nitrate fire on board a ship is out of control and the risk of an explosion is imminent.

The intention of the clause is that all a vessels’ hatches – including tween decks- shall be openable in case of an ammonium nitrate fire. There is however potential to misunderstand this point and ICHCA is working with the IMO and stakeholders to clarify the wording of the clause.  Several jurisdictions, that handle the product in significant quantities, have taken heed of this risk and the related IMDG requirements. At the time of publishing, three countries that have specific arrangements are Australia, South Africa and Chile.

About ICHCA International

Established in 1952, ICHCA International is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the safety, productivity and efficiency of cargo handling and movement worldwide. ICHCA’s privileged NGO status enables it to represent its members, and the cargo handling industry at large, in front of national and international agencies and regulatory bodies, while its Technical Panel provides best practice advice and develops publications on a wide range of practical cargo handling issues.

Operating through a series of national and regional chapters, including ICHCA Australia, ICHCA Japan and Correspondence and Working Groups, ICHCA provides a focal point for informing, educating, lobbying and networking to improve knowledge and best practice across the cargo handling chain. 

 

Loading goods without having to worry about coping with the capacity crunch
Archives, Education, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

Top Strategies for Coping with the Capacity Crunch

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In spite of the recent improvements concerning shipping container shortages and similar, the capacity crunch is still a real concern. In fact, it is likely to remain one indefinitely. So, coming up with viable solutions to the problems is one of the foremost tasks for any business involved in the shipping and transporting of goods. To contribute, we have prepared a guide on the top strategies for coping with the capacity crunch!

Work on your efficiency

The first way of coping with the capacity crunch is to make it easier for carriers and logistics companies to work with you. Since the capacity crunch makes it necessary for them to be slightly pickier with their partners, choosing someone who helps them do their work quickly and effectively will always be a priority. Meaning they likely won’t choose to work with you if your handover of goods is not optimally organized. Besides, some effort to optimize your distribution center will also help your own business, as well. It is only better to invest time and resources into such a project.

Form long-term cooperative agreements

If you want a guarantee that you’ll be able to ship your goods consistently, the best thing to do is form long-term cooperative agreements. If you know you can rely on your partners for shipping space; you won’t need to worry about a capacity crunch. They will also feel more motivated to provide you with enough space for all your shipping needs. In addition, working more closely together gives you the benefit of knowing your goods are being handled well. And that they will arrive safely at their destination without any damage. Which is not something you can absolutely guarantee when working with new carriers.

Improve your routes

If you rely on your own truck fleet or other transportation methods, one way of coping with the capacity crunch is to optimize your delivery routes. As logistics experts like to point out, working on the improvement of your everyday traveling routes can shave off a lot of time from your schedule. This would, in turn, free up your trucks faster and allow you to make more rounds. It may not be an obvious thing when just paying attention to short-term boosts to your delivery efficiency. However, over weeks and months, it will slowly add up to a significant improvement well worth all the effort to achieve it!

Ship more frequently

Yet another method of coping with the capacity crunch is making more yet smaller shipments. This somewhat synergizes with our previous piece of advice. Of course, there is a serious downside to this, especially if you are doing it yourself. Frequent smaller shipments still use up fuel, which would increase your operating costs. Still, if your goal is to get your goods to the destination as quickly and reliably as possible, this is likely one of your best options. The downside is somewhat minimized, too, if you are working with logistics companies or carriers. The price of their service is, after all, primarily based on the amount of inventory you have them transport. Especially if they are picking up your goods while running their own pre-set routes. In this scenario, you should definitely prioritize making this your preferred mode of operation.

Organize your shipping dates better

If the idea of shipping more frequently does not appeal to you, then there is a decent alternative. Namely, you can simply try to put the dates forward a little. If you ship your goods earlier than the stipulated deadlines, you will have the time required to deal with any delays or issues that pop up. Now, this does cause problems of its own. Namely, it causes potential inventory and warehousing issues. If the goods are delivered too early, the recipient may not have enough space to store them. Or the delivery may overlap with another and cause a delay in unloading the goods. This is why, if you opt for this particular solution, make sure to properly communicate the changes with your partners or customers. This way, they will have an opportunity to fix things on their end, and problems can be largely avoided.

Cooperate with multiple logistics companies

Whether you are doing shipments yourself or have a set partner, another potential solution for capacity crunch is simply working with multiple carriers instead. After all, if a single company cannot properly account for all your needs, then several will. Naturally, this does mean you need to carefully pick and choose whom you want to work with. You would also need to go through the process of fine-tuning your cooperation with them once again. But, if you consider the current state of global logistics, this is not a bad idea at all. If any of your partners run into serious issues, you still have the option to fall back on. As such, working with multiple companies would not only solve your capacity crunch problems but provide you with a sense of security as well.

Invest in your own expansion

The final way of coping with the capacity crunch is to expand your own shipping capacities. Now, this is both the most expensive and most viable solution. Obviously, it requires a considerable short-term investment. And even an increase in your everyday expenses as you work to ensure the maintenance of your trucks. But, consider this: you would have your own solution, which you can have absolute confidence in, and would not be required to deal with agreements, partnerships, or schedule syncing. In other words, you would have complete control over the shipment of your goods. This is by no means a small boon for any company! Especially since you could fine-tune all the deliveries and the expenses associated with them.

Final comment

We hope that the top strategies for coping with the capacity crunch we have prepared will be helpful to you! Of course, whatever solution you settle on, know it will take some time to properly integrate them into your business. So, make long-term plans rather than temporary fixes!

Author Bio

Jacob Fabre is a logistics expert associated with Movers Not Shakers and has over two decades of experience in the field. He draws on this knowledge to produce quality texts and articles on various subjects related to his field of work.

IMO 2020
Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Ocean Carriers

SCRUB 2020 AWAY: HOW THE INDUSTRY IS HOLDING UP AFTER ONE YEAR OF IMO 2020

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The shipping industry has experienced one heck of year since IMO 2020 took effect. Looking back, it is reasonable to state that ocean shippers were focused solely on ensuring compliance was achieved to meet the new standards in combating the emissions footprint. Outlined in our article from last year, the issue of cleaning bunker fuels for the first time paired with the contractual challenges presented by the regulation posed new sets of challenges to be met–and quickly.

Fast-forward to mid-2020, and shippers found themselves in a completely overturned economic situation due to the pandemic. Capacity restraints, shutdowns and cost fluctuations were beyond what any industry could have predicted for 2020. When the impact of the pandemic was truly felt for shippers in mid-March, IMO 2020 compliance quickly became a backburner concern, due in part to proactive preparations in meeting regulations and identifying how the industry would overcome the new disruption. This “new normal” forced changes in forecasting and management on a new level. 

Global Trade Magazine talked with Carmen Gerace, BDP International’s chief transportation officer, about the state of the ocean shipping sector and how IMO 2020 in conjunction with the pandemic shifted operations. BDP International is one of the world’s leading, privately held freight logistics and transportation management firms.

“Most of our clients, at this stage, have really done a superb job at meeting compliance standards for IMO 2020 and reducing the carbon footprint,” Gerace says. “Interestingly enough, IMO 2020 got pushed back to mid-March at the onset of the pandemic with everything shutting down. Our clients had a year to prepare for IMO 2020 and they prepared well and were ready to go. Places like Freight 4 did not contribute to the current chaos of the ocean situation we have today. Industry players were prepared and ready, then everything else hit, and it went from there. That’s where we sit today.” 

Aside from COVID-19, reducing emissions has been a success for most of the industry, according to Gerace. Despite setbacks and delays, shippers were responsive to the call of IMO 2020, contributing to the overall reduction in emissions output and preparing vessels accordingly. 

“The risk of non-compliance simply could not be afforded by ocean line providers,” Gerace says. “New builds, scrubbers, retrofitting and the undertaking that they had to put forth to achieve this had to be pushed back; however, it has been a success thus far. Additionally, the threat of ships being restricted to berthing into ports pushed compliance efforts even more. Ocean carriers simply could not afford that risk.”

For 2021, the industry will have COVID disruptions to manage. From ensuring the safety of employees to accurate forecasting, it is critical for ocean liners to predict market fluctuations to keep costs and operations at optimal levels. With April just a couple of months away, shippers will have new rates to consider, as the expiration for current rates is on the horizon with the potential spike in air freight to transport the COVID vaccine. How these fluctuations are handled is a matter of timely forecasting and proactive measures now to ensure success for the next year and beyond. 

“COVID recovery remains the largest challenge for shippers currently,” Gerace says. “This, paired with the potential increased concentration of the air freight markets due to the demand in transporting the vaccine, will undoubtedly present problems. As we anticipate an influx in vaccine transportation demand, it is important to remember that air-cargo capacity has its limitations, and this could create an attractive opportunity for ocean shipping. 

“The downside to this is increasing capacity on the ocean side, becoming more backed up than it already is. Once that occurs, costs are at the top of mind. Costs are up roughly 170 percent compared to where things were this time last year. This will not go down within the first four months of 2021 and quite frankly, it will never go back to where it was. It is going to come down again at some point, but the question is, when? Some predict May, some predict June.” 

Gerace notes that the industry relies heavily on the transpacific eastbound market, and all those rates expire by the end of April. 

“It is critical for the industry to get freight ready for 2021 and the beginning of 2022,” he says. “Cargo carriers, BCOs, etc. must work on their budgets and operations anticipating this. The question is, how much have they taken into play that the first four months of 2021 could very well be as bad as all of 2020 from the cost perspective?”

At this point, maintaining compliance efforts and efficiencies are on the backburner for industry players. What is more of a concern comes in the form of accurate predictions, cost management and proactive preparations based on these forecasts–predicting market challenges related to COVID, and how that will trickle down to shippers’ bottom lines. BDP takes these factors into account for their clients, encouraging forecasting to ensure the timely allocation of resources, space and equipment, which Gerace characterizes as critical in these times. The more a customer can forecast out, he says, the better off BDP can align with partners to quickly and effectively reserve resources needed for success. 

“BDP has different options for customers from LCL cargo to sea-air, air freight, chartering and more,” he explains. “We look at anything else our customers’ ask us to do. Operations come at a cost and sometimes sticker shock is a challenge, which we understand. Our goal is to continue to provide weekly options and provide information on port capacity, which ports are running on time, where there is an equipment surplus, and where deficits are a concern, so customers can plan how long of a delay to expect. This all goes back to forecasting. Forecasting is key for everybody, especially in the current market. The further out the shipper can forecast, the better. This is critical because space and rates are at premiums and will remain this way in the future. Everybody is backed up.”

The industry has survived one of the most intense years for disruption. With compliance a non-issue, shippers will be tested on a new level in preparing for the future. As we enter 2021, partner relationships will be critical in maintaining to ensure the best options for continued operations are available. The hope from the COVID vaccine will present its own set of challenges, but with the right partner they can be managed. 

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As BDP International’s chief transportation officer, Carmen Gerace oversees all aspects of global transportation, including the implementation of new transport solutions and product offerings while also developing future transport strategy. Throughout his 25-year+ career in the industry, he has held varying managerial and executive positions at BDP. He is based in Philadelphia and can be reached at carmen.gerace@bdpint.com. 

cargo ECS Weship tanker
Archives, Global Logistics, Global Shippers 101, Global Trade Daily

Shipping Strategies for High-Value Cargo

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Shipping cargo of any kind requires taking certain precautions to ensure the shipment arrives at its destination safely. Things get more complicated when high-value cargo is involved. Shipping cargo that includes unique pieces of art, fine jewelry, electronics, luxury apparel, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and high-end food is riddled with even more risk. Any company can use a variety of shipping strategies for high-value cargo. The main aim, however, is always to completely eliminate the risk of damaging, losing, or anyone stealing the items. The strategies have to account for an optimal delivery route and provide security at each stage of shipping – transshipment, transport, and storage.

How does cargo theft happen?

Most logistics companies worth their salt are able to ensure their shipments of high-value cargo do not get lost or damaged by taking all of the necessary precautions. However, one risk that is getting increasingly harder to eliminate is that of theft. If the company’s capacity is tight, this might force them to work with carriers they don’t have longstanding relationships with. This can open up the door for sophisticated theft. People who do this know a lot about the luxury goods supply chain. They are able to obtain the right credentials, or at least look like they did.

If they don’t opt for fraud, they will opt for hijacking. Different territories around the world report different criminal patterns. Shipping companies have to toe the line of providing the best and most effective security strategies for the shipping of high-value cargo without their surcharges skyrocketing. Through careful planning, identifying problem areas, and mitigating risks, a company can develop successful shipping strategies for high-value cargo.

Speed

One of the simplest ways of eliminating the risk of theft when it comes to high-value cargo is to expedite the entire shipping process. The more quickly it happens, the fewer opportunities there are for something to go wrong. Picking the right timing can both help with the speediness of the delivery as well as further lowering the risks. For example, it is advisable to avoid the shipping of luxury items during weekends and holidays. The company should also plan the route meticulously. In turn, it should require the drivers to check in with the dispatcher at regular intervals as well as report any detours.

Expedited shipping requires a lot of careful planning and ensuring the security of the entire supply chain. Properly preparing the shipments for transit, monitoring the security measures, and ensuring visibility of the shipment throughout the process are all important strategies to ensure the safety of high-value cargo.

Building trust

Unfortunate incidents are more likely to happen when dealing with new partners companies don’t have sufficient experience with. Creating lasting business relationships means staying informed and involved in every part of the shipping process. It is one way to ensure your high-value cargo arrives at its destination safely at the allotted time. Building the trust between a company and its partners requires a lot of work on the ground. This includes regular visits to the facilities, educating the personnel about security threats and how to spot them, and learning about the language, infrastructure, and common practices of new countries they do business in.

Security measures

Shipping strategies for high-value cargo usually involve several different security measures. Some of the common combinations are using box trailers or anti-slash curtains, dedicated trucks, carefully selecting and training carriers, and having fixed parking instructions. It is also important to ensure that the shipment is monitored at all points of transport. Visibility means following a shipment from the pick up to its final destination. Some of the tools used for this include barcoding, RFID tags, and GPS trackers.

Another one of the great strategies for preventing theft is hiding the fact that the shipment is anything worth stealing. Checking the regulations and working within their confines can help you make the documentation as generic as possible. As much as they can, shippers try to use generic terms or code instead of listing specific information about the shipper and consignee. This is particularly important to apply to the description of the high-value cargo.

Furthermore, it might even be a good idea to limit access to sensitive information within the shipping company itself. It is also important to require a sign-off of count and condition whenever the shipment changes hands.

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Neal Samson is a freelance writer with extensive working experience in the logistics industry. He mostly writes articles for companies like Tik Tok Moving and Storage and covers a variety of different topics related to logistics, shipping, and moving.