Seatrade-Maritime: Optimizing vessel time in port: a shared responsibility

Published by Seatrade-Maritime

Contributed by Jan Hoffmann, Global Lead Maritime Transport and Ports, The World Bank

Every extra hour that a container vessel spends in port has consequences. A ship delayed at anchor cannot sail to its next destination. Containers arrive later. Schedules become less reliable. Capacity is tied up and freight rates go up. What begins as a local operational issue can ripple through regional and global supply chains.

Recent years have demonstrated this: Pandemic disruptions, drought-related restrictions at the Panama Canal, attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, and geopolitical tensions elsewhere have all shown how fragile maritime schedules can become. When ships fall behind schedule, ports feel the pressure. When ports delay ships further, the pressure spreads across the network.

This reality has implications for the debate on port performance. Port authorities may blame terminal operators. Terminal operators may blame shipping lines, and shipping lines may blame congestion, customs procedures, or external events. Yet the experience of many successful ports suggests that vessel turnaround time is rarely the result of a single stakeholder’s actions. Fast port calls are the product of a combination of developments.

Improving vessel time in port is a shared responsibility

A ship’s time in port extends from arrival at the port area until departure from the berth. It includes waiting time at anchor, pilotage, towage, berth allocation, regulatory inspections, cargo handling, documentation procedures, and landside coordination. Cargo operations are only one component of the overall process.

This distinction matters because it changes where solutions can be found. Some of the world’s best-performing ports are those that minimize what might be called “time absorption”: the accumulation of non-productive hours caused by waiting, queuing, uncertainty, poor coordination, or administrative friction. They reduce the time between ship arrival and productive work. They recover quickly when disruptions occur. Most importantly, they treat vessel turnaround as a system-wide outcome rather than an isolated terminal activity.

The public sector: creating the conditions for efficiency

Governments and port authorities play an essential role because they shape the operating environment within which all other actors function.

The first responsibility is providing efficient marine access. A vessel cannot begin cargo operations until it reaches the berth. Delays involving pilots, tugs, mooring crews, vessel traffic services, channel restrictions, or navigational bottlenecks directly prolong the time spent in port. In many cases, improvements in marine services can generate gains comparable to major investments in terminal infrastructure.

The second responsibility is regulatory efficiency. Customs agencies, health authorities, immigration services, security inspections, and other public entities are all critical participants in the port ecosystem. When approvals are sequential rather than coordinated, ships and cargo wait. When agencies share information and align processes, valuable hours can be saved.

The third responsibility is governance. Ports that perform well tend to operate under predictable regulatory frameworks and transparent institutional arrangements. Clear roles, aligned incentives, and effective coordination mechanisms reduce friction and help stakeholders respond more effectively during periods of disruption.

Public authorities also have a central role in digitalization. Maritime Single Windows, Port Community Systems, and other platforms that facilitate information sharing are no longer optional conveniences. They are increasingly necessary infrastructure. In a world where shipping schedules can change rapidly, the ability to exchange reliable information in real time is becoming as important as the physical infrastructure itself.

Terminal operators: turning capacity into performance

Terminal operators remain at the heart of vessel turnaround performance. But their contribution goes beyond moving containers quickly.

The best-performing terminals combine physical capacity with operational discipline. They deploy cranes effectively. They optimize yard operations. They minimize idle time before and after cargo operations. They invest in equipment maintenance, workforce skills, and planning systems. Most importantly, they maintain performance under pressure.

Recent experience has shown that resilience matters as much as efficiency. A terminal may achieve excellent productivity on a quiet day. The real test comes when several large vessels arrive simultaneously, when schedules collapse, or when external disruptions create sudden peaks in demand. Ports increasingly face what might be described as “burst congestion”, i.e. short, intense periods during which multiple delayed vessels arrive together and overwhelm available capacity. In such circumstances, recovery speed becomes just as important as daily productivity.

Digital technologies can help. Terminal Operating Systems, predictive planning tools, dynamic yard allocation, and better integration with shipping-line information can improve operational predictability. The objective is to create a stable operational rhythm capable of absorbing disruptions without descending into congestion.

The experience of ports such as Dar es Salaam illustrates what is possible when infrastructure improvements are combined with operational reforms, digitalization, and more disciplined berth management. Performance gains often result from a combination of investments and better processes rather than either one alone.