Container Shipping Terminal Will Work Sunday’s to Enable Freight Importers to Maintain Supply Chain

Christmas Rush Demands Extended Hours of Opening 



Shipping News Feature

UK – It may be Summer, but for those enmeshed in the supply chain Christmas looms larger on the horizon day by day. Recognising thisDP World Southampton will open its container terminal facilities all day on Sundays in the run up to the annual sales fest to give shipping agents and cargo owners an extra day to collect their freight and ensure they can make deliveries on time.
The bank holiday has an impact on the industry as hauliers try to fit five days of deliveries into a four day working week, while container terminal operators, like DP World Southampton, still need to deliver the high level of service that its customers have come to expect, so the handling group will now start opening its gates all day on Sundays in preparation for the August bank holiday to help British businesses play catch up. The terminal already opens as normal on bank holidays but now the terminal is also going to open from 07.00 on Sunday to give its customers a head start. Steve McCrindle, Head of Operations, DP World Southampton observed:
“By opening up for the full 7 days for our customers, we believe we are providing more flexibility and opportunity to collect cargo which will assist the supply chain with their import deliveries. Traditionally there has not been the demand for weekend opening, but with the August bank holiday and the peak session upon us we will see an increase in volume and by extending our opening hours we can reduce the pressure on everyone in the supply chain.
“Often the container terminal feels the pressure of the bank holiday for a few weeks afterwards but it doesn’t have to be this way. We are a 24 hour operation, we service the ships 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so there is no reason why we can’t service our landside customers too.”
From Saturday 23 August the terminal’s new opening times will be:
Monday to Friday - 24 hours, Saturday – 00:00 – 18:00, Sunday – Open from 07:00

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