New export pre-advice system creates confusion

The pre-advice system for
export container movement
into the Pier 1 and Pier 2
terminals at Durban harbour
has been welcomed for its
added efficiency and cost
saving.
But, if the whole process
isn’t carefully thought out
beforehand by all the parties
involved, then it’s a disaster
waiting to happen, according
to one shipping expert.
In concept, it’s a simple
system. Once an export
container is loaded, then the
pre-advice – the booking
reference, container number,
weight and seal number – must
be fed into the Transnet Port
Terminals’ (TPT) terminal
management programme,
Navis.
Then, when the truck
delivering the container arrives
at the container terminal gates,
the container it is carrying
is checked against the Navis
pre-advice – and, if all the
numbers match, the truck can
be cleared for movement to the
appropriate export stack.
“For the terminal to have
this information prior to
the container arriving, and
knowing which export stack
it’s bound for in advance, is
so much more efficient,” said
Dave Watts, maritime adviser
to the SA Association of
Freight Forwarders (Saaff). “If
they (TPT) are properly preadvised,
the trucks should be
going straight through.”
It’s very simple – in theory.
But, in practice things get
disturbingly more complicated.
First of all, the originators
of the pre-advice information
– that booking reference etc
– are the exporter (if he packs
his own containers) or the
independent packing house. It
would seem logical that they
should then enter the preadvice
directly into Navis.
But the complication here is
that the legal liability for any
error on this information is
laid on the shipping line that
will be carrying that container.
Therefore, if the exporter/
packing house makes an error
in the pre-advice, the blame
would be laid directly on
the line.
One line discussed this very
matter with TPT, and one of
the executives for the line, who
wishes to remain nameless,
told FTW: “We believe that
the packing stations should
pre-advise containers. But, as
matters stand, we do not agree
that carrier lines must take
responsibility with the preadvice.
We do not have any
relationship with the packing
stations and cannot be held
responsible for pre-advice
information errors made by
them.”
He then added that they
wanted to know what the legal
implications of this nomination
were.
TPT’s feedback on this issue was: “We do not have a
commercial relationship with
packing stations and depots
either. Customers or service
providers in the supply chain
must be managed by the line.
The line can either pre-advise
all their containers or make
the necessary arrangement for
their customers/supply chain to
pre-advise on their behalf.”
Which all boils down to
the fact that shipping lines
are going to have to get
their individual pre-advice
procedures all lined up and
ready to go before the new
system becomes mandatory on
February 1 next year.
So what are the lines going
to do?
MSC and Hamburg Süd
told FTW that neither had any
firm information to release at
this moment. Both said that
they were “busy formulating”
their plans.
Maersk Line was a
bit more forthcoming.
Communications manager
Kerry Rodrigues released the
following statement to FTW.
“Maersk Line is currently
engaging with TPT on the
implementation process and
the customer access portal.
As soon as we have further
information we will begin
communicating and doing the
necessary training with our
customers to ensure all are
aware of the process prior to
the effective date.”
Meantime, Safmarine’s dry
export and capacity manager,
Janine Nankin, said: “If
we can feed in information
automatically from our system,
it would save the customer
from having to do that.
“If not, it would have to be
someone in the export chain
(eg the packing house).”
The next step seems to be
for the lines to have their own
indaba to decide on an answer,
and for a follow-up meeting
with the exporters, packing
stations, agents and truckers,
to find a universal solution.