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Congestion in Rotterdam is often described in terms of ships waiting for a berth or trucks queuing at terminals. A new study commissioned by Topsector Logistiek and SmartPort on port congestion in Rotterdam points to unreliable planning for container barges. It estimates that longer than planned terminal visits cost barge operators at least €900,000 a year in direct waiting time.

The researchers examined almost 50,000 barge visits to Rotterdam container terminals. In 15.8% of visits, handling took between 15 and 60 minutes longer than planned; in a further 7.8%, the overrun exceeded an hour. The €900,000 estimate is a lower bound. It excludes the cost of rescheduling, capacity left unused elsewhere in the chain and cargo moved by road when a barge connection becomes unreliable.

The study finds that the causes lie across the chain. The number of containers a barge actually delivers or collects often differs from the number communicated in advance, making it difficult for terminals to reserve the right amount of crane time. Barge arrival times and advance information can also change, while operators face shifting terminal slots and disruption when deep sea vessels arrive late. Better planning therefore depends on information being accurate, shared in time and used by both terminals and carriers.

The study also raises a question about how any capacity freed up through better planning will be used. If terminals give that capacity mainly to deep sea ships, barge schedules may remain vulnerable to late ocean arrivals. Unreliable barge services could, in turn, encourage cargo to move by truck, adding pressure to roads around the port. Terminals offering barges fixed slots in advance performed better in the study, with 20% less waiting time and 25% greater planning accuracy.

The findings underline the need to tackle congestion across the whole port and hinterland chain. More reliable barge handling requires both better information from carriers and dependable capacity at terminals. Without that coordination, improvements at one point in the port may simply move delays to another and make inland waterway transport a less dependable choice for shippers.