Shipping within the UK contributes an astounding £19bn on average to the economy each year, with 44.5 million tonnes of cargo handled at UK ports in 2021, making it a huge asset. But this asset does not come without its challenges.
Nevertheless freight forwarders worldwide are well accustomed to navigating the challenges that sea freight can throw at them, and are well versed in finding viable solutions to overcome them. Below we will take a look at just some of the challenges facing sea freight, and how freight forwarders are tackling them…
Environmental considerations
Industries worldwide are facing the challenge of operating in a more environmentally friendly way, and the freight forwarding industry is no different. One container ship can produce the equivalent of 50 million cars, and therefore finding ways to reduce emissions is a critical focus for sea freight. Just some of the ways this is being achieved is:
> Research into alternative fuels
> Travelling at a slower speed
> Using alternative and lighter containers that reduce overall fuel consumption
> Sharing data amongst companies to encourage efficiencies
Recovery from pandemic restrictions
Whilst it may seem that the UK is relatively back to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying restrictions, recovery from these unprecedented events is still ongoing. Despite this, from our perspective here at Grace Overseas, the industry took on the pandemic and came out of the other side remarkably well, with businesses throughout the UK highlighting their resilience.
Continually changing technology
New technologies are continually being introduced into industries globally and freight is no different. These new methods are being utilised to improve efficiencies, environmental impact and ultimately speed up the freight process from origin to destination. With over 35 years in business, the team at Grace Overseas are experts in adopting and integrating the latest technologies into our own processes to improve our service offerings to clients.
As we have highlighted, when faced with challenges freight forwarding experts are able to tackle them head on. If you would like to learn more about how Grace Overseas is taking on these challenges and providing an efficient service to our clients, speak to our team today to find out more. Call us on 0161 873 7304 or email enquiries@graceoverseas.com.
