Southampton Port operational delays – 16/08/24

We want to inform you of some ongoing operational challenges at Southampton Port that may affect your shipments. Unfortunately, the port is currently experiencing significant delays, including occasional closures, limited Vehicle Booking System (VBS) slots, and waiting times exceeding six hours in some cases. As a result, all hauliers are operating at full capacity for w/c 19^th August.

To help mitigate potential disruptions to your deliveries, we kindly ask you to consider the following:

• Please avoid last-minute bookings, as we cannot guarantee coverage in the current conditions. Last-minute changes to bookings or amendments can cause significant planning challenges and potentially result in longer delivery lead times.
• We strongly recommend booking at least three days in advance (e.g., book on day 1 for delivery on day 4) to minimise the risk of rebookings due to changes in estimated times of arrival (ETA) and to allow hauliers more time to secure VBS slots.
• If a delivery is running late, we encourage you to accept it, as rebooking slots may be challenging to secure and may lead to re-delivery occurring 4-5 working days later.
• For any shipments flagged as potentially late due to VBS availability, we advise arranging a new delivery time with us. It could take several days to reschedule if the original slot is missed.

We understand the inconvenience this may cause and we're working closely with our partners to manage the situation as best as possible. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated during this time. Should you have any concerns or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.