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Reduce ship waiting time with smarter port arrivals

Every year, ships around the world spend between 15 and 22 days waiting outside congested ports. This isn’t just lost time, it’s a major source of operational waste, environmental harm, and financial inefficiency. It’s time to reduce ship waiting time and rethink how vessels arrive at port.

The true cost of waiting

When ships wait at anchorage, fuel continues to burn, operational costs rise, and emissions spike. This idle time creates a bottleneck in an otherwise fast-paced global supply chain. A recent joint study by UCL and UMAS has revealed the true scale of this inefficiency, with vessels globally staying in wait for an average of up to 22 days a year.

As pressure mounts on the maritime industry to decarbonize, one thing is clear: “Sail fast, then wait” is no longer viable for the long term future.

Smarter strategies to reduce ship waiting time

The Global Maritime Forum’s latest report offers a clear path forward, focusing on smarter planning, better data sharing, and two transformative concepts: Virtual Arrival (VA) and Just-in-Time (JIT) Arrival.

Illustration of data sharing and coordination between shipping stakeholders and terminals to reduce ship waiting time at port.

Virtual arrival (VA)

VA is a tactical solution for today’s complex shipping environment. If a delay is expected at port, ships can reduce speed mid-voyage. This cuts fuel use and emissions while still meeting contractual obligations, thanks to pre-arranged agreements between charterers and shipowners. Despite its benefits, VA adoption remains limited due to a lack of standardization.

Just-in-time (JIT) arrival

JIT is a more strategic, system-wide solution. It aligns ship arrival with real-time port readiness, including berth availability, cargo handling, and terminal operations. JIT minimizes or eliminates time at anchor, but requires coordination across all stakeholders: shipping lines, terminals, port authorities, and cargo owners.

VA can serve as a bridge to JIT, especially as the industry transitions toward more collaborative, data-driven operations.

Why we must act now

Shipping is under the spotlight from regulators, cargo owners, and the public. Reducing emissions is no longer optional, it’s expected. And port call inefficiencies are low-hanging fruit in the decarbonization journey.

Reducing ship waiting time doesn’t rely solely on new technology. It requires trust, collaboration, and aligned incentives. Port authorities and terminals play a pivotal role in making smarter arrivals the new standard.

What we believe at Teqplay

At Teqplay, we empower maritime stakeholders to reduce ship waiting time by exposing inefficiencies and enabling better decisions. Our real-time data solutions support smarter coordination between ships and ports, helping the industry move toward a more sustainable, efficient future.

Let’s drive meaningful change and collaboration in maritime – together.

Léon Gommans | CEO/Co Founder of Teqplay

A serial entrepreneur who’s passionate about #innovation, #technology, #collaboration, and of course, #maritime. The mission is: to connect the dots & to get it to work, together with the industry!

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