Spotlight emissions is solely to be placed on the Houthis. The consequence of their actions has been to more than negate years of effort by the container lines to reduce the carbon emissions for container shipping.” But as emissions from container shipping increase, carriers sailing around Africa are optimizing voyage efficiency by reducing speed and the average emission intensity and ensuring vessels are sailing full, according to the VesselBot report. Better environmental performance per unit of cargo transported could be seen in the first-quarter average emissions intensity of 206.93 grams of well-to-wake CO2 per TEU-kilometer compared with 231.55 in the first three months of last year. VesselBot also found ship utilization in the first quarter for vessels using the round-Africa route was higher than 80 % as more cargo was transported on fewer ships.

Peak surcharges necessary to maintain service: J. B. Hunt

J. B. Hunt is defending its decision to impose surcharges of up to $ 1,500 per container on some shippers moving goods from Southern California, saying the fees are necessary to maintain service levels during an unpredictable peak season. The surcharges, which apply to certain retail, appliance

Summer _ Wind / Shutterstock. com

and electronics shippers, are intended to ensure J. B. Hunt has the equipment and personnel in place if demand increases ahead of the holiday season, the company said during its quarterly earnings call on July 15. The surcharges are a tool, in a way, for J. B. Hunt to regulate how much unplanned freight it accepts during the busiest weeks of the year, ensuring there are enough drivers and containers to haul shipments for all its customers in Southern California. This marks the second consecutive year that J. B. Hunt has imposed surcharges exceeding $ 1,000 on customers who ramp up shipping between July and October. Last year, the company said the fees were necessary to manage market volatility while maintaining service standards, a rationale that likely underlies the latest surcharges. Some J. B. Hunt customers and competitors were surprised by the timing of the surcharges, which went into effect July 13. Peak season surcharges( PSSs) are typically implemented in August or September— if at all— and only after volumes spike. BNSF hauled more than 18,000 ocean containers during the week ending July 13, the highest since late January, according to data platform RailState. However, the railroad only hauled about 12,000 domestic containers during the same week, on par with its rolling 26-week average covering the first half of the year. J. B. Hunt implemented the surcharges after discussions with shippers over the last three weeks, customers told the Journal of Commerce. The fees apply only when a shipper out of Southern California exceeds its weekly contracted allotment, but the added costs can be substantial.

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16184 www. joc. com August 4, 2025 | Journal of Commerce 7