TT Live

Safety culture encompasses the shared values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours regarding safety within an organisation. If reflects the collective commitment to creating and maintaining a safe working environment for all individuals involved. A strong safety culture goes beyond mere compliance with regulations and standards; it fosters a proactive and continuous effort to identify and mitigate ri...

Compliance with regulations and related requirements is a given for all businesses. Failure to comply will place your business in an extremely difficult position, should a serious incident occur. However, adherence with the law should be seen as the baseline in the context of developing a mature safety culture. Furthermore, achieving the minimum may not ultimately be good enough for your business.

Over the last 25 years, the global container transport industry has undergone significant economic and safety developments. As with so many aspects of life, many such developments are incremental and have faced various head-winds, such that highlights from this last quarter century may not necessarily be strong indicators of future trends.

For 25 years, this newsletter has communicated to the global transport industry information and guidance, highlighting a wide range of topical issues that the industry has faced. Rightly, safety has frequently been the focus of discussion. The industry will inevitably continue to face both existing and as yet unknown challenges.

TT has been seeking over decades to deliver on its inherent mission to be at the heart of the global transport and logistics industry, and to make the industry safer, more secure and more sustainable.

The English Court of Appeal confirms the Commercial Court decision clarifying the application of time-bars in relation to deliveries made after discharged from the ship. Further appeal has been denied, so this case bring welcome certainty, albeit clearly decided on specific contractual wording and factual situation.

Reaching a 300th edition is a significant milestone for any monthly publication, but much is still to be done, working together with the industry to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that TT Club supports, highlights upcoming challenges, identifies emerging trends and considers the yet unknown risks that the industry will face.

Security is key for container terminals and ports generally. The threat horizon is vast, incorporating cargo theft, illicit trades, alongside operational safety and the prevention of terrorist attacks. Inevitably, account is needed of both land and water interfaces.

Technological advances in digitalisation of process, telematics and smart containers provide opportunities to mitigate risk for the temperature controlled supply chain. However, much still relies on human intervention - and that is the aspect that TT's claims experience suggests continues to produce losses.

Workforce fatigue is a topic that has been considered in the context of the COVID pandemic and also more generally in past editions of TT Talk. It, however, remains an important factor in keeping people safe and equipment and property protected.

There are innumerable spaces found through the global supply chain that should be considered encloses or confined, some more obvious that others. Unfortunately, these spaces claim many lives each year when ill-prepared workers enter them. For this reason, we return to this topic.

As previously highlighted, risks associated with clandestine migration around the world include impact on the freight supply chain. Criminal organisations behind this illicit activity have long realised that legitimate logistics operations present very efficient means of moving people, often undetected across key borders.

There will be a range of people entering a port or terminal facility on a sporadic or temporary basis. Managing the safety of all third-party personnel who might not be familiar with your facility should be a high priority and can present additional challenges.

The latest BSI and TT Club study of freight crime statistics highlights the direct influence of current global economic instability on criminal activity. Various geopolitical situations and the macro-economic impact of inflation around the globe have driven a series of trends through 2022 that are likely to continue in the foreseeable future. The global logistics industry need to be alert to the c...

An English court review of what comprises, under the Hague-Visby Rules, “loss or damage to or in connection with the goods” where the claim includes both physical damage and economic loss elements. Should limitation be calculated on the weight of the entire cargo or just what was physically lost or damaged?

Wildlife crime is a topic TT has profiled before, but remains a critical threat to biodiversity, local and national economies, national and international security, and global health. The global pandemic itself highlighted emerging infectious diseases, 60% of which are considered zoonotic, that is infectious diseases that are able to pass between animals and humans, and elevated discussions around...

With ever increasing operational and financial pressures placed on ports and terminals, whether it be to reduce costs, increase throughput and productivity, or simply deal with demand peaks and troughs, housekeeping may be considered a fairly non-controversial topic and certainly not one that would feature on the priority list... perhaps it should.

For decades, TT Club has supported a range of organisations and initiatives aligned to the Club's mission of making the transport and logistics industry safer and more secure. Here, we profile a selection of these, providing updates and highlighting the importance of each. 

The humble shipping container has existed for over 60 years, admirably facilitating global trade through intermodal supply chains with great efficiency. In recent years,  however, there have been numerous innovators seeking to harness emerging capabilities and imagine boxes integrated into broad supply chain activities. 

The advent or electronic bills of lading (e-bills) has been promised for around a quarter of a century. The pinch points encountered through the pandemic doubtless have catalysed developed and acceptance, together with a drive for business efficiencies. Are they now poised to play an important role in shaping the future of the transport industry?

A Singapore appeal judgment delivers some clarity on court procedural practices. However, the broader application really relates to ensuring that 'know your customer' and due diligence procedures are robust in order to provide protection where fairly usual requests for changes are made in the course of a transaction. 

The requirement for employers engaged in the transport of dangerous goods by road, rail, or inland waterway to appoint a Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA) was introduced from 1 January 2000, through EC Directive 96/35/EC. With changes afoot, is this enough? 

At TT Club, we frequently emphasise the vital importance of due diligence. Since the vast majority of trade and transport transactions are conducted without the opportunity to meet your counterparty in person, rigorous processes are required to protect your own business and maintain safety and security more generally. Legislative backing in Germany is a welcome development, albeit initiated form a...

While most directly involved in the freight supply chain will have an awareness of the principles of General Average, they might struggle to explain them to their customers. TT's latest StopLoss briefing provides a straightforward summary of the topic, along with essential good practice advice. 

An important decision given by the English Commercial Court clarifying the application of time-bars in relation to deliveries made after discharges from the ship. While potentially subject to appeal and clearly decided on specific contractual wording, this case brings welcome certainty.