What does it mean when your container scrolls
As a shipper, it is not uncommon for your container to be rolled. When seaborne cargo is referred to as "rolling," it means that it was not loaded onto the vessel it was intended to sail on. Containers roll for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:
- Overbooking
- Ship omission (when a ship skips a port)
- Ship weight problem
- Mechanical problem
- Customs issues
- Missed deadline
- Documentation issues
- Pending Title Verification (for motor transport)
This tends to happen more with cargo that needs to be transshipped or has its final destination in lesser-known ports. This is because they need to be loaded onto different vessels multiple times, which increases the risk of them being rolled over and missing connecting vessels.
What happens when your cargo rolls
If your shipment is rolled due to carrier issues, the carrier will automatically reschedule your shipment and place it on its next departing vessel. Any additional costs involved will be borne by the carrier.
However, if your shipment is rolled over due to missing paperwork or customs issues or does not meet certain requirements, you will be charged a rolling fee. Note that the cost of the rollover is usually higher than the shipping price itself.
In the unfortunate case of your cargo being rolled over, the carrier will notify the booking party. If it is due to a carrier issue, the booker will also receive an updated booking confirmation with the new details. If you book through a freight forwarder, your forwarder will receive this information from the carrier and forward it to you.
What to do when your container scrolls
It's never fun to hear that your vessel didn't ship. Right now, you rush to notify your supply chain partners, update your accounts, edit spreadsheets, and basically try to clean up and correct as much of what you end up with (if any) as possible. Whether it's your fault or not, there's still a lot of accounting to do, not to mention the potential delays your supply chain is facing right now.
The first thing you should do when you hear that your container has rolled is to find out why. If it's an issue like overbooking or a missed ship, there's little you can do other than wait for the next voyage and sort out the supply chain. If this happens, you may want to always have a contingency plan in place.
If it's a paperwork issue or missed deadlines or customs checks, make sure to resolve the issue before your next sailing date to reduce further delays. Contact your freight forwarder, they can give you better advice.
