Demurrage suggestion receives a warm reception
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A DELEGATE AT the Road Haulage Association (RHA) annual conference won widespread approval with the idea of a national demurrage agreement to be implemented by all RHA and Freight Transport Association members.
The suggestion from the floor was warmly received by conference members who had been hearing tales of widespread problems with charging clients for excessive waiting times.
Many operators servicing ports found that the current agreements of charging after three-and-a-half hours simply encouraged loading staff to use this as time available for them to work in.
Delegates reported that shipping companies are usually unwilling to pay for excess waiting: they blame port infrastructure. The ports authorities cannot be pursued because they have no contracts with the operators.
RHA president Roger King acknowledged the suggestion of a national agreement building demurrage into standard conditions of carriage. "We may well take up that suggestion," he said.