Why don't traditional on-time arrival metrics work for perishable importers?

Traditional metrics focus on whether a vessel arrives by its scheduled date, but importers care more about whether arrival aligns with their operational plan made a week or more in advance. If a ship arrives technically on-time but the importer was not given advance notice of schedule changes, the container may not be ready to move, creating port storage costs, reefer electricity charges, wasted truck journeys, and warehouse costs. Worst-case scenarios involve penalties for missing buyer deadlines and lost future business.

What specific metrics does Trackberry recommend for measuring carrier reliability?

Trackberry recommends tracking container number, promised departure and arrival dates, and measuring: how close actual arrival was to the arrival estimate given one week ahead, how often that estimate changed, how late the importer was informed about changes, and whether documents arrived before cargo. Importers should monitor performance per shipping lane and carrier to see how expected time of arrival deviates from originally promised schedules.

What percentage of fresh produce operators report cost increases, and how severe are they?

According to the GCFP survey, 85% of respondents report higher costs across fuel, shipping, fertilizer, plant protection products, and packaging. Nearly two-thirds saw costs rise 10% or more, while one in seven reported increases exceeding 50%. Most struggle to pass these costs to customers, and almost two-thirds consider their medium-term economic sustainability threatened.

How does poor communication about schedule changes impact importers financially?

Schedule changes communicated late force importers to absorb multiple costs: port storage fees, electricity for reefer containers, wasted truck journeys that cannot be utilized, additional warehouse costs, and penalties for failing to meet buyer deadlines during planned sales windows. The article notes these direct operational costs are minor compared to losing business from missing sales windows entirely.

What is the Global Coalition of Fresh Produce charter attempting to achieve?

The GCFP charter aims for a collaborative approach across all produce supply chain participants by emphasizing collaboration and communication, fair and transparent business terms, competition and efficiency, cargo integrity and product quality, optimal handling, resilience, and risk preparedness. While well-received at Fruit Attraction in Madrid, some industry leaders argue it needs more specific, importer-focused measurement criteria to drive transformative change.

Shipping & Freight

High Impact

Fresh Produce Shippers Push for Better Carrier Metrics

Oct 27, 2026

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The signal

The fresh produce industry faces mounting cost pressures, with 85% of operators reporting increased expenses across fuel, shipping, and packaging. While the Global Coalition of Fresh Produce introduced a charter of best practices aimed at industry collaboration, some executives argue the initiative lacks the measurement rigor needed to drive real change.

Edouard Brière of Trackberry emphasized that current ocean carrier metrics like on-time arrival miss the actual pain point for importers: lack of advance warning about schedule changes causes cascading costs in storage, reefer power, missed truck slots, and warehouse operations, while worst-case scenarios involve penalties for missing buyer deadlines and lost business. The industry recognizes that transformative improvement requires importer-focused performance metrics tied to estimated time of arrival reliability, documentation timeliness, and schedule change communication rather than simple on-time or late designations.

Companies affected by this story:

Best Buy

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Frequently Asked Questions

What This Means for Your Supply Chain

Simulation Suggestion

this month

What if ocean carriers delay ETA updates by 48 hours or more?

Simulate the operational and financial impact on perishable importers when schedule change notifications arrive 2 days or later than schedule changes actually occur. Model cascading costs including port storage, reefer container electricity, missed truck pickups, warehouse delays, and potential penalties from retail buyers.

Run this scenario

Simulation Suggestion

this month

What if 30% of containers experience schedule estimate changes during transit?

Model the financial impact and operational disruption across a week of incoming perishable shipments when one-third experience mid-transit ETA revisions. Calculate compounding costs from port demurrage, reefer power, warehouse space, last-mile capacity reallocation, and revenue loss from missed sales windows.

Run this scenario

Simulation Suggestion

immediate

What if documentation arrives after cargo reaches destination port?

Simulate operational gridlock when import documents do not arrive until 12-24 hours after a reefer container reaches the destination port. Model cascading delays in cargo release, port storage accumulation, reefer electricity costs, missed warehouse receiving windows, and penalties from downstream retail distribution partners.

Run this scenario

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Supply Chain Simulation: How It Works and How to Choose Software

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