Maersk Line will start charging customers who renege on their booked container deliveries. The carrier will in turn pay clients for delivered containers it overlooks to put aboard its vessels.
The Danish carrier said it will charge booked dry containers $100 each and reefers $500 each if they do not appear at the port of departure as scheduled. The fees will be imposed if the bookings are cancelled less than seven days before the ship is scheduled to depart.
Maersk Line will pay customers the same amounts if its ship fails to carry a delivered container.
The no-show charge is intended to reform customer habits, the carrier said, noting that an estimated 20 percent of containers do not appear at ports on time. It is set to take effect gradually around the world after a period of testing in the U.S. and other markets.
