Empty container management is an integral part
of the global transport system. Once a full container
has been unloaded from the vessel within the import
cycle, the question is, in dependence on the party with
whom the customer had contracted the “door” on-carriage,
by whom the inland transport to the container
unstuffing point will be performed. In the case where multimodal transport of goods has been agreed upon
by the customer and the vessel operator (so called
“Carrier Haulage”), the operator is obliged to carry out
the inland transport to the point of final destination.
Where the carriage has been agreed “to the port /container
terminal”, the customer and/or the consignee
has the option to choose the inland transport operator
for the inland transport to be performed from the port
to the final destination (so called Merchant Haulage).
In either case, the point for empty containers to be
returned to must be defined by the operator or their
logistic service beforehand