The safety of your cargo might not be the first thing you consider when organising its transportation. Many of us simply trust that it’ll get from A to B without issue. 

And for the most part, that assumption is fine to make.

However, there are 3 big risks that we as freight forwarders have to be aware of to ensure we keep your cargo safe.

Here, we uncover the three biggest risks your cargo faces on its journey.

Piracy Risk

While the idea of Captain Jack Sparrow plundering cargo ships is an amusing one, the reality is far more sinister. Piracy might remind us of childhood storybooks and blockbuster movies, but it presents a serious challenge to the shipping industry even now. 

If you’ve never considered piracy to be a risk to your cargo, it might surprise you to know that there were 115 reported piracy incidents in 2022 and 120 in 2023. One hundred and twenty! 

In the early 2000s, our sector was rocked by repeated occurrences of pirate attacks on the water near Somalia, where small boats housing armed groups of individuals held crews of passing ships to ransom, demanding payments for their release. More recently, December 2023 saw attacks occur on the Red Sea, reminding us that security needs to stay tight to ensure consignments remain protected.

Piracy events occur mainly in the following hot spots:

• Gulf of Guinea
• Gulf of Aden
• Singapore Straight
• Callao Anchorage
• Peru
• Brazil

Half of the 115 incidents reported in 2022 took place in South-East Asia.

Security measures must be in place to protect not just cargo but ships and their crews from piracy during voyages. An increase in naval presence and coastal authorities standing strong with clear communication have reduced the risk of piracy. Still, safety cannot be guaranteed in these areas, and caution is essential. 

All piracy attacks and suspicious sightings should be reported to the relevant coastal authorities, the vessel’s own state and the IMB PRC or IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. The IMB PRC helps to coordinate defence against piracy globally. 

Hurricane Risk

We may complain about the British weather, but the worst of it is nothing compared to the threat of a real-life hurricane.  

Hurricane season describes the time of year when more frequent hurricanes occur in some areas of the globe. These occur predominantly between June and November. The areas most prone to experience hurricanes during this time of the year include:

• The Atlantic basin, where hurricanes occur between June and November
• The North-East Pacific basin, where you can expect a storm in both May and early June as well as late October and early November.
• The North-West Pacific basin. Here, hurricanes occur all year round. 
• The North Indian basin has an extended season ranging from April to December
• The South-West Indian basin, running from late October to May 
• The Southeast Indian/Australian basin, where hurricanes tend to happen from late October to May,
• And the Australian/South-West Pacific basin. Hurricanes seen in this area occur from early November to May.

Hurricane season has a considerable impact on freight and logistics around the world because they can cause a wide variety of issues. From physical damage to ports, equipment and roads to power outages, multiple modes of transportation are affected by many of the same issues, like flooding and reduced travel due to high winds. 

Trucks, in particular, must refrain from travelling in high winds and heavy rainfall. Road closures and delays between safe travel times can, therefore, stall road freight shipments. 

Power outages and flooded or otherwise damaged tracks can threaten deliveries being transported by rail, and port damages caused by a hurricane will slow sea freight right down. For container ships, the defence against hurricane damage is twofold, involving both early storm detection and battening down the hatches (yes, that’s not just a saying. By battening down hatches, ships stand a better chance of coming through a storm unscathed).

Fire Risk

Your cargo is usually safe and sound in transit, but there’s one more risk we will cover in this blog. 

Fire.

Fires are thankfully less common, but they still happen, especially on board container ships. 

Common causes of fires on cargo ships include:

• Faulty electricals
• Overheating engines
• Lightning
• Discarded cigarettes
• Li-ion batteries held within cargo on board
• Over-filled containers.

So, how can container fires in transit be prevented?

Reducing the devastating effects of a fire is all about prevention. And luckily for you, we’ve written a blog all about it. In short, preventing container fires comes down to mitigating fire risks. Businesses transporting goods via ocean can do this by labelling goods correctly, providing in-depth training for staff members who handle goods and choosing fire-proof packaging for your goods. Click here to read the full blog.

Are You Protecting Your Cargo Against These Common Risks?

Reputable shipping companies are well-practised in looking after your cargo, but these are very real risks that you need to be prepared for.

Looking for more information about protecting your cargo in transit? Confused and overwhelmed trying to find out how best to ship your goods? We’ve got you covered. Get in touch with Millennium today for no-nonsense, no-obligation advice and a friendly chat.