The peak season through the eyes of Team Ritra

28 July 2025

The end of July. For some, it’s the boring season; for others, it’s the busiest time of the year. The tight staffing during the summer holidays, combined with the arrival of both your and our new winter wardrobe, marks the start of the summer peak. As a logistics partner to many retail clients, we definitely belong to the latter group. So how is our team handling this period – despite all the other challenging market developments?

Cause and effect

The summer peak season traditionally coincides with the school holidays. Temporary staffing shortages – both in our team and at our clients – naturally lead to additional workloads. But the main cause of the rush lies in the arrival of the new winter clothing collections. With many loyal clients in the retail sector, this results in a busy summer for Ritra Cargo too.

In addition, there are always new developments in the logistics world. Whether it’s a sudden disruption in the Red Sea, the drought in the Panama Canal, the “blocker” Ever Given or the ongoing extreme congestion in Northern Europe, there are always challenges to deal with, year in, year out.

Through the eyes of Team Ritra

So how is Team Ritra approaching this period?

Stephan, Import Forwarder: “Planning ahead is the key to success. Especially with containers that we fully break down for clients, we try to anticipate changes quickly. It’s also important to keep a close eye on transport schedules, as carriers too face extra pressure during these months.”

Richard, Customs Declarant: “To prepare well for the peak season, we prefer to work a week ahead of the ETA in the run-up to the summer rush. Internally, we use a to-do list to guide this process. Once both the shipping information and the documents (packing lists, invoices, etc.) are complete, the shipment is ready for processing. In other words: the earlier clients provide their documentation completely and correctly, the sooner we can get started on the pre-declaration.” 

Peter & Georgiana, both Export Forwarders: “Export bookings are spread across various sailings with different shipping lines. Throughout the year we see a steady flow of export and Cross Trade shipments. However, we do experience more pressure and an increase in bookings just before summer.”

Ronald, Operations Forwarder: “Shoulders to the wheel and keep going. We continue to check and adjust ETAs constantly, so we can provide everyone with the most up-to-date information every day.”

Roos, Business Development: “For me, it’s mainly about setting priorities and working together effectively. The peak season puts extra pressure on sea freight rates and available shipping capacity, but in most cases people understand that. Fortunately, many of our clients know that service is always our top priority and that we do our best to organise their transport in the best possible way. Sometimes it’s a bit of a puzzle and sometimes it’s simply a matter of making do with what you’ve got. Transparency is especially important during this period.”

Minimising and communicating

And are we always able to manage everything? To be honest: not always. Some unexpected logistics challenges are beyond our control. But it’s precisely then that we believe in 100% transparency and clear, honest communication with our clients and partners. Bad news is never welcome – so it’s best to deliver it promptly and truthfully. And of course, we’ll look with you at what is still possible. Sometimes, all you can do is limit the damage and lend a sympathetic ear.

After the peak season, we take stock with our clients. There is a short evaluation in which we discuss, openly and honestly, what should have been done differently and how we can anticipate such issues better next time. In other words: what could have been improved on both sides? And then, come September, we roll up our sleeves again – together and with renewed energy.