Urgent Call to Terminals: Where Things Stand Now

26 February 2026

In December 2025, road haulage companies issued a joint call for urgent action. The excessive waiting times for loading and unloading at the terminals had become unworkable, and they demanded that the port operators produce an improvement plan. What has come of that, and to what extent has it changed the situation? Two of our carriers share their views.

Enough was Enough

In late December 2025, many carriers had reached their breaking point. Port operators, terminals and shipping lines were struggling to process enormous volumes of carriers and cargo within an acceptable timeframe. Waiting times of 6 to 7 hours per day were no exception. Frustration was high.

The situation prompted road carriers to join forces and, before Christmas, formally demand an improvement plan from the terminals, with ECT Hutchison in particular appearing to be facing the greatest difficulty in keeping things under control. Two months have since passed, and it is time to see whether anything has changed. Have any major steps been taken since the start of the year, and what solutions have actually been put forward?

Outcomes of the Improvement Plan

At the most recent meeting in January, carriers proposed a handful of improvements. One of the terminals at the centre of the difficulties, ECT Hutchison, also presented its own improvement plan. Key measures for the coming year include:

Short term

• Recruitment of additional staff, in particular terminal workers;
• Installation of extra quay cranes;
• Adjustments to access routes and a reorganisation of the terminal layout.
• Changes to distribute volume more evenly across multiple block groups;
• A requirement for road carriers to spread loading and unloading more evenly throughout the day and night.

 Long term

• Consideration is again being given to introducing a container planning system (the terminal is currently one of the few that does not use such a system in order to retain flexibility).
• A broader structural change across the logistics chain, requiring cooperation from shipping lines and other logistics partners.

Important: A key caveat is that night-time operations are currently neither realistic nor economically viable for many transporters, as numerous distribution centres remain closed overnight.

 Source: Nieuwsblad Transport

Our Carriers’ Experiences

As a freight forwarder, the terminal gridlock did not affect us as much as it did others. We therefore asked two of our regular transport partners, both specialists in this field, to share their experiences.

Carrier I:

“We recognise the issues described by the terminals, but our day-to-day operations show structural gridlock in the system that cannot solely be explained by wider supply chain factors. Waiting times of two to three hours have become the norm, not the exception. Block groups DDE 10 and 11 in particular are always congested, while other block groups remain almost empty. As I see it, poor management and a lack of proper distribution within the terminal are to blame, not global shipping alliances.

 We understand that physical and supply chain constraints are at play, but the terminals can solve some of the problems we face every day, from overcrowding at specific block groups, the lack of basic service, the absence of flexibility in empty container return flows and zero support outside office hours or on site at the terminal.

As long as these internal bottlenecks are not acknowledged and addressed, additional cranes or long-term investments are unlikely to have any real impact. The sector has no need for even more analysis. We need immediate operational improvements to stop drivers from losing hours at a terminal that is structurally congested.”

Carrier II:

“The situation is untenable. Last night, one of our drivers arrived at the terminal at 11 p.m., and he still had to join the queue.

Planning is now organised by block group. If a container is located in a particular block group, we give the client a choice: either join the queue and accept waiting for one or more hours, or collect the container at a later time.

Unfortunately, this has not materially changed the situation, as the congestion and waiting times are not improving. As a result, we’re also finding it increasingly difficult to hold onto staff. If you ask us, things are unlikely to improve significantly in the near future…”

We would like to thank both carriers for their openness and sincerely hope that conditions will improve soon.