IN Brief:
- Maersk lifted restrictions on empty-container acceptance at London Gateway from 12:00 on 26 October.
- Hauliers must obtain a Vehicle Booking System slot before sending empty containers to the terminal.
- The return advisory does not confirm that disrupted rail freight services have resumed normally.
Maersk has lifted its temporary restrictions on empty-container returns at London Gateway, allowing hauliers to resume normal equipment deliveries to the terminal from noon on Monday 26 October. The shipping line confirmed that Vehicle Booking System slots are available again, but told drivers and transport planners to secure an appointment before dispatching an empty container.
The latest instruction replaces the carrier’s 23 October advisory, when London Gateway closed to empty-container acceptance from noon and hauliers were directed to check for alternative return arrangements. Those earlier arrangements could include Pentalver London Gateway, Tilbury or Southampton, depending on the equipment instructions and available space. The choice of return point was conditional rather than a general authorisation to deliver every box to any of those facilities.
Freight rail access to London Gateway and Tilbury remains restricted after a GB Railfreight container train partly derailed at Barking on 23 October. London Gateway has reported a reduced rail service and Tilbury a more extensive suspension. Maersk’s reopening applies to the terminal’s acceptance of empty equipment delivered by road, whereas rail access and loaded-container inland movements remain subject to different operational constraints.
After an import container has been delivered and unloaded, the haulier returns the shipping line’s equipment to the location specified for that box. The carrier needs the empty container available for inspection, repositioning or another booking, and the customer needs a recorded return to close the equipment movement. A restriction on the designated return site can therefore hold up the final leg even when the original cargo has already reached its destination.
The designated return point is also a commercial condition of using carrier-owned equipment. Shipping lines need to know where an empty container will enter their pool so they can assess its condition, manage supply by size and type, and make it available for the next booking. Equipment returned to an unauthorised site may be difficult to reconcile with the original movement and could introduce extra handling or transfer requirements.
London Gateway’s Vehicle Booking System assigns appointments for road arrivals and provides the terminal with information about the expected vehicle and container movement. Hauliers must secure a slot before dispatch, rather than assuming that removal of the acceptance restriction permits unscheduled entry. An appointment supports gate planning, but it does not override the latest equipment-return instructions, operating limits or site acceptance checks.
Maersk directs hauliers to MATS Online for container-specific return guidance. The current instruction must match the box number, equipment type and location: a notice that the terminal is accepting empties does not necessarily establish that a particular container is assigned there. Checking the recorded instruction before booking a vehicle avoids an aborted journey or an unauthorised return.
Any container left outstanding during the suspension may need a rebooked vehicle and a fresh terminal appointment. Changing the final trip can affect a driver’s duty allocation, the availability of a skeletal trailer and the vehicle scheduled for the next customer collection. Detention or other charges, if applicable, depend on the relevant contract and any disruption relief agreed with the carrier; the 26 October update did not declare a blanket waiver.
Some empties had already been directed towards alternative facilities under the 23 October instruction. Changing a general terminal status does not automatically cancel an individual return arrangement that is already in progress. The container-specific instruction in MATS Online remains the reference point, particularly where a haulier has booked a slot at an alternative location and needs to avoid an unnecessary transfer.
The reinstated acceptance window allows empty-container movements postponed over the weekend to be scheduled again, although available booking slots may constrain how quickly they can be completed. A vehicle unable to return equipment on Friday may have to use a later appointment alongside the terminal’s normal incoming traffic. Maersk has not disclosed how many containers were delayed or a separate timetable for clearing any remaining equipment backlog.
A completed equipment interchange normally supplies the record used to establish when an empty was returned and where responsibility passed. A missed booking or incomplete acceptance record may complicate that reconciliation, particularly for boxes delayed across the weekend. The resumed Vehicle Booking System offers a route to complete returns, but only the acceptance record and applicable terms can determine the final account for a particular container.
Maersk says it will monitor conditions and issue further instructions if needed. Its 26 October notice confirms empty acceptance and appointment availability, while the separate rail disruption has no confirmed full recovery date. Customers with both loaded inland moves and empty returns outstanding will still need the latest guidance for each service rather than treating the terminal update as a wider transport clearance.
