How to Overcome Blank Sailing?

Shipment ready, documents on point, container booked — but the vessel never left?

Have you been through this situation?

If yes, then you’ve just experienced a blank sailing or void sailing. It’s a growing issue in ocean freight, and if you’re not prepared, it can throw off your entire supply chain.

In this blog, we’ll break down what blank sailing really means, why it occurs, and how smart shippers stay ahead of it.

What is blank sailing in shipping?

Black sailing, also known as void sailing, refers to a situation where an ocean carrier cancels a scheduled sailing or skips one or more port calls on its planned route. 

This means the vessel either doesn’t depart at all or bypasses certain ports it was originally supposed to stop at.

Blank sailings are typically announced in advance, but not always leaving shippers scrambling to adjust plans.

There are two main types:

• Full Blank Sailing: The vessel doesn’t sail at all.
• Port Omission: The vessel sails, but skips one or more scheduled ports.

What is the major reason for Blank Sailings ?

Now that you know what blank sailing is, the real question is, why would a carrier cancel a fully scheduled voyage when cargo is ready to move?

Black sailing doesn't happen just like that, they’re usually a mix of market forces, operational hurdles, and external disruptions. Here are the most common reasons:

Market-Driven Causes

• Demand Fluctuations
  • When global trade slows down and demand for vessel space drops, carriers reduce supply by canceling sailings to maintain freight rate stability.
• Seasonal Variations
  • Certain times of the year (post-Chinese New Year, Golden Week, etc.) naturally see lower cargo volumes, prompting carriers to adjust schedules.
• Trade Imbalances
  • Uneven cargo flows between regions (e.g., high volume from Asia to the U.S. but low on the return) make some routes economically unfeasible, leading to skipped sailings or ports.

Operational Challenges

• Port Congestion
  • Heavy congestion at transshipment hubs or destination ports (especially in Asia) can cause significant delays. To keep vessels on schedule, carriers sometimes omit congested ports.
• Labor Disputes
  • Strikes or slowdowns by dockworkers or terminal operators can disrupt port operations, forcing carriers to avoid affected ports temporarily.
• Adverse Weather Conditions
  • Severe weather (typhoons, hurricanes, fog, etc.) can prevent safe docking or delay terminal operations, leading to route changes or cancellations.

External Disruptions

• Geopolitical Factors
  • Trade wars (like the U.S.–China tariff dispute), sanctions, and political tensions can shift cargo flows or make certain routes unprofitable, increasing blank sailings.
• Global Events
  • Major disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic or the Suez Canal blockage caused sudden capacity shortages and forced widespread sailing cancellations.
• Carrier Alliance Reshuffling
  • When carriers restructure service networks (as seen in Q1 2025), they may consolidate routes or drop specific port calls temporarily, leading to blank sailings during the transition.

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The Ripple Effect of Black sailing on importer or exporter

Blank sailings don’t just delay your cargo,  they create ripple effects across operations, costs, and customer relationships. Here’s how:

Freight Rates Spike

• When sailings are canceled, available space shrinks driving prices up. 
• In 2025, spot rates on the Far East to U.S. West Coast route rose by 30%, nearing $10,000 per 40ft container. 
• Carriers also implemented General Rate Increases (GRIs) of $1,000–$3,000 per container to manage demand and protect margins.

Schedule Reliability Drops

• Fewer sailings mean more delays. In May 2024, the most reliable carrier had just 57.1% schedule reliability, while others were as low as 40–50%. 
• That’s a sharp drop from the pre-pandemic average of 65%, making planning extremely difficult for shippers.

Supply Chain Delays & Port Congestion

• Skipped sailings are causing bottlenecks at key gateways. U.S. West Coast ports saw 20–30% more import volume in Q1 2025 compared to the previous year, stretching port resources thin. 
• As shippers rush to rebook or reroute cargo, dwell times and inland trucking delays pile up especially for time-sensitive goods causing port congestion.

Capacity Absorption & Inefficiency

• Industry estimates show that 6–9% of global container capacity is absorbed due to blank sailings and alternative routing, representing billions of dollars in lost utilization. 
• Carriers are now grappling with 7% annual capacity growth versus only 3% demand growth in 2024, forcing them to blank sailings to prevent overcapacity especially on mega-vessel trade lanes like Asia–Europe.

Increased Carbon Footprint from Rerouting

• To meet urgent timelines after a blank sailing, shippers often switch to air freight or longer alternate sea routes increasing emissions.
• A company with strict Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) targets had to fly 5 pallets of delayed apparel stock from Vietnam to New York due to a missed vessel, significantly increasing its monthly carbon footprint.

Storage & Demurrage Charges

• Blank sailings can leave containers stuck at transshipment hubs or destination ports for longer than planned, leading to additional storage and demurrage fees.
• For example, one importer’s container was delayed at the Port of Singapore for 5 days due to a missed connection resulting in over $400 in unexpected demurrage charges.

Now that you know how blank sailings can ripple through your operations from delayed deliveries to cash flow setbacks the next step is figuring out how to respond

How to overcome Blank sailing?

Shippers tied to a single carrier or fixed contract often face dead-ends when blank sailings occur on that specific service. 

With limited fallback options, their cargo gets stuck in the system, waiting for the next available vessel which may already be overbooked. But, a reliable and experienced freight forwarder like AIR 7 SEAS will never fail you. 

Short Case study - One of our customers, a U.S.-based importer, was previously locked into a contract with a single carrier under THE Alliance. Over just one month, they were hit with three unexpected blank sailings on their Asia–US East Coast route, causing major delays and missed delivery deadlines. Frustrated and out of options, they turned to us.

As an NVOCC with access to multiple carriers and flexible sailing schedules, we quickly rebooked their cargo through an alternate route, helping them avoid further delays and meet their commitments without disruption.

NVOCCs + International freight forwarders offer a strategic advantage in these situations. Since they aren’t restricted to one carrier or alliance, NVOCCs can tap into a wider pool of vessels, alternate routes, and available space. This flexibility becomes critical when schedules are disrupted unexpectedly.

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1. How much advance notice do ocean carriers give for blank sailings?

• Most ocean carriers provide 7-14 days advance notice for blank sailings, though this can vary significantly.
• Major container shipping lines like Maersk, MSC, and COSCO typically announce vessel scheduling changes through their freight forwarding partners.
• However, emergency blank sailings due to port congestion or weather disruptions may be announced with as little as 24-48 hours notice, making supply chain management extremely challenging for cargo booking commitments.

2. Can shippers get compensation for blank sailing delays and extra costs?

• Compensation policies vary by carrier and contract terms. Most ocean freight contracts include "force majeure" clauses that protect carriers from liability during shipping disruptions.
• However, shippers may be eligible for:
  • Demurrage waivers for containers stuck due to carrier-caused delays
  • Rebooking at original rates instead of higher spot rates
  • Priority space allocation on the next available vessel
  • Storage cost reimbursement at transshipment ports (case-by-case basis)
  • Working with experienced freight forwarding companies can help negotiate better compensation terms during maritime logistics disruptions.

3. Which shipping routes are most affected by blank sailings?

• The Asia-Europe and Trans-Pacific trade routes experience the highest frequency of blank sailings, particularly during:
  • Q1 (January-March): Post-Chinese New Year low season
  • Asia-US West Coast routes: Especially during port congestion at Los Angeles/Long Beach
  • Asia-Europe routes: Mediterranean services during summer holidays
  • Intra-Asia routes: Seasonal demand fluctuations affect vessel scheduling
  • North-South trades: Less frequent services make blank sailings more impactful
  • Container shipping data shows that these major trade routes account for 70% of all blank sailing announcements globally.

4. How long do blank sailing delays typically last?

• Blank sailing delays typically range from 7-21 days, depending on:
  • Service frequency: Weekly services mean 7-day delays, bi-weekly services cause 14-day delays
  • Alternative routing: Finding space on other ocean carriers can add 3-7 days
  • Port congestion levels: High congestion extends delays to 14-21 days
  • Seasonal demand: Peak seasons may extend delays up to 30 days due to limited cargo booking availability
  • Trade route complexity: Complex routes with multiple transshipments increase delay duration
  • Effective supply chain management requires building 10-15 day buffers into maritime logistics planning to account for potential blank sailing disruptions.

5. What's the difference between blank sailing and port omission in freight forwarding?

• Blank sailing means the entire voyage is cancelled - the vessel doesn't sail at all, affecting all cargo booking on that service.
• Port omission means the vessel sails but skips specific ports on its planned route due to:
  • Operational delays: Vessel running behind schedule
  • Port congestion: Destination port too busy to accommodate additional vessels
  • Weather conditions: Unsafe conditions at specific ports
  • Commercial decisions: Low cargo volumes at certain ports
  • For shippers, port omission can be more disruptive than blank sailing because cargo gets discharged at alternative ports, requiring new inland transportation arrangements and potentially higher freight forwarding costs for final delivery.