KANSAS-BASED trucking firm International Express Trucking (IXT) has filed a complaint against Israeli ocean carrier Zim related to container fees with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) admitting that it expects a growing number of complaints.
The trucking firm wrote in its formal complaint published by the FMC on April 19 that Zim designated return locations for containers that were unavailable and failed to respond to the company's repeated requests for alternative locations. Zim, however, assessed US$114,614.00 in detention charges against IXT, reports Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.
According to the trucking company, between March and November 2021, IXT attempted to return empty containers to Zim, following carrier's instructions. In all cases, Zim designated a return location that rejected the container return due to allocation having been met, congestion issues, a lack of space, and/or weather conditions and while IXT says it notified Zim that the container return was rejected, Zim failed to respond to requests to designate a different termination location.
In addition, IXT contends that Zim's selected locations frequently had dwell times of four hours or more.
Further, the company says that Zim both refused to waive the detention charges, and also failed to provide timely invoices to IXT regarding the detention charges assessed. When they received the bills in January 2022, IXT reports it reached out to Zim but received no reply to redress the fees.
'Respondent's practices and regulations relating to the assessment of demurrage/detention (D&D) are directly related to receiving, handling, storing, or delivering property, are occurring on a normal, customary, and continuous basis, and are unjust and unreasonable,' writes IXT.
The complaint begins the standard process requiring Zim to respond to the FMC regarding its accessing of D&D charges. The FMC will review the case for violations of the Shipping Act exploring if Zim failed to establish and observe just and reasonable practices by failing to provide an equipment return location and/or by identifying an equipment return location that was not accepting the equipment.
SeaNews Turkey
The trucking firm wrote in its formal complaint published by the FMC on April 19 that Zim designated return locations for containers that were unavailable and failed to respond to the company's repeated requests for alternative locations. Zim, however, assessed US$114,614.00 in detention charges against IXT, reports Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.
According to the trucking company, between March and November 2021, IXT attempted to return empty containers to Zim, following carrier's instructions. In all cases, Zim designated a return location that rejected the container return due to allocation having been met, congestion issues, a lack of space, and/or weather conditions and while IXT says it notified Zim that the container return was rejected, Zim failed to respond to requests to designate a different termination location.
In addition, IXT contends that Zim's selected locations frequently had dwell times of four hours or more.
Further, the company says that Zim both refused to waive the detention charges, and also failed to provide timely invoices to IXT regarding the detention charges assessed. When they received the bills in January 2022, IXT reports it reached out to Zim but received no reply to redress the fees.
'Respondent's practices and regulations relating to the assessment of demurrage/detention (D&D) are directly related to receiving, handling, storing, or delivering property, are occurring on a normal, customary, and continuous basis, and are unjust and unreasonable,' writes IXT.
The complaint begins the standard process requiring Zim to respond to the FMC regarding its accessing of D&D charges. The FMC will review the case for violations of the Shipping Act exploring if Zim failed to establish and observe just and reasonable practices by failing to provide an equipment return location and/or by identifying an equipment return location that was not accepting the equipment.
SeaNews Turkey
