The imbalance is structural, not seasonal
East Africa imports far more containerised cargo than it exports, so boxes accumulate inland and return slowly. On the Gulf–Mombasa leg that shows up as thin equipment availability rather than a headline rate spike, and it is the availability — not the rate — that breaks delivery schedules.
What we build into the schedule
We plan bookings on the assumption that equipment, not vessel space, is the binding constraint. In practice that means releasing bookings earlier than the sailing schedule alone would suggest, and confirming equipment before committing a delivery date to the buyer.
- Book against equipment confirmation, not vessel schedule alone.
- Carry a buffer between contractual shipment window and promised arrival.
- Keep a bagged fallback for cargo that can move breakbulk if boxes do not materialise.
- Route via Jebel Ali for consolidation where volume does not fill a direct sailing.
For buyers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda this is the difference between a schedule that holds and one that slips a fortnight. We would rather quote a longer window we can meet.