Containerships’ sailing speed has been 5% less compared to last year as carriers have implemented slow steaming to reduce operating costs.
In its latest report Linerlytica points out that the reduction in speed is most evident in the larger segments. +4,000 TEU capacity vessels’ sailing speeds have slowed by 1-2 knots compared to ships with a capacity of less than 4,000 TEUs cutting their speeds by only o.5 knots.
According to Linerlytica’s estimates, slow steaming has contributed to the removal of up to 6% of the world fleet, but the impact has started to reverse as the average speed of ships has been up again after reaching its lowest level in January this year.
Translation by Giles Foster
