Ashdod Port: Two-Month Pilot for Returning Empty Containers

Ashdod Port Company has announced a pilot program, in collaboration with the Transporters' Council, that will allow the return of empty containers to Ashdod Port during the evening hours, from 17:00 to 22:00, even when the quota for empty containers is full, subject to the removal of full containers.

According to Ashdod Port's announcement, the pilot will last for two months, starting today, May 12, and ending on July 10. As part of the pilot, a truck driver who wishes to return an empty container in the evening will be directed for manual approval at the trouble desk (only if the line is full, otherwise entry as usual).

Ashdod Port has stated that the return of empty containers to the port beyond the line quota will be allowed subject to the following conditions: The truck arrived at the port between the specified hours of 17:00 to 22:00 from Sunday to Thursday. The truck driver performs two actions - returning the empty and removing the full. The empty container is routed to the port by the ship's agent.

Ashdod Port Company stated that "the purpose of the pilot is to allow continental transporters to take advantage of the evening hours for additional transport, thereby reducing congestion at the port and on the roads in the morning. The benefit from this is twofold - both in improving service to truck drivers and in reducing road congestion during peak hours."

Gabi Ben-Harush, Chairman of the Transporters' Council, responded: "We congratulate Ashdod Port for taking up the challenge and starting a pilot that will allow the return of empty containers to the port in the evening. The success of the pilot will change the transport system by allowing transport companies to take advantage of the evening hours for additional transport and to reduce congestion both at the port in the evening and on the roads in the morning, which will improve service to drivers. For the pilot to succeed, the burden of proof is on the ship's agents, whose task is to direct transport companies to the terminals as requested by Ashdod Port in the afternoon, and of course on the transport companies themselves, who must implement the pilot and make sure to unload the empty containers and load full ones in their place."