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Early lunar new year means shippers need to plan ahead, says Seko

Seko logistics is urging shippers sourcing from China to bring forward purchase orders and confirm ocean bookings at least four weeks ahead of shipment, as an earlier lunar new year in 2027 threatens to compress the window for moving cargo before factory closures. Falling 11 days earlier than in 2026, next year's holiday starts on 6 February, and Seko MD for the UK and Ireland Paul Lockwood told The Loadstar: "We are already seeing customers adjust critical path planning to bring their ex-factory dates forward to allow for the earlier lunar new year. "One customer has advised they raised their purchase order with their suppliers three weeks before the typical purchase order date to account for this, and to ensure they are not 'back of the queue' in the production cycle." The move reflects growing concern that orders placed too late could miss pre-holiday shipping windows and face delays as exporters compete for capacity, shippers already battling disruption across Asian container networks. Analysis from Sea-Intelligence found vessel delays, caused by typhoons and port disruption, had absorbed around 3m teu of global container capacity, equivalent to 8.5% of the total, compared with a 2011-19 average of 2.2%. "At the same time, ocean carriers typically introduce additional blanked sailings around the lunar new year period, while exporters concentrate shipments into the weeks immediately before the holiday," a spokesperson for Seko's China office told The Loadstar. "This makes the pre-holiday period one of the busiest times of the year for China's exports. We therefore recommend placing bookings at least four weeks in advance and building sufficient time into factory completion, origin collection and port delivery plans." The spokesperson noted that relatively few factories had formally announced their 2027 holiday schedules, but existing plans indicated that production shutdowns would vary by region, with those Seko works with in northern China planning a 25 January-15 February shutdown. However, local practices in some regions often see manufacturers beginning the holiday period up to a week ahead of the spring festival and not fully resuming operations until after the Lantern Festival on 20 February. In southern China, the downtime is expected to be even longer, with some operators set to shut down three weeks ahead of the festivities and not be back up to full production for a fortnight after the holiday. Seko Logistics' client solutions group director for the UK & Ireland, Dan Eckett, said: "Ocean freight is heavily impacted in the weeks leading up to the new year, as exporters accelerate shipments ahead of factory closures. "This creates pressure on vessel space, equipment availability and carrier schedules, so we typically recommend building an additional one to two weeks into transit plans and ensuring supplier bookings are confirmed well before that three-week threshold, not after it." For UK importers, this means production completion dates and port cutoffs must be worked backwards from the intended sailing, with contingency built in for delays at origin, if they are to avoid the viable albeit economically questionable airfreight and sea-air services.

Calgary International utilises AI to improve freighter turnaround

Calgary International Airport (YYC) is deploying AI technology for its freighter operations to provide cargo handlers with live information on the aircraft turnaround process. Calgary Airports has installed AI-enabled cameras on one of the airport's dedicated cargo aprons to track each freighter turnaround from arrival to departure and log when key steps like unloading, loading and fuelling begin and end. When the system, developed by tech firm Assaia, goes live on 10 November, Calgary Airports, cargo operators and ground handlers will receive the same real-time turnaround information. The expansion follows last year's rollout of the platform across YYC's passenger gates. "We're going live just ahead of our busiest stretch of the year for cargo, and that timing is intentional," said Megan Gupton, chief information officer, Calgary Airports. "Peak season tests every part of the operation. It will show us and our partners where things run smoothly and where we can improve, and we'll use what we learn to plan for 2027 and beyond." Assaia chief executive Christiaan Hen added that the data generated by the system could help improve the turnaround process in the future. "Cargo turnarounds present a different set of challenges to passenger operations," he said. "The processes can vary significantly depending on the nature of the cargo and the handling requirements, making it harder to predict how long each turnaround should take. "By capturing exactly what happens on the apron, ApronAI gives Calgary Airports and its partners the data to better understand that variability and identify opportunities to make cargo operations more predictable and efficient." The project received support from the Government of Canada through the National Trade Corridors Fund. "Building a stronger economy means making smart investments in the infrastructure and technology that keep Canada moving," said Steven MacKinnon, minister of transport and leader of the government in the House of Commons. "Through the National Trade Corridors Fund, we're helping transportation hubs like YYC Calgary International Airport adopt innovative solutions that improve efficiency, strengthen supply chains, and support businesses across the country." YYC recorded more than 5,200 cargo landings last year and handles more than 70% of Alberta's air cargo tonnage. Calgary Airports added that it has invested more than $100m in cargo infrastructure, including facilities for e-commerce, perishables, pharmaceuticals, oversized industrial equipment and live animals.

How accurate load measurement prevents tarp, strap, and permit errors

There is a moment every flatbed driver knows well. You are standing in the yard, coffee in hand, looking at a load that needs to move by morning. All the necessary American truck parts are packed: the tarp is folded on the catwalk, and the straps are coiled and ready. Everything looks fine. Then you realize you never actually measured the load. You guessed. And that guess is about to cost you money, time, or both. It happens every single day across the country. Drivers skip the tape because they have hauled similar loads before. They assume the height is close enough. They figure the width will be fine. That assumption travels with them onto the highway, and it does not end well. Use American Truck Parts Properly: The Tarp Will Tell You the Truth Eventually The tarp isn't some soft blanket that allows for mistakes in measuring. The tarp is cut to exact specifications. Should you lay the tarp over cargo which is taller than you anticipated, the tarp will pull tight on the edges, while the center drops down. Wind gets inside that loose fabric almost right away. At sixty-five miles per hour, that tarp flapping against the trailer becomes something which will batter the stitching of the tarp itself. Straps Lose Their Grip When Angles Change Every strap in American truck parts has a working load limit. That limit assumes a specific angle between the strap and the cargo. When the load is taller or wider than planned, that angle changes. A strap that should run at forty-five degrees might end up nearly vertical. Vertical straps lose holding power. Tension concentrates on one point instead of spreading across the load. Webbing stretches. Hardware bends. The cargo shifts. Corner protectors are supposed to prevent this by creating a smooth surface for the strap to slide across. But if the dimensions are wrong, the protectors sit in the wrong place. The strap rubs directly against rough cargo. Friction eats through the webbing. A strap that should last years fails in one trip. Permits Are Legal Documents, Not Suggestions Oversize and overweight permits list exact dimensions of American truck parts. If you apply for a permit with a height of fourteen feet, that permit covers a load measuring fourteen feet. Not fourteen feet six inches. Not fifteen feet. The number on the paper has to match the number on the road. Bridge strikes in New York reached 350 in 2024, according to the governor's office, which is why its "Check Your Height" campaign is now running in 16 states and Washington, D.C., and why it warns that consumer-grade GPS can steer trucks onto low-clearance routes. A navigation app cannot know how tall a tarped load really is, so the measurement has to come from a tape, not a screen. That warning applies everywhere. Building Better Habits Behind the Wheel Measure height with the tarp installed. Measure width at the widest point, including overhang. Measure length for the full combination. Scale the load and record axle weights. Write everything down. Recheck after any adjustment. These steps take five minutes. A bridge strike takes hours. A rejected permit takes days. A load that shifts because the straps were never going to hold takes lives. Measurement is not glamorous work. Nobody brags about measuring a load correctly. But it is the work that keeps tarps intact, straps tight, and permits valid. Drivers who treat measurement as a core part of the job spend less time fixing problems on the shoulder and more time delivering loads the way they were planned.