P&O Ferries’ Service Suspension: How it affects EU/UK cargo services

P&O Ferries’ Service Suspension: How it affects EU/UK cargo services

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3 minute read | By Hollie Starr

Last updated: January 4, 2024 | Published: March 18, 2022

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As widely reported, on the 17th March 2022, P&O Ferries terminated the employment of 800 staff and suspended all ferry services for a predicted 7-10 days. According to statements from P&O, this situation was triggered by an attempt to save costs, due to the £100m loss year-on-year they have made.

Although mostly known for their travel services, P&O Ferries are also responsible for around 15% of all freight in and out of the UK from Europe. More than 2000 businesses use their freight services, which is predominately Ro-Ro cargo. Before their services were suspended, they ran up to 350 freight departures weekly, across 16 vessels.

The knock-on effect:

Good Logistics does not operate directly with P&O Ferries for transport of freight, so although our freight forwarding clients are not likely to be directly affected, the suspensions will likely affect the EU-UK supply chain in general and could cause some shipment delays. Likewise, customs procedures may also be stalled. Although we have currently received instructions to clear goods, we are unable to clear goods that have not yet arrived in the UK, on P&O Ferries. Therefore, if you are using our online portal for customs clearances, please contact your supplier to see if your freight will be affected.

The main routes which have been impacted by the suspension are:

  • Dover-Calais Route
  • Larne-Cairnryan Route
  • Dublin-Liverpool Route
  • Hull-Europoort Route

How can Good Logistics’ help?

If you are worried your supply chain may be affected by these circumstances, please know that we are here to help. Good Logistics have an agile and experienced EU team, who possess the skills to deal with situations just like these. We can strategically look at other freight options for you, from our wide range of European service options, to ensure your needs are met.

As P&O Ferries are predominately Ro-Ro shipments, you may want to consider our EU Short Sea container services as an alternative. This service will avoid the Ro-Ro ferry terminals, which are likely to be very busy. It could also be a more cost-effective freight option currently, due to the prices of fuel increasing and current driver strikes in Spain.

Our Short Sea container services offer both FCL and LCL, covering 10 EU countries, with a focused provision for Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland and Bulgaria. We can transport a wide variety of cargo types, including reefer and perishable goods. Our Short Sea services may also help reduce your CO2 emissions in comparison to other freight methods, which is a fantastic way to possibly reduce your environmental mark.

Likewise, our EU Road Freight services are very versatile, offering full coverage of Europe, with a focused provision for some services. We can provide unaccompanied/accompanied trailers and can transport goods of all kinds.

Our Short Sea Service Map:

Our EU Road Freight Map: 

For all our other EU Services, please visit our dedicated Europe page.

You can also contact our team for other enquiries and bookings:

Tom Reid (UK Sales Manager): treid@goodlogisticsgroup.com

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