What's Happening?
There are currently major disruptions to the rail freight network due to several accidents on the rail lines this week, and ongoing severe weather. This has resulted in the rail line being closed for repair which means no frreight can travel via rail over the coming weeks, possibly until January 2023.
As a result, our partners have advised they'll now be moving freight in their road network instead which will create backlog and cause delays in usual transit times. Many partners have also advised they'll be imposing a temporary disaster levy surcharge effective 8 November which Shippit will need to pass onto our customers via invoice once received. These levys are currently varied and range between twenty and forty percent.
What Does This Mean For Me?
- Use Express! We strongly suggest sending all essential or time critical freight via express services only as these travel by air
- Expect delays of approximately 7 more days for freight now travelling through road networks into WA
- Set expectations with your customers. Please notify your customers via email or website banners to inform them of expected delays. Our Shippit notifications will be updated weekly to reflect the dynamic ETA we're capturing into our Weekly Carrier Health Check
- If you are using a Shippit account, look out for the temporary disaster levy surcharge being applied to your Shippit invoice come January 2023
- If you have a BYO account, the carrier will bill you directly. Please speak with them directly for any invoicing concerns.
If you have any further queries please reach out your Shippit account manager for contact our support team.