Container xChange seminar for independent freight forwarders

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XChange- a container logistics expert, has arranged for a free webinar on Container Availability Index (CAx) that will take place on the 4^th of March 2021 from 11:30- 12:00 PM CET.

What is Container Availability Index?

The Container Availability Index (CAx) examines the incoming and outgoing containers from the seaports every week, covering and following the route of over 10 million containers. When we have a CAx value of 0.5 it implies equilibrium, meaning that the same number of containers are coming and going from a port in a particular week. However, when the CAx value goes down below 0.5 then it means that a greater number of containers are leaving the port. Finally, a CAx value above 0.5 signifies that more containers are entering a port in the given week.

Why is CAx important for independent freight forwarders?

Independent freight forwarders need to be aware of the CAx values so as to detect the probability of finding the containers in a specific port. When the CAx is extremely low the forwarder should know that the stock of safety containers in the given port is dwindling. Conversely, a very high equipment level implies that the port will be reducing its safety stock before accepting any incoming containers. A low CAx index for a few successive weeks is more often than not followed by a container deficit while a very high value of CAx would mean an excess of containers in a specific port.

The prediction of CAx is important for the forwarders as it allows them to lower their expenses by reducing the movement of empty containers redundantly. The CAx crunches the international container data which in turn allows the forwarders to watch over the overall equipment situation. With this data at hand, the logistics companies can now examine if the transportation costs are on the rise or not and then come to a more informed decision about the leasing and trading of containers.