One in Three Containers Shipped Today Is Empty, up From One in Four Before the Pandemic

Why It Matters

Rising empty‑container repositioning inflates operating costs, which are passed to shippers as higher freight rates, tightening margins across the liner‑shipping sector.

Key Takeaways

• Empty container share rose to 30% of TEU‑miles.
• Empty shipments up 65% since early 2019.
• Full container growth only 17% in same period.
• Imbalanced trade forces costly repositioning of empty boxes.
• Higher repositioning costs likely lift freight rates on major lanes.

Pulse Analysis

The latest Sea‑Intelligence data reveals a structural shift in container logistics: empty equipment now moves across 30% of all TEU‑miles, a stark increase from the pre‑COVID baseline of 24%. This jump is driven by a 65% surge in empty‑container shipments since early 2019, outpacing the modest 17% rise in full‑container traffic. The imbalance stems from uneven regional demand, compelling carriers to ferry empty boxes to ports where cargo will later be loaded, consuming valuable vessel space and fuel.

For shippers, the cost of this inefficiency is not invisible. Carriers must absorb the expense of dead‑heading empty containers, and those costs are typically transferred to customers on the most trafficked lanes. As a result, freight rates are expected to climb, eroding the price advantage that larger vessels and optimized networks once delivered. The phenomenon also pressures liner operators to rethink capacity allocation, as the revenue‑generating payload is effectively diluted by non‑revenue repositioning miles.

Looking ahead, industry players are exploring technological and operational remedies, such as real‑time container tracking, dynamic pricing for empty moves, and collaborative pooling agreements. Some analysts suggest that a gradual rebalancing of global trade flows, aided by nearshoring trends, could temper the excess of empty boxes. Until then, investors and supply‑chain managers should monitor freight‑rate trajectories and carrier earnings reports for signs that the cost of empty repositioning is becoming a permanent line item in the shipping equation.