sailings

Sailings, in maritime logistics, refer to the scheduled voyages of ships on a given route as part of a liner service. Each sailing corresponds to a single voyage operated by a carrier and is usually identified by a voyage or sailing number and the vessel’s name. Sailings are common in container, bulk, and roll-on/roll-off trades and may be published as weekly, biweekly, or irregular schedules.

A sailing specifies the loading port and the discharge port, the planned departure date, the estimated transit time, and the anticipated time of arrival. It may show the port rotation, stopovers, and any transshipment points. Carriers publish calendars of upcoming sailings, often listing time windows rather than fixed times. Shippers use sailings to book space, plan intermodal connections, and manage inventory and schedules. Information about on-time performance, capacity, and equipment is typically communicated through liner terms and carrier portals.

Vessel rotation is common, with different ships serving the same route across multiple sailings. Each voyage is distinguished by its sailing number, aiding tracking, booking, and billing. Sailings can be affected by a range of factors, including vessel availability, port congestion, weather, customs procedures, and regulatory constraints. Disruptions may result in revised schedules or blank sailings, where a planned voyage is canceled without replacement in that timetable. In commerce, sailings form a core element of supply chain planning, linking ships, ports, and downstream logistics in a structured, repeatable sequence.