JNPA says port operations normal amid trailer, driver shortage

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has clarified that all five container terminals at the port are operating smoothly without congestion, despite recent advisories issued by CFSAI and BCBA. According to  an official release by JNPA, the operations remain uninterrupted and are functioning at full efficiency.

JNPA said it receives 10–12 container vessels daily and handles nearly 22,000 TEUs of import and export cargo every day. Around 20,000 TEUs move through road transport, while another 2,000 TEUs are moved by rail.

According to JNPA, the current issue is not related to congestion at the terminals but is due to a shortage of trailers and drivers arranged by Container Freight Stations (CFSs) and Custom Brokers (CBs). The port said import containers stacked at terminal yards can only be delivered when trailers are placed by CFSs or CBs, making it their responsibility to ensure adequate trailer availability.

JNPA further stated that there is no backlog of trailers waiting at the terminals for loading. The terminals have deployed additional manpower to speed up container delivery, but the number of trailers arriving at the port has reduced because of driver shortages.

To address the situation, JNPA said it is facilitating the evacuation of containers by rail to nearby CFSs with rail sidings, coordinating with Customs for faster approvals, and arranging dedicated trains from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh to bring back drivers currently on vacation.

The port authority said its total container storage capacity stands at 1.76 lakh TEUs. Under normal conditions, occupancy ranges between 90,000 and 1,00,000 TEUs. As of May 7, 2026, occupancy stood at 1.18 lakh TEUs, equivalent to 67 per cent capacity utilisation.

JNPA attributed the increase in occupancy to higher transshipment cargo following geopolitical disturbances in the Middle East. However, it clarified that only 26,000 TEUs are transshipment containers and these are not causing congestion. The port said the higher occupancy is mainly due to delays in trailer mobilisation by CFSs and CBs.

JNPA reiterated that the pendency of import containers can only be resolved if CFSs and Custom Brokers urgently arrange sufficient trailers and drivers for container evacuation from terminal yards.

“JNPA remains committed to providing the best services to its customers. We urge CFSs and Custom Brokers to immediately arrange adequate trailers and drivers to ensure smooth evacuation of import containers from the terminal yards,” the authority said.

JNPA currently operates five container terminals — NSFT, NSICT, NSIGT, BMCT and APMT. The port also operates facilities for general cargo, liquid cargo and coastal container traffic. In addition, JNPA manages a multi-product Special Economic Zone spread across 277 hectares and is developing the Vadhvan Port project in Maharashtra, which is planned as an all-weather, deep-draft greenfield port.