Pakistan Freight & Logistics Weekly Update: 23rd March, 2026
Hi, it’s Faiz from Maalbardaar.
I hope you and your teams had a restful Eid ul Fitr. As the national holidays conclude and businesses prepare to reopen this week, the logistics sector is bracing for a harsh reality check.
The transport blackout we warned about last week is lifting, but it leaves behind a massive operational hangover.
Vessels continued to discharge cargo at Karachi Port (KPT) and Port Qasim (PQA) while banks, customs offices, and intercity trucking fleets were largely shut down.
As operations resume, a severe bottleneck is forming. Here is what you need to know to navigate the post-holiday scramble, secure transport, and avoid crippling demurrage penalties this week.
The Current Situation: The Post-Eid Squeeze Meets the Gulf Crisis
The combination of the ongoing Middle East maritime rerouting and the four-day Eid shutdown has pushed terminal congestion to a critical level.
Thousands of TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) were offloaded at KPT and Port Qasim over the weekend. Because the clearing and forwarding sector was largely offline, these containers have been sitting idle. Starting Monday morning, the free days for many of these shipments will expire, and the Demurrage and Detention (D&D) clocks will start ticking.
Key Updates for Week 12: Transport Chaos & Clearance Delays
1. The Scramble for Trucking Capacity
Truck drivers who traveled upcountry for Eid will only begin trickling back to the port cities by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Implication: There will be a severe shortage of available heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) for the first 48 to 72 hours of the work week. Shippers desperate to evacuate their containers from the port will drive spot market rates up significantly. If you have not pre-booked your transport, expect to pay a high “post-Eid premium” just to secure a vehicle.
2. Strict Enforcement of Weekly Fuel Surcharges (FSC)
Before the holidays, the transport sector shifted to weekly pricing to survive the historic Rs. 55 per litre fuel hike. As fleets come back online this week, transporters are strictly enforcing these dynamic rates.
Implication: The 30-day fixed inland freight rate is officially dead. When you book a truck this week, ensure you are verifying the current week’s fuel surcharge. Do not let brokers arbitrarily inflate the baseline rate under the guise of holiday shortages.
3. FBR & Customs Processing Bottlenecks
Pakistan Customs and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will face a massive influx of Goods Declarations (GDs) on Monday morning as clearing agents return to work.
Implication: Manual processing queues will be paralyzingly slow. Importers relying on paper-based gate passes and manual physical examinations should expect delays of up to three to four days. Priority clearing will naturally go to shipments integrated directly through the Pakistan Single Window (PSW).
4. Jebel Ali Feeder Vessels Arriving
The new dedicated feeder shipping services linking UAE ports like Fujairah to Karachi have successfully bypassed the Strait of Hormuz congestion. Several of these feeder vessels berthed during the Eid window.
Implication: While this successfully maintained the supply line, it also contributed heavily to the current yard congestion at KPT. Clearing these specific transshipment containers quickly is vital before the next cycle of feeder vessels arrives later this week.
What This Means For Importers And Exporters
The grace period is over. To protect your margins this week, you must execute the following:
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Audit Your Free Days: Identify exactly which of your containers are closest to expiring their port free time. Prioritize the evacuation of these specific boxes above all else.
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Digitize the Clearance: Instruct your clearing agents to bypass physical queues and strictly utilize the PSW portal for all GD filings and duty payments. The physical customs offices will be too overwhelmed to process manual paperwork efficiently.
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Consolidate LCL Shipments: With trucking rates hyper-inflated due to the driver shortage and fuel pricing, do not dispatch half-empty trucks. Consolidate your Less than Container Load (LCL) shipments to maximize payload efficiency.
Secure Your Post-Eid Transport with Maalbardaar
This week, relying on phone calls to find available trucks will cost you time you do not have. The port rent on a delayed container will quickly wipe out your profit margins.
Maalbardaar provides the visibility and speed to clear the backlog with our PSW-integrated digital clearance services.
Don’t let the post-Eid bottleneck trap your cargo. Log in today and secure your containers for the week ahead.
Stay informed, stay proactive, and welcome back to business.
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