November/December Freight Delays

Peak Season Update

We have had numerous updates from all of our carriers recently around delays due to surging freight volume throughout the country.

21/12: The KiwiRail Aratere ferry has not sailed since 5am yesterday due to high winds on The Cook Strait, nor is she sailing today with poor weather predicted to remain in place for some time disrupting freight.

Get your seasonal sending sorted earlier this year

Please factor in: Ferry disruptions and Auckland being at Alert Level 3 and with high Covid-19 positive case numbers (note that at this time last year New Zealand was in Alert Level 1). Many businesses are unable to accept face to face contact compounding delays in and out of Auckland.

The best way to combat this is to get your sending organised, please be patient and save a smile for your local overworked couriers and consider that all transport and logistics staff are working in strained and challenging times right now!

We highly recommend that if you’re sending Christmas gifts abroad to start planning to avoid any last minute panic towards the end of the year, factor in extra delivery time and save yourself or your loved ones any grief this Christmas

Please note if you are considering sending an item to a business address, please make sure the business is open before despatching the item.

 

Factors out of our control slowing down deliveries

There has been an exceptional upswing in home deliveries as businesses shift to online trading, alert levels are in place across NZ and major inter-island freight disruptions (including an Aratere mechanical issue) are all factors that are slowing down supply chains.

We expect the reopening of retail and other businesses residing in Covid-19-restricted areas will additionally create further resupply challenges and urgency.  The supply chain is finite in capacity including resources, and we ask for an allowance of time as the Pack & Send network and our carriers manage this eventuality.

 

We appreciate your support, patience and kindness during our peak season as the industry navigates pre-Christmas volume, Covid, periodic inter-island delays, global port congestion, equipment shortages and space constraints!