Michael Bernard (left), president of the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ), and Andrew Henry, president of the Port Trailer Haulage Association, shake hands after signing the Standard Equipment Interchange Agreement, at the SAJ's offices last week. - Contributed

The leadership of the Port Trailer Haulage Association (PTHA) and the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) have been the first to affix signatures to the long-awaited Standard Equipment Interchange Agreement, a contract between individual trucking companies and shipping lines determining the responsibilities and liabilities of each party.

While the Agreement came into effect yesterday, truckers have a grace period of up to November 10 to sign the agreement.

Andrew Henry, president of the PTHA, and Michael Bernard, president of the SAJ, signed the agreement, along with an updated version of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the two organisations on Friday, October 24. This comes almost 10 months after an earlier version of the MOA was signed between the two associations on January 30 this year.

Working together

That MOA committed the parties to working together along with other stakeholders to improve the relationship between trucking companies and shipping agents, as well as jointly to develop an interchange policy that protects all participants in the local supply chain.

The agreement, states that truckers are responsible for any damage or loss to equipment belonging to the shipping lines once they are hauled from the port and until they are returned.

Noting that the agreement had been years in the making, Bernard said, "It has been long, tough negotiations but we are happy at this stage that we have finally got an agreement which is satisfactory to all parties. It will allow us to have a more streamlined system of moving cargo to and from the port of Kingston, while protecting the interests of our principals. Ultimately, it will be the customers who will benefit from such an understanding".

Expressed gratitude

Andrew Henry said it was a relief to have reached this stage, and expressed his gratitude to the SAJ for accommodating the process, "I trust that this Memorandum of Agreement will in fact make things better for all the stakeholders at the port."

Vivian Johnson of Carib Star, the local agency for Zim Integrated Shipping Lines, agreed with the sentiments and added that the agreement will make operations on the port easier for all.

Chief executive officer of Seaboard Jamaica, Corah-Ann Robertson-Sylvester said, "I am happy that the matter has been resolved, not only from the standpoint of the cost of the equipment, but from a security standpoint. This is just the start of a bigger collaboration."

The Interchange Agreement acknowledges the costly and escalating loss over several years, of containers and equipment owned by shipping lines and/or their agents and truckers in Jamaica. Among other things, the aim is to improve the security of equipment used in the import/export trade.

Trevor Murray (second left), a Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) ambulance driver for 21 years, with fellow ambulance drivers (from left), Orett Palmer, Winston Farquharson and Isaiah Miller. The event was the farewell party for Murray, held on October 22, at the SAJ's Fourth Avenue offices.