Transhipment (Transshipment)

Transhipment (or transshipment) is the practice of routing containers through intermediate maritime megahubs (such as Singapore, Busan, Tanjung Pelepas, or Algeciras) where cargo is transferred between feeder vessels and main-line mother vessels.

Liner shipping networks operate on a 'hub-and-spoke' model: smaller feeder vessels collect containers from regional ports and bring them to a transhipment hub, where they are consolidated onto mega-container ships crossing ocean basins.

While transhipment expands global port connectivity, it introduces dwell-time risk: if the connecting mother vessel is delayed or overbooked, containers may sit stranded in the transhipment hub for days or weeks (transhipment rollover).