It’s estimated that empty container moves cost the industry over $20+ billion annually.
That’s not a small inefficiency – it’s a structural challenge.
For container operators, empty legs aren’t just frustrating. They quietly chip away at margin, tie up valuable resources, and make sustainability targets harder to hit. And in a market where rates fluctuate and costs keep rising, that’s pressure no operator needs.
Let’s break down what empty legs really are, why they’re so persistent in container transport, and what you can actually do about them.
What are empty legs in the context of container operations?
Empty legs refer to the distance travelled by a shipping container while carrying no cargo.
In container transport, this usually happens when equipment needs to be repositioned – for example, returning an empty import container back to a terminal, depot, or port before it can be used again.
The problem?
You’re still paying for fuel, driver time, port fees, and inland haulage – but there’s no revenue attached to that leg of the journey. It’s cost and emissions, with no productive output. For planners, it also means extra turns to manage, extra slots to book, and extra “where is it?” chasing.
Why are empty legs an issue in container transport?
Empty legs are a big issue for container operators for a number of reasons. And the hardest part is that they are rarely caused by one thing. But first, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why there’s difficulties in reusing containers.
Trade imbalance
Depending on where you operate, exports and imports may not be evenly matched.
You might deliver goods from a high-export region into a high-import region. If that receiving market produces fewer goods for export, there’s limited opportunity to reload that same container for the return journey.
The container has to move – but not always with cargo inside.
Seasonal demand
Seasonality adds another layer of unpredictability.
Agricultural products fluctuate based on harvest cycles. Retail seasons drive sudden spikes in exports from manufacturing-heavy regions. Long-distance trade can also mean harvests happen at opposite times of the year. And cut-off times do not move just because volumes do.
The result? Containers stack up in import-heavy regions, while exporters elsewhere are desperate for equipment.
Specialised equipment constraints
Not all containers are interchangeable.
Refrigerated (reefer) units, oversized containers, or other specialised equipment have narrower use cases. Even if there’s freight available on your route, it might not be compatible with the container you need to reposition.
All of this makes reuse more complex than it looks on paper. Add shipping line rules and depot/terminal constraints, and ‘simple reuse’ becomes a daily planning puzzle.
How do empty legs impact container operators?
There are two core areas where container operators feel the squeeze of empty legs.
Operational impact of empty legs
A container being repositioned empty is a container that isn’t earning, which effectively reduces the productive fleet size and can create equipment shortages in high-demand locations even when overall inventory looks adequate on paper.
Low equipment utilisation is another form of financial impact as the asset is not reaching its full potential. And every unnecessary empty turn also burns driver hours that could have been used on revenue moves.
Environmental impact of empty miles
Sustainability is growing in importance throughout the transport industry – and empty legs generate emissions without any corresponding value attached.
Operators are coming under increasing pressure with tighter carbon reporting requirements and customers asking to see sustainability credentials.
Reducing empty legs as a container operators
Operators who effectively manage empty legs are able to price more aggressively than competitors because they protect driver hours, improve equipment utilisation, and reduce avoidable port and depot turns.
But how can you do this?
- Global interchange market – if you’re struggling to reuse your own containers, you can co-ordinate between different carriers, leasing companies, and operators as you may be able to pick up one already in the right location.
- Pre-planning – committing time to diligent pre-planning helps you spot potential alignment between, say, an import order that ends with an empty container that needs returning and an export order that starts with picking up an empty container from the terminal. Cross-checking and co-ordinating these two flows stops orders from being planned reactively and in isolation – giving you the chance to spot reuse opportunities before committing resources.
- Lean into tech – at Qargo, we’ve built solutions around the challenges that container operators face – including empty legs. We help you to plan smarter, automate admin, and get all the data you need in one platform.
How Qargo helps reduce empty container legs
Qargo gives planners the visibility to spot and act on reuse opportunities – without relying on spreadsheets, gut feel, or switching between systems.
Smarter container reuse planning
The most effective way to cut empty legs is to reuse an import container for a nearby export order, skipping the return-to-terminal trip entirely. In practice, this means matching orders by shipping line, container type, timing, and geography – across dozens or hundreds of jobs a day.
Qargo’s planning board allows import and export orders to be viewed side by side, with area-based summaries showing where supply and demand align – and where they don’t.
Planners can visually identify reuse-ready combinations and build circular trips instead of separate linear movements.
You can keep the checks and decision-making tied to the order, instead of losing context across emails and portals.
The result: fewer empty return trips to the terminal, better use of driver hours, and lower transport costs per container.
Real-time container visibility
Reuse planning only works if your team knows what’s actually happening at the port.
A container that’s stuck in customs or hasn’t been discharged yet isn’t available for reuse – and sending a truck to collect it wastes the very miles you’re trying to save.
Through integrations with port and terminal systems like Portbase, Destin8, and PSA, Qargo brings container and handling statuses into the planning workflow, where those integrations are available. Your team can see when a container is released, when handling status changes, and when it’s ready for collection – all from the same screen they use to plan trips.
That means fewer failed collections, less time spent chasing updates, and more confidence when building reuse combinations around real availability rather than assumptions.
Optimised trip planning with proximity tools
Not every empty leg can be solved through container reuse.
But many can be reduced by smarter trip building.
Qargo’s proximity search lets planners find unplanned orders within a set radius – 5, 10, 20, or 50 miles – of a planned trip’s collection or delivery point.
There’s also a map-based draw-to-select tool that filters orders within a custom area, so your team can quickly see what else is nearby and build denser, more efficient routes. Instead of planning each order in isolation, planners can group pickups and deliveries that fall along the same corridor, reducing the dead mileage between stops.
It won’t eliminate every empty mile. Operational reality is more complicated than that. But when your planners can see what’s nearby and act on it in a few clicks, the empty miles add up to less.
Empty legs are not just a reuse issue
Even when there’s no viable match, every empty reposition still burns driver hours, fuel, and capacity that could have been spent on revenue-generating moves.
They also add operational complexity: more yard and terminal visits, more appointments, and more chances for delays or missed slots as plans shift throughout the day. That’s why reducing empty mileage often comes down to better trip building and smarter day planning, not just reuse.
The bottom line
Empty legs aren’t just an operational nuisance. They’re a profitability issue, a capacity issue, and increasingly, a sustainability issue.
Trade imbalances and seasonality aren’t going away. But better visibility, smarter planning, and connected workflows can significantly reduce their impact.
The operators who solve this challenge will protect their margins, strengthen customer relationships, and build more resilient operations.
Want to see how much you could reduce your empty legs?
Book a demo with Qargo and see how smarter planning, port or terminal status visibility (where available), and integrated workflows can help your team cut empty legs, improve equipment utilisation, and plan with confidence – all from one platform.
