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How to View the Cargo Opening Time

Cargo opening time tells you when the terminal at the port of loading starts accepting containers for a specific vessel. In other words, it is the earliest moment you can deliver (drop off) your export container to the terminal yard for that sailing.

It is an export planning data point, not an import one. It does not tell you when an arriving container is ready for pickup at destination.

What is Cargo Opening Time?

Cargo opening time is the date and time from which a terminal begins accepting containers for a particular vessel at the port of loading.

  • It applies to the departure side of a shipment (the load port / POL).
  • It is specific to a vessel and a terminal - different vessels and terminals open at different times.
  • It marks the start of the delivery window. The end of that window (the cut-off, also called the closing) is a separate data point and is not part of this field.

If you deliver a container before the cargo opening time, the terminal will typically refuse it because the yard is not yet accepting cargo for that vessel.

Why it matters​

Knowing the cargo opening time helps you:

  • Schedule export drop-offs correctly - send the container to the terminal only once the yard is accepting it for the vessel.
  • Avoid wasted trips and waiting time - no trucks arriving before the yard opens.
  • Coordinate hauliers and packing - line up transport and stuffing around a confirmed opening date.
  • React to changes - if a terminal shifts the opening time, you can adjust your delivery plan in time.

Where the data comes from​

Cargo opening time is sourced from official terminal data, currently for Belgium:

RegionSourceTerminals
BelgiumNxtPortPort of Antwerp (BEANR) and Zeebrugge (BEZEE), including PSA, MPET, DP World and CSP Zeebrugge

Because the data is terminal-published, cargo opening time is only available for shipments departing from these covered terminals. For load ports and terminals outside this coverage, the field stays blank.

Enabling the Cargo Opening column​

Cargo opening time may already be visible in your individual tradeflow details. To add it as a column on your main dashboard:

Step 1: Open your dashboard​

  1. Log in to Dockflow.
  2. Go to the Dashboard with your shipment list.

Step 2: Edit columns​

  1. Open the Views controls at the top of your shipment list.
  2. Click Edit Columns (the column customization option).

Step 3: Add "Cargo Opening"​

  1. In the column search box, type Cargo Opening.
  2. Check the box next to Cargo Opening.
  3. Click Apply / Save.

The column now appears on your dashboard. You can drag it to reorder, ideally next to other departure-side columns such as ETD and the vessel.

Tip

Group the Cargo Opening column near your loading and departure columns (ETD, POL, Vessel) rather than arrival columns, since it describes the export side of the journey.

Understanding the data​

Populated value: a date and time (e.g. 2026-01-28 14:30, in local terminal time) indicating when the yard starts accepting containers for that vessel.

Blank value can mean:

  • The vessel/terminal has not published a cargo opening time yet.
  • The load port or terminal is outside the current coverage (currently Belgium via NxtPort).
  • The shipment is an import or otherwise has no relevant departure leg at a covered terminal.

The value can change as the terminal updates its planning. Dockflow keeps the latest published time.

Using cargo opening time in automations​

Cargo opening time is available as a milestone event in automations, so you can be alerted when it is published or when it shifts.

Example - notify on opening or change

Trigger: Cargo Opening Time milestone changes
Action: Send notification to the export desk
Message: "Cargo opening for [Container] at [Terminal] is now [Date]"

When the cargo opening time changes, the notification shows both the previous and the new value, along with the difference in days, so the team can immediately see whether the yard opened earlier or later than expected. You can also set a threshold so that you are only alerted when the shift is larger than a set number of hours.

Available via export and API​

  • Exports / scheduled reports: the cargo opening date is included in dashboard exports.
  • Upstream API: cargo opening time is exposed on the shipment as cargo_opening (ISO date string, taken from the port of loading), and changes to it are included in the change feed.

Troubleshooting​

The column shows but is empty for my shipments​

This is expected when:

  • The load port/terminal is outside the current coverage (Belgium / NxtPort terminals).
  • The terminal has not yet published an opening time for the vessel.
  • The shipment has no departure leg at a covered terminal.

Containers departing from Antwerp or Zeebrugge terminals should populate once the terminal publishes the data for the vessel.

I see it for some Belgian shipments but not others​

Terminals publish per vessel. If a specific vessel/terminal combination has not been published yet, that shipment stays blank until the data appears.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: Is cargo opening time about import or export? A: Export. It is the time the terminal at the port of loading starts accepting containers for a vessel, i.e. when you can deliver your export container to the yard.

Q: Is this when my imported container is ready for pickup at destination? A: No. Cargo opening time is a departure-side data point at the load port. It does not describe import availability or pickup at the destination.

Q: Is cargo opening time the same as the cut-off / closing time? A: No. Cargo opening is the start of the delivery window. The cut-off (closing) is the deadline by which the container must be delivered. The cut-off is a separate data point and is not part of this field.

Q: Which terminals and ports are supported? A: Currently Belgium, via NxtPort: Port of Antwerp (BEANR) and Zeebrugge (BEZEE), covering PSA, MPET, DP World and CSP Zeebrugge.

Q: Why is cargo opening time blank for some containers? A: Either the terminal has not published it yet for that vessel, or the load port/terminal is outside the current coverage.

Q: Can I be notified when the cargo opening time is published or changes? A: Yes. Use an automation on the Cargo Opening Time milestone event. See Creating Automations.

Q: Can partners see cargo opening time? A: Yes, if you share tradeflows with partners and include the Cargo Opening column in the shared views.

Support​

Questions about cargo opening time?