At Splash Singapore on 24 September, the X-Press Feeders CEO explained why ownership matters to a feeder network. He said some vessels may wait 7–10 days in Shanghai. Under those conditions, a service planned for 52 voyages a year could complete only 45–48. Splash Maritime Group

X-Press Feeders’ move towards a greater share of owned vessels gives it more control over where to deploy capacity. When ships are needed in Asia, Europe or the Caribbean, the company has more room to adjust its network without depending entirely on vessel availability in the charter market.

Ownership requires a long-term capital commitment. For an operator managing interconnected schedules, it also provides the flexibility to respond when delays spread across the network. Yoskovitz’s point brings the fleet strategy question into focus: how much tonnage must a feeder operator control to protect its service commitments?