Liner shipping will become less reliable during the first quarter of 2014.

This is according to Drewry, which has published its latest Carrier Performance Insight report. It found that operators seem solely concentrated on cutting costs, rather than adhering to service standards.

Reliability consistently fell during each quarter of 2013, with the decline in the final three months taking the on-time average of services down below 64 per cent. This is the lowest it has been in two years and is far lower than the 75.2 per cent achieved in the same period in 2012. 

Drewry expects the situation to worsen during the coming year, with more companies choosing to skip voyages. 

Simon Heaney, senior manager of supply chain research at the company, said: "The focus on reliability seems to have been lost in the current cost-cutting environment. Shippers are now paying more for poorer services."

The report identified Maersk Line as the most reliable carrier, achieving an on-time score of 80 per cent. The worst-performing companies were MSC and CSAV.