Samudera lifts container revenue per TEU 18% to $297 in Q3

Samudera Shipping Line earned an average of US$297 per TEU in the third quarter of 2026, up 18% from US$252 per TEU a year earlier, on container volumes that held flat at 503,000 TEU. The figures come from the Singapore-based regional carrier's latest business update and capture a quarter in which the company's three divisions pulled in sharply different directions: shipping yields improved, tanker activity contracted hard, and logistics volumes surged.

The container shipping result is the headline. Samudera moved essentially the same box count as in the third quarter of 2025 — 503,000 TEU, unchanged year on year — yet revenue per unit rose by US$45. The company said average freight rates were higher across the period. That combination, flat volume plus rising yield, points to firm regional pricing rather than share gains, and it flowed through despite cost pressure. Samudera flagged that bunker and charter hire expenses remained elevated during the quarter, a squeeze familiar to intra-Asia operators still absorbing high hired-in tonnage rates.

What happened to the tanker fleet?

The bulk and tanker segment took the hardest hit. The fleet stood at seven vessels during the quarter, down from eight a year earlier, comprising three chemical tankers and four gas tankers. Employment days collapsed from 671 in the third quarter of 2025 to 414 in the same period of 2026 — a 38% drop in utilised operating days.

Samudera attributed the decline to service disruptions in the Middle East, vessel downtime and scheduled drydockings. The company said those factors hit both revenue and operating margins in the segment.

The fleet is also smaller by design. Samudera sold two chemical tankers in June 2026; one vessel was delivered during the second quarter and the other in the third quarter. The disposals cap a period in which the company has trimmed exposure to chemical shipping while its remaining gas tonnage keeps the segment diversified across four carriers.

Why did logistics volumes jump?

The logistics segment delivered the quarter's strongest growth. Storage occupancy rose from 173,100 pallet positions in the third quarter of 2025 to 188,900 positions in the latest quarter. Handled volume climbed even faster, from 627,500 pallet equivalents to 977,100 pallet equivalents — a 56% increase.

Samudera credited the surge to stronger fourth-party logistics activity in Indonesia, where the company's 4PL operations are scaling alongside domestic distribution demand. The margin picture was less rosy. The segment's operating margin declined after Samudera rationalised its warehouse business in Malaysia, a restructuring that traded near-term profitability for a leaner footprint.

What does the mix mean for shippers?

For cargo owners on Samudera's intra-Asia network, the numbers signal pricing strength that has so far held despite elevated bunker and charter costs. Carriers in the region will read the US$45 per TEU yield gain as evidence that discipline on capacity, rather than volume chasing, is still paying. Forwarders with regional LCL and 4PL programmes in Indonesia should note the 977,100 pallet equivalents figure, which points to deepening warehouse and handling capacity in that market.

The quarter leaves Samudera with a clear pattern: container yields rising, tanker utilisation depressed by external disruption, and logistics volume growing through a margin reset. With Middle East service disruptions still the wildcard and drydocking schedules rolling into future quarters, the tanker segment's employment days will be the number to watch when the company reports its next update.