Lower cost of doing business
A low, fixed fee replaces high deposits under one schedule for every shipping line, releasing working capital into productive use.
No more container deposits. One security fee, and every box tracked home.
Blue Route Logistics SL Limited replaces the refundable container deposit with a one-off, non-refundable security fee for inbound, export and transit containers. Customers no longer tie up money in a deposit, shipping lines have less to administer and regulators gain a clear view, while every container stays protected by tracking and broker-level enforcement.
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The opportunity
Container deposits are an outdated answer to a modern problem.
Deposits tie up customer capital, create disputes, add administrative cost and slow trade, without protecting shipping-line assets any better. Today each shipping line runs its own deposit arrangement. The framework replaces them all with one consistent, transparent fee schedule.
Refundable depositLarge sum held per containerRefunds processed, queried and contestedDifferent rules at every lineEscrow, guarantees and foreign-exchange exposureReturn enforced only by money held back
Security feeOne-off fee, collected at releaseNon-refundable: no refund cycle at allOne schedule for every shipping lineNo held balancesReturn enforced by tracking and the Union
Why this is the right moment
- Customers across trade and logistics now expect digital, transparent, low-friction processes.
- Port authorities and regulators are pursuing reforms that cut non-tariff barriers and the cost of doing business.
- Shipping lines are under pressure to simplify operations, sharpen customer experience and protect margins.
- Technology to track and reconcile container movements at scale is now proven and affordable.
- The Sierra Leone Customs Brokers Union has the organised membership and standing to enforce disciplined container return among its members.
The framework
What changes, and what gets stronger.
- Refundable deposit → fixed security fee
A transparent fee replaces high deposits and the refund cycle that comes with them. Transit carries a higher fee for its higher risk, and export is covered because it is more exposed to theft.
- Administrator-collected → line-collected
Shipping lines collect the fee at release alongside their existing charges. There is no refund administration downstream.
- Shipping-line process → specialist administrator
Blue Route owns the day-to-day administration from end to end.
- Paper and phone → platform
Remittance, reconciliation, tracking, exceptions, customer service and reporting run on one purpose-built platform.
- Dispute-driven → data-driven
Status and compliance are shown by data, not argued case by case.
- Passive deterrence → active enforcement
The Union holds its members accountable for returning every container they clear, backed by platform evidence.
Asset protection
Tighter controls, continuous monitoring and documented escalation.
Commercial control
Shipping lines keep ownership of their containers and oversight of performance.
Regulatory oversight
Full visibility through structured reporting and platform access.
Return discipline
Strengthened, not weakened: broker-level enforcement plus continuous tracking.
For shipping lines
You carry the cargo. The deposit cycle should not be carrying you.
Deposits are not part of any shipping line's value proposition, yet they are a lasting source of complaints, internal cost and reputational drag. We take that off your desk and strengthen the controls that protect your containers.
Your pain pointWhat the framework does
Refund liability and disputesThe fee is non-refundable, so there is no refund cycle, no deductions, no reconciliation backlog and no dispute pipeline.
Heavy back-office workloadYou collect the fee on your existing release invoice. We handle remittance reconciliation, reporting and customer service.
Asset risk without a depositLive status, exception alerts and escalation replace the deposit as the control. Each container is linked to the customs broker handling it.
Customer complaints and brand dragWe become the customer-facing contact for everything about container security, so complaints no longer come to you.
Treasury complexityNo held balances, no escrow and no foreign-exchange exposure on deposits.
Gaps in visibilityDashboards covering every container under the framework, across depots and transporters, for your authorised users.
For regulators and port authorities
Trade facilitation is national strategy. Container deposits work against it.
Traders, chambers of commerce and reform programmes name deposits as a non-tariff barrier to trade. The framework supports trade facilitation, transparency and oversight directly.
Container flows in view
One platform tracks every container from release to return, with authorised regulator dashboards for oversight without operational burden.
Fewer trader complaints
A specialist customer-service desk resolves trader queries at source.
Aligned with reform
Supports national trade-facilitation strategy, single-window initiatives and regional integration commitments.
Transparency and compliance
A transparent fee structure with clear money flows and a full audit trail.
One accountable administrator
A single administrator coordinates shipping lines, regulators, the port authority and the Sierra Leone Customs Brokers Union.
The role of the Customs Brokers Union
Compliance is enforced at the gate, by the customs brokers who return the boxes.
The Sierra Leone Customs Brokers Union is built into the framework as an accountable enforcement partner, with defined duties. Timely return becomes an obligation enforced by the profession itself.
- Member accountability. Every container is linked on the platform to the customs broker handling it.
- Compliance reporting. The Union secretariat receives broker-level dashboards and periodic return reports.
- Training. The Union leads member education on return timelines and platform use.
How it works
One clock per container, from release to return.
The clock starts on the day a container leaves the gate. That day is day 1. Every gate record from the terminal and the depot moves the container forward on the platform.
- Day 1ReleaseThe container leaves the gate and its clock starts. The fee was paid with the release.
- Day 10ReminderThe customer and the customs broker are reminded to return the container.
- Day 14Free period endsA container still out is flagged overdue. The shipping line and the Union are told the same day.
- Day 15 onwardsDetentionDetention runs at the line's rates until the container is back, and the Union follows up with the customs broker.
Inbound
Port releaseDepot or port return
Export
Depot releasePort gate-in
Transit
Port releaseDepot return
Fee schedule
One schedule for every shipping line.
Collected once by the shipping line at release and not refunded. A 20ft container is 1 TEU and a 40ft container is 2 TEU.
| Container | Per TEU | 20ft | 40ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inbound | 50.00 | 50.00 | 100.00 |
| Export | 30.00 | 30.00 | 60.00 |
| Transit | 100.00 | 100.00 | 200.00 |
| Inbound | 50.00 | 50.00 | 100.00 |
| Export | 30.00 | 30.00 | 60.00 |
| Transit | 100.00 | 100.00 | 200.00 |
Why Blue Route
A narrow, specialist mandate: make the framework work.
A Sierra Leone-registered company set up to deliver this framework. We administer the fee, run the platform and serve as the customer-facing contact, so shipping lines, regulators and the port authority can focus on what they do best.
One accountable counterparty
One organisation, one platform, one point of contact.
Purpose-built
Designed around the container security fee, not adapted from a generic logistics business.
Local presence, strong controls
Registered and operating in Sierra Leone, with strong internal controls and clear reporting.
No competing interests
We do not compete with shipping lines or with the port authority.
Meet our team
The people who run the framework day to day.
Osman Dixon Kargbo
General ManagerOsman brings more than six years of leadership in port operations, project cargo and inland haulage. At Global Logistics Solutions he rose from Personal Assistant to the CEO to Deputy General Manager for Logistics and Port Operations, overseeing terminal coordination, customs clearance and port-to-site delivery for energy and infrastructure projects. As General Manager for Transport and Project Logistics he ran operations across Sierra Leone, Guinea and Senegal, leading more than 50 staff, coordinating 35 to 50 truck movements a week and moving over 10,000 tonnes of cargo. He brings deep working relationships with terminal operators, customs and transport teams, and a track record of building standard operating procedures and keeping operations running under pressure.
Abdul Aziz Sesay
Operations OfficerAbdul Aziz brings more than ten years of experience in supply chain, procurement and finance. As Procurement and Logistics Manager at Lionheart Transportation & Logistics he oversaw logistics planning, warehouse coordination and fleet deployment for a nationwide transport portfolio. Before that he spent eight years at Sierra Leone Commercial Bank managing procurement on projects worth more than US$2.7 million, after two years in its finance department on processing, reconciliation and regulatory reporting. Most recently he advised the National Insurance Company on procurement governance and compliance. He brings a strong grip on internal controls, documentation and exception handling, and holds an MSc in Accounting and Finance.
Abu Bakarr Sesay
Finance and Reconciliation OfficerAbu Bakarr is an accountant with nearly 22 years of experience in banking, donor-funded projects and public finance. At the Bank of Sierra Leone he worked across currency, reconciliation and foreign exchange, chaired the Bankers Clearing House and led the pilot of local inter-bank SWIFT settlement. He was Financial Controller of an African Development Bank and Government-funded agricultural project, then spent ten years as Financial Adviser and Acting Admin & Finance Officer in the Public Private Partnership Unit, where all five annual audits under his watch were unqualified. Most recently he has handled payroll, tax, vendor and bank reconciliations on the 108 MW Nant power project. He holds an MSc in Finance and Accounting.
Abibatu Koroma
Customer Service OfficerAbibatu brings experience in communication, stakeholder engagement and office administration. As Secretary at the Association of Clearing and Forwarding Agents from 2023, she managed correspondence, meetings, minutes and records, and came to know the clearing and forwarding community well. Earlier she was a reporter with the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, a field researcher with Health Poverty Action gathering information directly from communities, and a facilitator with Save the Children leading workshops and group discussions. She is known for clear communication, attention to detail and meeting deadlines, and holds a BSc in Sociology from Fourah Bay College.
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- Office
- 62 Pa Demba Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Website
- www.blueroutesl.com