[SamAdams76]

Maybe somebody can explain the phrase "blank sailing?"

Does this mean they are sending empty ships across the ocean? Why not just keep them in port until they have cargo?

[central_va]

Some cargo vessels follow a fixed schedule full, half full or almost empty. But I thought that type of sailing ended decades ago.

[woodbutcher1963]

They MAY have cargo in the USA/Europe/Mexico/South America that they need to pick up and bring back to Asia.

[Alberta's Child]

A “blank sailing” is a canceled sailing or a canceled port call on a scheduled sailing.

Port calls get canceled if minimum volumes aren’t maintained. Suppose a ship sails from Asia to the west coast and usually drops 3,000 containers in LA and 1,500 in Seattle/Tacoma. If they only have 500 containers destined for Seattle/Tacoma this week, they may skip that port call and drop those containers in LA instead.