Clear communication can reduce costs and litigation in the sector

In ports, Renata highlighted that litigation is closely associated with tariff charges: disagreements over who should charge and who should pay (Sílvio Luiz/AT)

Clear, transparent communication and empathy from professionals working in port logistics are essential attributes for operational efficiency, impacting increased productivity and the reduction of costs and litigation. This is the view of Renata Moura Sena, a professor at Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP) and an infrastructure specialist, who delivered the lecture Behavioral Economics Impacts Costs, Productivity and Safety in Logistics this Thursday (16), at Intermodal South America, in São Paulo.

According to the specialist, litigation may not stem from operational failures, but rather from communication gaps and a perceived sense of unfairness among stakeholders. “Communication is the most effective factor. Often, processes do not move forward due to a concrete problem, but because of failures in transparency or information”, she stated.

In the context of ports, Renata Sena emphasized that litigation is strongly associated with tariff charges. Disagreements over who should charge and who should pay fuel conflicts among operators, terminals, and shippers. “One of the main complaints is precisely the lack of transparency. What is the actual amount? Who will be paid? Who is authorized to charge? Why do some charges appear duplicated?”, said Renata, once again underscoring communication failures.

According to her, this scenario creates a fertile environment for legal disputes. “This type of lack of transparency leads to questioning and a perception of unfairness”, she said.

However, the specialist stressed that the solution is not purely communicational. In many cases, the issue lies in the regulatory framework itself. “If legislation is not clear, it leaves room for interpretation. In that case, simply improving communication is not enough — the problem is structural”, she explained.

Road freight

Renata also mentioned another critical point, this time related to the road freight rate table. “Business owners question whether that table takes into account the type of truck used or the real variables of the operation”, she said.

For the specialist, the path forward involves dialogue and the production of technical studies to support potential revisions. “If it is a problem, it must be demonstrated that it needs to be changed. It is a slower solution, but one that addresses the structural impact”, she stated.

During the lecture, the specialist explained that psychological factors — such as a sense of injustice, low trust in institutions, and emotional decision-making — affect the decision to pursue litigation.

She cited the airline sector as an example: a small share of flights accounts for most lawsuits, increasing costs that are ultimately passed on to consumers. “The issue is not only operational, but also how the situation is communicated”, she noted.

The specialist outlined the following solutions: transparent and immediate communication; offering direct compensation before litigation; more humanized customer service; reducing expectations of gains in court; and creating more accessible communication channels.

For the port sector, adopting these practices may result not only in fewer disputes, but also in operational gains. Renata believes that reducing disputes lowers legal costs, avoids delays, and improves operational predictability. “There is no single solution. It is a set of short- and long-term actions that must be implemented to generate transparency and reduce costs”, she emphasized.

The specialist also reinforced the role of institutional communication and the press in this process. “If the problem is a lack of transparency, it is necessary to inform, communicate, and apply pressure. That is how some issues begin to be resolved”, she concluded.