Ocean Freight

If 2020 was the year for pandemic-driven disruption for organizations around the globe, then 2021 is the year when those interruptions trickled down into the world’s supply chains. From product shortages to port congestion to an ocean container shortage, the number of obstacles standing in the way of an easy...

Sales of electric vehicles are rising worldwide and on track to make up 58% of all passenger vehicle sales by 2040. Loved for their eco-friendly status and the fact that they don’t require expensive trips to the gas station, plug-in electric vehicles can reduce emissions and even save their owners...

Container shortages, capacity constraints, higher shipping costs, and ongoing impacts of the global pandemic all placed new challenges in front of ocean shippers last year. Those roadblocks have yet to be removed in 2021, although some early signs of relief are beginning to surface. The problem is that the shortage—among...

Coming into 2020, the world’s ocean shippers were bracing themselves for what would be a fundamental change to the way their ships operate on the high seas. That’s because beginning January 1, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), would limit the amount of sulfur in fuel oil to  0.50% m/m (mass...

Peter Nordstrom joined DB Schenker as the Regional Head of Ocean Product across the Americas in early-2020. At the time, COVID-19 was largely relegated to China and had yet to begin wreaking havoc on nearly every country around the world. Responsible for developing and implementing ocean freight strategies—including preferred carrier...

With IMO 2020 looming, shippers should be keeping a close eye on how carriers, shippers, and refiners are responding to the new 0.5% global sulphur cap. With the International Maritime Organization’s new 0.5% mass by mass (m/m) global sulphur cap on fuel content (down from a current 3.5%) on track...

Looming Trade Wars, Megaship Congestion, and Harsh Canadian Winters Have Yet to Slow Double-Digit Growth It’s no accident that Vancouver, British Columbia, is consistently ranked one of the “most livable” cities in the world. It’s surrounded by exceptional natural beauty. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, it’s...

Is it Rotterdam, or even Hamburg? No – the largest freight port in the world isn’t located anywhere in Europe. Several decades ago, the continent’s ports were outclassed by harbors in Asia. Singapore was long the ocean freight hub with the largest transshipment volumes, until it was overtaken by the...

How Port Selection is Becoming Increasingly Critical to Supply Chain Strategy Building an efficient supply chain involves a bewildering number of factors. And now with today’s “mega ships” creating their own economies of scale — one that encourages larger shipments to fewer ports — the port(s) you choose to ship...

The trends impacting ocean cargo in 2018 and how shippers can navigate these ever-changing challenges in the ocean freight marketplace. Severe truck driver shortages, the formation of ocean carrier “alliances,” the increased use of virtual forwarding, and trade agreement uncertainty are all impacting ocean cargo shippers right now. From Mexico’s...