News & Insights

We are in a new world of shipping. There have been spikes in demand and freight rates before, but never for such a long time and never on such a continuously upward trajectory. The challenges we face are unique. Even with demand levels increasing on the most popular trades, equipment availabil... Read more

Container shipping lines are becoming ever more inventive with the names they apply to the surcharges they keep adding to already over-loaded FAK rates. The latest example is Hapag-Lloyd’s ‘value-added surcharge’ of $5,000 per 40ft, from China to the US and Canada. The carri... Read more

UK hauliers are under massive pressure, struggling to counter the border delays, increased administration and crippling driver shortages that have plagued the industry since Brexit and now, as they fear the full UK border checks due in January, drivers are planning a strike in August. Surges i... Read more

One of the key success factors for high performing service providers, is consistently enhancing their ‘product’, by putting their people first, with efficient and effective HR strategies. There are many different types of HR strategies, but at their heart, they all start with the same foun... Read more

An unexpected upturn in consumer demand is playing havoc with Europe’s automotive supply chains, as supply shortages disrupt OEM’s manufacturing productivity Factory shutdowns were a significant contributor to poor sales in 2020 and there were fears that a shortage of semico... Read more

Demand for imports from Asia and the Indian subcontinent (ISC) continues to outstrip shipping line capacity, in a sign that with inventories low, second-half volumes are unlikely to let up, keeping pressure on a global supply chain infrastructure that is already buckling. The UK’s primary co... Read more

Driver hours have been temporarily legally extended and the government launches secret visa talks for foreign lorry drivers, amid a staff shortage that threatens to undermine supply chains. Over 45,000 HGV driver tests are outstanding at DVSA as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns, while 79... Read more

The early start of the sea freight peak season and its likely extension through 2021 and possibly up to the Lunar New Year in 2022 means the chance of current market rates softening significantly are slender, particularly as disruption in any region creates more congestion and... Read more

Containers continue to be in short supply - particularly in the places where they’re needed most - with wait times varying region to region, country to country and port to port. And even the world’s biggest shipping lines are not sure when their containers will be available, or where. Desp... Read more

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), the official body responsible for representing and assisting Indian exporters, has submitted a formal request to the Indian government to invest in developing its own shipping line, in response to ‘exorbitant’ freight rates. As we have ... Read more

Economists are convinced that global sea freight demand will continue to outstrip container shipping capacity for the rest of this year and into next year, which is good news for the shipping lines’ bottom line, but not so much for shippers, who continue to pay premiums in order to get their pr... Read more

Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) batteries are a type of rechargeable battery that’s used commonly in electronic devices such as smartwatches and mobile phones, with demand for larger Li-ion batteries to power electric vehicles, but there are significant challenges in transporting these hazardous products.... Read more