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In this clip from The Freight Buyers' Club, three of the sharpest minds in logistics technology give three very different answers to the same question: in three years, which type of company wins?
Zubin Appoo, CEO of WiseTech Global, says integrated platforms with AI at the core displace everything else. Wolfgang Lehmacher, former Head of Supply Chain at the World Economic Forum, backs the ecosystem orchestrators. Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor at the Journal of Commerce, thinks the industry stays fragmented, just in a new way.
No consensus. No easy answers. Worth checking out.
Watch the full episode here:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX9C1d4HwNA
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7xPnfH2JgjCmIjhGiV1w7F
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/who-wins-the-ai-race-in-logistics-and-who-gets-left-behind/id1668766055?i=1000766413060
Website: https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/podcast/who-wins-the-ai-race-in-logistics-and-who-gets-left-behind/
#AI #Logistics #FreightTech #SupplyChain #FreightForwarding #CargoWise #WiseTechGlobal #LogisticsTech #FreightBuyersClub #SupplyChainTech
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Is Amazon replacing the 3PL? In this episode of Air Cargo Unpacked, Mike King and co-host Neel Jones Shah dig into Amazon Supply Chain Services and what it really means for third party logistics providers, freight forwarders and the air cargo market. Is this a genuine supply chain management revolution or just a repackaging of existing services?
Also in this May episode: the Middle East capacity recovery -- Rotate's latest data on the Gulf region and what 74% recovery actually means for shippers. Neil Wilson, Editor of TAC Index and calculating agent for the Baltic Air Freight indices, unpacks the rates picture -- including the extraordinary Europe-Dubai lane, up 140% year on year as Emirates capacity collapsed. Shantanu Gangakhedkar of Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific on air cargo demand in the region and the scenarios that frame what happens next, from the Strait of Hormuz to growing e-commerce volumes. Jet fuel up almost 100% -- what the supply chain logistics implications are for carriers and shippers paying surcharges. ULD market disruption. And the FedEx MD-11 -- back in the skies despite all predictions.
Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialists. https://www.ontegos.cloud/
Co-host: Neel Jones Shah (ex-Delta, United, Flexport) Neil Wilson -- Editor, TAC Index Shantanu Gangakhedkar -- Principal Consultant and Aviation Lead, Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific
Produced by Karen Ball and Tom Matthews
#airfreight #3PL #supplychain #logistics #aviation #FedEx #MD11 #straitofhormuz #supplychainmanagement #aircargounpacked
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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The Trump administration’s tariff programme has suffered another legal defeat. The US Court of International Trade ruled 2-1 against the 10% Section 122 global surcharge, the replacement for the IEEPA reciprocal tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court in February. So which tariffs are actually still standing, and what comes next?
Mike King is joined by Karen Kenney, founder and president of K2 Trade Solutions and Dimerco Express Group Trade Compliance Strategist, and Nancy O’Liddy, Executive Director of the National Industrial Transportation League, to map out the current tariff landscape, explain how the four remaining pillars stack, and look at what the $166 billion CAPE refund process means in practice for importers.
They also get into tariff fraud, including transshipment evasion, the growing risk of refund interception through the CAPE portal, and double-brokering in US domestic freight. Plus: diesel prices up 60% year on year, carrier surcharges, the Federal Maritime Commission’s pushback, and what the war in the Middle East actually means for shipping costs. And Nancy O’Liddy on why the NITL is calling for the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger to be denied.
A wide-ranging, practical episode for anyone managing freight costs or supply chain risk in 2026.
Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group: https://dimerco.com
Contents
0:03:00 The Section 122 ruling: another legal defeat for Trump tariffs
0:06:00 Which tariffs are actually still standing?
0:08:00 The global tariff map: what it means by country and product
0:11:00 Tariff stacking explained: how 80% ends up on a tin can
0:15:00 The $166 billion refund: how the CAPE process is working in practice
0:23:00 Transshipment fraud: the $107 billion evasion problem
0:30:00 Refund fraud and the risk building around the CAPE portal
0:34:00 Double-brokering and domestic freight fraud
0:37:00 Fuel costs: diesel up 60% and what it means for shippers
0:47:00 Rail consolidation: why NITL is calling for the UP/NS merger to be denied
Related episode
Carrier consolidation, AI & freight fraud: Gebrüder Weiss North America CEO Mark McCullough
https://youtu.be/N7kVfrHfAAo
Data and press credits
Data and graphics: TPC Tariff Rules Engine v1.6 | American Automobile Association
Press coverage cited: The Guardian | The New York Times | Dow Jones Risk Journal (Liz Young, 28 April 2026) | The Washington Post (Linda Miller, 23 April 2026) | Journal of Commerce
Research cited: Gaia Dynamics, “The Refund Trap: Why IEEPA Recovery Can Trigger Hidden Compliance Exposure”, 21 April 2026 | Altana AI, tariff evasion report, April 2026
Follow the Freight Buyers’ Club
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mjDlZfKPFAnZwZeTNsiej?si=465c7c68316e4a0c
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-freight-buyers-club/id1668766055
Website: thefreightbuyersclub.com
#TrumpTariffs #TradeWar #SupplyChain #FreightBuying #Logistics
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In this clip from The Freight Buyers' Club's latest AI and logtech special, Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor at the Journal of Commerce, gives freight buyers and logistics operators a practical framework for cutting through the AI vendor noise.
He covers how he evaluates vendor claims as a journalist, why the compulsion to understand how AI works is the wrong instinct, what blockchain taught us about technology hype, and the specific questions every buyer should be putting to vendors before they commit.
#AI #Logistics #FreightTech #SupplyChain #FreightBuying #LogisticsTech #ArtificialIntelligence #FreightForwarding #FreightBuyersClub #SupplyChainTech
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On April 7th this year, Anthropic released an AI model called Claude Mythos. It was so capable at finding vulnerabilities in software that the company restricted access to around fifty organisations. The US Treasury summoned the biggest banks. The Pentagon had already stepped in. The Economist called it a watershed moment.
In this episode of The Freight Buyers' Club, Mike King uses the Mythos moment as the way in to a much bigger conversation about AI and the future of logistics technology. Who controls the most powerful tools? What happens inside a company when AI actually lands? What does it mean for jobs, for compliance risk, for tribal knowledge, and for the competitive structure of the freight industry itself?
Joining Mike are:
Zubin Appoo, CEO of WiseTech Global, the company behind CargoWiseEric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor at the Journal of Commerce, part of S&P GlobalWolfgang Lehmacher, former Head of Supply Chain and Transport Industries at the World Economic ForumIn this episode:
The Mythos moment and what gated AI access means for freightFragmentation vs scale: the technology debate reshaping the industryWhat AI actually does inside a logistics company when it landsTribal knowledge: what happens when the repetitive work disappearsDigital twins, compliance risk and the case for optimism00:00 - Cold Open: The Mythos Moment
00:01 - Meet the Panel
00:03 - AI as a Controlled Substance: Framing the Debate
00:04 - Eric Johnson: Manhattan Project and the Two-Tier Access Question
00:06 - Wolfgang Lehmacher: Palantir, Government Relationships and Structural Advantage
00:09 - Zubin Appoo: Where CargoWise Sits When AI Gets Gated
00:11 - Fragmentation vs Scale: The Concentration Risk Debate
00:13 - Inside the WiseTech Restructure
00:17 - Intelligent Logistics: How AI Changes What Platforms Can Do
00:20 - The Mid-Market Forwarder: Opportunity or Threat?
00:21 - Eric Johnson: Cutting Through the AI Vendor Noise
00:28 - Tribal Knowledge: What Disappears When the Repetitive Work Goes?
00:34 - Wolfgang Lehmacher: Data Sharing, Digital Twins and Resilience
00:44 - Compliance Risk: Where AI Actually Changes the Game
00:52 - Who Wins in Three Years, and Is There a Case for Optimism?#AI #Logistics #FreightTech #SupplyChain #CargoWise #FreightBuyersClub #WiseTechGlobal #ArtificialIntelligence #FreightForwarding #SupplyChainTech
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When markets break, most industries struggle.
Freight forwarders? They often make more.In this episode of the Freight Buyers’ Club, Oliver Gritz (former CFO of DHL Express and Founder & CEO of Ontegos Cloud) explains why crisis creates opportunity in freight—and why some forwarders thrive while others fall behind.
From war-driven disruption and supply chain chaos to liquidity stress and missed revenue, we break down what’s really happening inside freight forwarding in 2026.
If you’re in freight, logistics, or global trade—this is what separates the winners from everyone else.
What you’ll learn:
Why forwarders make more money in volatile marketsThe role of data in real-time supply chain decisionsWhere forwarders lose 3–5% of profit (and how to fix it)How top performers manage cash flow under pressureWhat “winning the crisis” actually looks like operationallyAbout the guest:
Oliver Gritz is the Founder & CEO of Ontegos Cloud and former CFO of DHL Express. With decades of experience inside global logistics, he now advises freight forwarders on profitability, data, and operational performance.Listen / follow Freight Buyers’ Club:
Podcast: https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thefreightbuyersclub2866#FreightForwarding #Logistics #SupplyChain
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Gulf air cargo hubs have taken a serious hit since the Middle East war began. The world's most strategically positioned freight network is under pressure - and the industry wants to know if it comes back.
In this segment from the latest Air Cargo Unpacked, Mike King and Neel Jones Shah sit down with Ram Menen - the man who spent nearly 28 years building Emirates SkyCargo and helped make Dubai one of the great global freight hubs - to ask the question the whole industry is asking: do the Gulf hubs come back, and how long does it take?
Together they cover the hub geography, the belly cargo and passenger confidence question, how this crisis ranks against Gulf War I, 9/11, SARS and COVID, whether forwarders building alternative routes creates a permanent market shift, and why Ram believes air cargo recovers faster than ocean shipping.
Ram's verdict: Gulf War III. Temporary setback, not existential crisis.
The full episode also features exclusive air cargo rate analysis from TAC Index, calculating agent for the Baltic Exchange Baltic Air Freight Indices, plus Bachi Spiga from DHL Express Middle East and North Africa on how DHL kept every country in the region served from day two of the conflict.
Full episode: ▶️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/YQROEd_DSAc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OW32v9r8ZVejCWJ5oiB8r?si=beb29a01eeaf414b Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/air-cargo-unpacked-middle-east-war-fuel-crisis-capacity/id1668766055?i=1000761786379 thefreightbuyersclub.com: https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/podcast/air-cargo-unpacked-middle-east-war-fuel-crisis-capacity-disruption-and-global-fallout/
Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, freight forwarder profitability specialists: https://www.ontegos.cloud/
#AirCargo #AirFreight #MiddleEast #GulfAirCargo #Emirates #AirCargoUnpacked #FreightBuyersClub #OntegosCloud #BalticAirFreightIndex #TACIndex
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The Middle East war that began on February 28th has sent shockwaves through global air cargo. Jet fuel has nearly doubled. Gulf hub capacity is still less than 60% of normal. And a fragile ceasefire has done little to restore confidence in the region's critical air corridors.
In this episode of Air Cargo Unpacked, Mike King and Neel Jones Shah are joined by air cargo legend Ram Menen, who spent nearly 28 years building Emirates SkyCargo and helped make Dubai one of the great global freight hubs. Ram gives his verdict on what this crisis means for the region, how it compares to Gulf War I, 9/11 and COVID, and whether the Gulf's geographic advantage can survive the damage.
We also have Bachi Spiga, VP Network Operations at DHL Express Middle East and North Africa, on how DHL rewired its entire regional operation to keep trade moving, and Neil Wilson and Peyton Burnett from TAC Index, calculating agent for the Baltic Air Freight Indices, on what the rate data is telling us right now. And we walk through exclusive capacity and fuel analysis from Rotate, giving a granular picture of what has actually happened to the global network since February 28th.
Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialists. https://www.ontegos.cloud/
In this episode we cover:
Ram Menen on the history, the crisis and why he calls this a temporary setback rather than an existential threat to Gulf aviationWhy the ceasefire changes less than you might think, and what actually needs to happen before normal returnsGulf recovery airport by airport, with Dubai at 54%, Doha at 50%, Bahrain and Kuwait at zeroGlobal capacity shifts by trade lane, including a 28% surge on Asia-Europe as carriers bypass the GulfWhy jet fuel is still 70% above pre-conflict levels despite easing on ceasefire newsSoutheast Asia's fuel import dependency and why Vietnam, Hong Kong and Australia are most at riskHow DHL rewired its Middle East network to keep trade movingRate movements across the key corridors since February 28th, with Baltic Air Freight Index data from TAC IndexThe 777-200 freighter conversion approval and whether it moves the needle on the capacity crunchJournalism featured in this episode:
Damian Brett, Air Cargo News: "Airfreight recovery could take months after US-Iran ceasefire"Greg Knowler, Journal of Commerce: "Rising jet fuel costs challenging freighter viability as war enters second month"Eric Kulisch, FreightWaves: "FAA approves 1st Boeing 777-200 passenger-to-freighter conversion"Data: TAC Index / Baltic Air Freight Indices. Rotate.
#AirCargo #AirFreight #MiddleEast #GulfAirCargo #FreightRates #JetFuel #SupplyChain #Logistics #FreightBuyersClub #AirCargoUnpacked #OntegosCloud #BalticAirFreightIndex #TACIndex #DHL #Emirates
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The Strait of Hormuz has been closed to commercial shipping since the end of February. One month on, the world is still counting the cost. Freight rates are rising, bunkers and jet fuel are running short, and the risk of escalation into the Red Sea and beyond is growing.
In this episode of The Freight Buyers' Club, Mike King is joined by two of the most respected voices in the industry:
Lars Jensen, CEO, Vespucci Maritime
Greg Knowler, Europe Editor, Journal of Commerce
Together they cover:
✅ Is the Middle East conflict actually a global shipping crisis — or a regional one?
✅ Container shipping rates: are we heading for a Red Sea-style spike or not?
✅ Bunker fuel shortages in Asia — why availability is becoming a bigger problem than price
✅ Jet fuel shortages and the collapse of air cargo capacity through Gulf hubs
✅ The intermodal alternatives: Saudi Red Sea ports, Khorfakkan, Salalah — and their limits
✅ The danger of escalation: Houthis, Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb and the eastern Mediterranean
✅ What US importers are facing on top of the existing tariff chaos
✅ Why supply chain resilience always loses out to efficiency — and what shippers can do about it
✅ Lars Jensen's forecast for container shipping rates in the weeks ahead
Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group, leading Asia-Pacific freight forwarder and logistics provider. https://dimerco.com
#MiddleEastConflict #ContainerShipping #GlobalTrade #SupplyChain #Freight #ShippingCrisis #Hormuz #AirCargo #BunkerFuel #FreightRates #SupplyChainResilience #FreightBuyersClub #LarsJensen #GregKnowler #Dimerco #OceanFreight #Logistics #Intermodal #RedSea #TradeDisruption
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Recorded live at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima, Peru, Mike King sits down with Andres Bianchi, CEO of LATAM Cargo, the cargo arm of the largest airline group in South America.
Andres breaks down LATAM Cargo's network across North America, Europe and intra-South America, their fleet of 19 Boeing 767 freighters, and why 65% of their cargo is special cargo, dominated by perishables like Chilean salmon, Ecuadorian flowers and Peruvian fruit.
We cover the structural changes hitting e-commerce and de minimis exemptions across Latin America, how LATAM Cargo planned for multiple tariff scenarios without having to implement most of them, and how the Middle East conflict is sending shockwaves through supply chains.
Andres also explains how LATAM Cargo handles fuel surcharge transparency with customers in a volatile pricing environment, and outlines plans for 5 to 7% belly capacity growth in 2026, with a focus on cargo-heavy European routes including Amsterdam and Brussels.
Topics covered:
IATA World Cargo Symposium 2025 takeawaysLATAM Cargo fleet and network overviewPerishables, pharma and lithium battery cargoUS tariffs, trade war and de minimis changesMiddle East conflict and supply chain disruptionFuel surcharges and price volatilityLATAM Cargo 2026 growth outlookThis content is brought to you by Dimerco Express Group. Learn more at dimerco.com.
#AirCargo #AirFreight #LATAMCargo #IATAWorldCargoSymposium #FreightBuyersClub #SouthAmericaFreight #Perishables #ColdChain #LogisticsPodcast #FreightPodcast #SupplyChain #Ecommerce #DeMinimis #Tariffs #TradeWar #FuelSurcharge #CargoFleet #FreightMarket #AirCargoIndustry #Dimerco
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Logistics technology promises a lot. But how do you know if a vendor is selling you reality or a roadmap? In this Freight Buyers' Club interview from TPM26 in Long Beach, Mike King sits down with independent logistics technology consultant Mike DeAngelis, who has worked across Maersk, INTTRA, WiseTech Global, project44 and FourKites, to get the questions every freight buyer and shipper should be asking before they commit.
From clean versus dirty data to the risks of automating AI workflows on unreliable sources, Mike DeAngelis cuts through the sales pitch to give shippers a practical framework for evaluating any logistics tech platform.
LogTech Industry veteran, ex - Maersk, INTTRA, WiseTech Global, p44, FourKites
In this interview:
Why the sales pitch and the software are often two different thingsWhat clean data actually means and why it matters for AIHow to structure a vendor conversation around your use cases, not their featuresWhy you should always ask for a live demo, not a PowerPointThe importance of getting your actual users in the roomWhy reference customers are one of the most valuable and underused evaluation toolsWhether you are assessing a visibility platform, a TMS, or an AI-driven workflow tool, the framework here applies across the board.
This content was brought to you by Ontegos Cloud, freight forwarder profitability specialists.
#FreightBuyers #LogisticsTech #SupplyChain #FreightProcurement #AI #ShippingTech #FreightBuyersClub
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Everyone's talking about AI. Peter Creeden thinks we're building on sand.
Peter Creeden, MD of MPC International and advisor to the IMO's Port Call Optimization task force, joined Mike King at TPM26 in Long Beach to make the case that shipping's data foundations need to come before any AI investment. From the IMO's new PCO Guide to e-bills of lading, smart contracts, and scope three emissions reporting in Australia, Peter maps out the digital layer cake that has to exist before AI can actually deliver.
If you're a freight buyer evaluating visibility platforms, digital tools, or AI-powered freight systems, this one is required viewing.
Guest: Peter Creeden, MD, MPC International
This content is brought to you by Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/]
#FreightBuyersClub #TPM26 #SupplyChain #ArtificialIntelligence #DigitalTransformation #Shipping #FreightTech #PortCallOptimization #IMO #LogisticsTech #EBillOfLading #Decarbonization #OceanFreight #FreightBuyers #SmartContracts
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Air cargo doesn't stop for war. It reroutes. Jan Krems, President of United Cargo, joins Mike King at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima, Peru, for one of the most candid conversations in recent air freight memory.
With Middle East airspace closed, fuel prices up sixty to seventy percent, and tariff policy shifting overnight, Jan explains how United keeps cargo moving when the world keeps throwing curveballs. His model is built on belly capacity, smart partnerships, and access to freighter space rather than ownership of it - a position he defends with characteristic Dutch directness.
On the growth side, Jan talks through United's pharmaceutical business in India, new Southeast Asia services into Vietnam and Thailand, and where he sees opportunity in a market disrupted by both conflict and trade policy chaos.
He also breaks down how United thinks about automation, AI, and the one thing technology still cannot replace: people with a cargo heart.
Thirty-nine years in the industry. Twelve with United. And cargo, he says, is still sexy.
Recorded live at WCS Lima, March 2026.
This episode of the Freight Buyers Club is supported by Dimerco Express Group. https://dimerco.com/
CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome from WCS Lima
01:00 Five years of disruption: COVID, Ukraine and the Middle East
03:00 Middle East airspace closure: impact, fuel costs and workarounds
05:00 Tariffs: coping when policy changes overnight
07:00 India, pharma and new Southeast Asia routes
09:00 South America: how United serves the region
10:00 The freighter question: why Jan will never own one
11:30 Fleet investment, specialty products and the cool chain
13:00 AI, automation and the 50/25/25 booking model
14:30 Thirty-nine years in the industry and why cargo is still sexy
#AirCargo #FreightBuyers #UnitedCargo #SupplyChain #Logistics #AirFreight #GlobalTrade #FreightMarket #Shipping #CargoIsSexy
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The Middle East war sent shockwaves through global air cargo markets almost overnight. 18% of global capacity disappeared within 48 hours. Mike King sits down with Ray Zedov, Commercial Director at Rotate, at IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima to break down what the data actually shows - from grounded Gulf carriers and rerouted integrators to Vietnam's supply chain surge and what shippers should be watching for in the months ahead.
This content is proudly supported by Dimerco Express Group, your ideal freight forwarding partner for Transpacific Asia and beyond. Learn more at https://dimerco.com/
#AirCargo #MiddleEastWar #FreightBuyersClub #Rotate #Dimerco #AirCargoNews #SupplyChain #Freight #IATAWCS #Lima2026
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Recorded live at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima, Air Cargo Unpacked brings together host Mike King, United Cargo President Jan Krems, TAC Index Founder Peyton Burnett and co-host Neel Jones Shah for the definitive air cargo briefing on the Middle East war.
Capacity on the Asia-Europe corridor has collapsed by more than 40% on some routes. Charter prices have tripled. Jet fuel has hit levels not seen in years. And ocean shipping is in simultaneous chaos. This episode covers what's happening, why it matters, what freight buyers should do right now, and where this goes next.
Sponsored by Ontegos Cloud — freight forwarder profitability specialists.
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In this exclusive interview at TPM26 in Long Beach, Mike King is talking to Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, to discuss three of the biggest stories shaping container shipping right now.
Rolf gives his take on the proposed Zim acquisition and what it means for freight buyers, the impact of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and what that means for ships currently stuck in the Persian Gulf, and whether a return to the Suez Canal is now further away than ever.
He also shares his view on the container shipping supply and demand balance, why he sees underlying demand as still strong, and how shippers should think about US inventory levels and the transpacific market heading into the rest of 2026.
This content is supported by Dimerco, a global freight forwarding and logistics network that believes in the value of independent journalism in the freight industry. Find out more at https://dimerco.com/
#TPM26 #ZimDeal #SuezCanal #IranStrikes #ContainerShipping #FreightMarket #HapagLloyd #LogisticsNews #SupplyChain #FreightBuyers
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The US and Israel have struck Iran. The Supreme Court has struck down the IEEPA tariffs. And every freight buyer is asking the same question: what do we actually plan for now?
Mike King sits down with Paul Bingham, Director of Transportation Consulting, Economics and Country Risk at S&P Global Market Intelligence, at TPM26 in Long Beach to make sense of it all.
They cover:
The Iran strikes and what they mean for oil prices, Hormuz and Gulf shipping lanesThe Supreme Court IEEPA ruling and Trump's Section 122 replacement tariffsTariff refunds: what importers need to knowWhy countries that did deals with Washington are now worse off than those that didn'tScorecard on US trade policy: did it work?Can freight buyers plan around blanket tariffs?The $901 billion US trade deficit: reshaped or just rerouted?Where inventories stand heading into 2026The outlook for US imports in 2026This episode is produced with the support of Dimerco Express, a leading freight forwarder and supply chain solutions provider across Asia and beyond. https://dimerco.com/
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Freight buying strategy is being tested like never before. Tariff whiplash, carrier consolidation, AI adoption and nobody quite knows what comes next.
Mark McCullough, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss North America, joins Mike King for a frank conversation about how one of the world's leading freight forwarders is navigating the uncertainty and what it means for shippers.
They cover the proposed Hapag-Lloyd/ZIM merger and what less competition really means for freight buyers, why shippers are firmly in the driving seat on the Trans-Pacific right now, and how tariff uncertainty is forcing companies into three-tiered contingency strategies rather than long-term capital deployment.
Mark also opens up about freight fraud costing Gebrüder Weiss hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, how sophisticated double-brokering scams are targeting freight forwarders, and what the industry needs to do about it.
Plus an honest account of GW's automation journey, what's working, what's been expensive, and why bad data will kill your AI investment before it starts.
And how a funeral, a few too many drinks, and a South African aunt launched one of North America's most senior freight executives into a career in logistics.
Sponsored by OntegosCloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialist.
Featured:
Hapag-Lloyd Buys ZIM Explained: Why Freight Buyers Should Care https://youtu.be/4u6wCfwUvc0
Why Great Freight Forwarders Thrive in Chaos | #44 | Freight Buyers Club
https://youtu.be/9yuq3xbkp_c
The Good, The Bad, and the ANC: South Africa’s Logistics on the Brink https://youtu.be/POyM0kHGMeg
Topics covered:
0:00 Introduction — Mike King welcomes Gebrüder Weiss North America CEO Mark McCullough and previews the episode
01:45 Hapag-Lloyd/ZIM Merger — Is carrier consolidation good for freight buyers or just less competition dressed up as efficiency?
03:00 Trans-Pacific Outlook — Excess capacity, blank sailings, depressed rates and what the next 12 to 18 months looks like
05:00 Shippers in the Driver's Seat — Why forwarders like GW actually prefer higher freight rates and what that means for contract season
07:00 Tariffs and Capital Deployment — Why uncertainty is stopping shippers from committing to long-term strategy and the three-tiered contingency approach
11:00 Freight Fraud Revealed — How double-brokering scams cost Gebrüder Weiss $600,000 in a single year and how they work in practice
16:00 Automation and AI at GW — Bots, document splitting, carrier vetting tech and how offshore teams are being upskilled
19:00 The Data Problem — Why bad data killed their AI investment early and what they had to do to fix it
21:30 Clean Data Advice — Mark's blunt advice to any company thinking about AI investment right now
22:00 How Mark Got Into Freight — A funeral, a few white wines and a South African aunt who changed everything
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Hapag-Lloyd has agreed to acquire ZIM for $4.2 billion, creating a combined fleet of 400+ vessels. In this mini Freight Buyers' Club, Nils Roche (ex-CMA CGM, Maersk, PIL) breaks down what this deal means for the liner industry, for the Gemini Cooperation, for MSC, and crucially, for freight buyers.
We cover:
The deal structure and Israel's "golden share" carve-outWhat happens to ZIM's vessel sharing agreement with MSCHow this strengthens Gemini and shifts alliance dynamicsFewer carriers = more blank sailing controlWho's next? PIL, Wan Hai, HMM as potential targetsThe new M&A model: joint ventures with national stakesThis mini Freight Buyers' Club is brought to you by Ontegos Cloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialist: https://www.ontegoscloud.com
Guest: Nils Roche, Founder of Solvens Advisory Host: Mike King
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The freighter capacity crunch is real. In this episode of Air Cargo Unpacked, Mike King and Neel Jones Shah break down UPS retiring its MD-11 fleet, why the aircraft backlog won't normalise until the 2030s, and what it means for air cargo rates.
Plus: Dimerco's Kathy Liu on Chinese New Year from Shanghai, exclusive rate analysis from TAC Index's Neil Wilson, and how de minimis policy changes are reshaping e-commerce flows out of China - with North America down 33% and Europe up 22%.
We also cover Maersk dumping its 767s for 777s on trans-Pacific, and what the new US-India trade deal could mean for air freight demand.
Featuring:
Mike King, Host & Executive ProducerNeel Jones Shah, Co-Host (ex-Delta, United, Flexport)Kathy Liu, VP Global Sales & Marketing, Dimerco Express GroupNeil Wilson, Editor, TAC IndexAir Cargo Unpacked is a monthly Freight Buyers' Club production, brought to you by OntegosCloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialist. https://www.ontegos.cloud/
Subscribe for monthly air freight market analysis.
#AirCargoUnpacked #FreightBuyersClub #Logistics #AirFreight #Shipping #CargoCapacity #DeMinimis #ChineseNewYear #TACIndex #Ecommerce #GlobalTrade
00:00 Welcome to Air Cargo Unpacked
01:00 UPS Retires MD-11 Fleet
02:30 10% of Widebody Freighter Capacity at Risk
04:30 Aircraft Backlog Hits 17,000
06:00 Conversion Costs Soaring: $80m for a 777
08:00 Chinese New Year: Kathy Liu from Shanghai
10:00 China Plus One: Southeast Asia Booming
12:00 Neel on CNY: Why This Year Is Different
15:30 TAC Index Rate Analysis with Neil Wilson
17:00 Shanghai Rates Up 9% Year on Year
18:00 Spot vs Contract Rates Explained
21:00 De Minimis: US Down 33%, Europe Up 22%
23:00 E-Commerce Is Like a Raging River
24:30 Maersk Sells 767 Freighters to Amazon
27:00 US-India Trade Deal: Stability Returns
- Visa fler
