The Loadstar

The Loadstar Podcast is live from TPM24 in Long Beach, California. In this episode host Mike King hears what the mood is like at the logistics and shipping event of the year, which speakers have really delivered insight, and what negotiating stances BCOs, forwarders and carriers are taking in ongoing trans-Pacific contract negotiations. Mike and guests also discuss the latest on the realignment of container shipping alliances, including what two leading carrier CEOs divulged at TPM24. They also examine why cargo is being funnelled towards US West Coast gateways and how US shippers and forwarders are coping with a “perfect storm” of supply chain disruptions.   Guests: Doug Smith, CEO, DP World Canada Dennis Grady, VP for Ocean, Ascent Global Logistics Gavin van Marle, Managing Editor, The Loadstar Mike Wackett, Sea Freight Correspondent, The Loadstar   Credits: Created, hosted and produced by Mike King & Associates for The Loadstar www.theloadstar.com

6 Mar 202431min

This episode examines why turning the temperature dial up on the cold chain makes a lot of sense, not least from an energy and emissions saving perspective. Host Mike King and guests also explore why collaboration in the supply chain is the best route to sustainability and look forward to TPM24 in Long Beach when the logistics world converges on California to discuss the latest supply chain challenges and negotiate those critical long-term trans-Pacific ocean freight contracts. The Red Sea crisis, Panama Canal water levels and the threat of union action at US East Coast ports will all be factors during this tendering season. Mike and guests also discuss where container rates might go next, who might buy DB Schenker and why the Asia-Europe trade has settled into some kind of ‘new normal’.   Guests: Piotr Konopka, Group Vice President Global Decarbonisation & Energy Programmes, DP World Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor, Journal of Commerce Dirk Hoffmann, Account Director, Reefer Supply Chain Services, DP World Gavin van Marle, Managing Editor, The Loadstar   Created, edited and hosted by Mike King & Associates for The Loadstar www.theloadstar.com For more information about getting involved in DP World’s ‘move to –15C' iniative please contact Dirk Hoffmann, Account Director, Reefer Supply Chain Services, DP World, at: Dirk.Hoffmann@dpworld.com   Episode in more detail: TPM24 (3.05) Red Sea crisis and the Asia-Europe trade (4.23) Freight rates and Europe (7.48) Container shipping capacity (8.44) Cargo shift: USEC to USWC? (10.55) Who will buy DB Schenker? (13.29) Maersk and DSV’s M&A strategy (15.16) Sustainable supply chain innovations and frustrations (18.45) Shifting the cold chain to -15°C (22.51) Collaborating to cut emissions (37.02)  Zero Emissions Port Alliance (39.28) Low hanging emissions-cutting fruit (43.48)

20 Feb 202450min

Host Mike King hears that freight rates are soaring, the Dutch air cargo community is in uproar, and shippers really are not happy with the transparency of liner surcharges, and not just those relating to the de facto closure of the Suez Canal to container shipping. This episode also unpacks the details and implications of the new Maersk/Hapag Lloyd ‘Gemini Cooperation’. One guest believes the partnership’s promise to offer world-class service reliability is a ‘game-changer’ and will force the hands of rivals. Meanwhile, one of those rivals, CMA CGM, is close to getting yet another major logistics purchase over the line. Is its strategy that much different to Maersk’s integrator ambitions?   Guests James Hookham, Director, Global Shippers Forum Peter Sundara Swamickannu, Head of Global Ocean Freight Product, Visy Global Logistics Alex Lennane, Publisher, The Loadstar   Episode in more detail CMA CGM’s integrator ambitions? (1.49) Juggling air cargo expertise (3.55) Air cargo CNY boost (6.27) Red Sea crisis and ocean spot rates (8.22) Shippers call for surcharge transparency (9.59) ETS + Suez = confusion (14.05) Pricing resilience (18.25) Red Sea alternative routings (21.08) How to manage supply chain uncertainty (23.58) Equipment shortages build-up (26.03) Suez domino effects (29.57) Gemini could be a ‘game-changer’ (35.27) Dutch air cargo uproar (40.41)   Credits: Created, edited and produced by Mike King & Associates for The Loadstar

30 Jan 202444min

Host Mike King hears that the de facto closure of the Suez Canal to almost all container shipping traffic is creating mounting supply chain bottlenecks for global trade. Cape of Good Hope diversions are throwing the supply-demand balance of the global container shipping fleet out of kilter, driving up freight rates and charter rates. Added transit times are already leading to equipment and slot shortages in Asia as the market heads towards Chinese New Year factory closures in February. One guest predicts that disruption will last into the second of 2024. The Loadstar expects air cargo demand to benefit as supply chain bottlenecks prompt expedited shipments.   Guests: Jon Monroe, President, Jon Monroe Consulting Rob Powell, MD, Miro Logistics Mike Wackett, Sea Freight Correspondent, The Loadstar   Episode in more detail: Diversions around the Cape (2.25) Excess boxship capacity sucked dry (3.25) Suez drives freight rate spikes (5.23) Asia-Europe contract season (7.36) Container charter market (8.45) Chinese New Year looms (9.50) Red Sea crisis hits backhauls (11.48) UK exporters over a barrel (15.38) Carrier-shipper relations damaged (17.40) Air cargo upbeat (22.57) Asia asset imbalance (24.37) Why US trades so impacted (26.30) What shippers should expect next (28.34) USWC’s perfect storm? (31.13) Betting on trans-Pac contract levels (32.26) Firefighting advice to SC execs (36.05)   Credits: Created, edited and produced by Mike King & Associates for The Loadstar

15 Jan 202440min

The Suez Canal crisis is sending shock waves up and down global supply chains as container ships are forced to re-route vessels around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid Houthi terrorist attacks near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. In this episode, host and producer Mike King finds out how much of the global container fleet has been effectively taken off the table due to diversions, and discovers what this is doing to freight rates, contract negotiations and transit times. Mike and guests also look at how all this plays out in the lead-in to Chinese New Year factory closures during February and take a longer-term view on what might happen to ocean supply chains should disruptions continue. Is ‘Suez’ the biggest shock to global logistics and trade since Covid-19? Mike is also joined by senior executives from Hapag-Lloyd and Nexxiot to discuss the latest giant leap in container monitoring and tracking. And finally, as part of a wide-ranging discussion on logistics technology, he asks The Loadstar’s Charlie Bartlett exactly what shippers want from the latest cargo monitoring technology. Guests: Olaf Habert, Director of Container Operations, Hapag-Lloyd Stefan Kalmund, CEO, Nexxiot Peter Sand, Chief Analyst, at Xeneta Charlie Bartlett, Technology Reporter, The Loadstar   Credits: Created, edited and produced by Mike King for The Loadstar www.theloadstar.com

4 Jan 202448min

In this episode of The Loadstar Podcast, host and editor Mike King is joined by three of The Loadstar’s finest journalists to analyse how global trade and shipping are being affected by the Suez crisis. In this final episode of the year, Mike and guests also look at the winners and losers of logistics, air freight and shipping in 2023, and predict what the biggest trends and stories will be in 2024. Guests Alex Lennane, Publisher, The Loadstar Gavin Van Marle, Managing Editor, The Loadstar Mike Wackett, Sea Freight Correspondent, The Loadstar Episode in more detail:   Credits: Created, edited and produced by Mike King & Associates

20 Des 202341min

In this sponsored podcast, Mike King, host and producer of The Loadstar Podcast, finds out that one of the world’s largest and most renowned shipping companies is taking its transformation into a fully fledged logistics integrator very seriously, not least via its substantial investment in air cargo. Annette Kreuziger, the recently-appointed regional head of airfreight for Europe at AP Moller-Maersk, tells Mike the company has big plans for air cargo. She also explains how its expanding operations will help it best meet the varied needs of its shipper customer base.   Episode in more detail: Transferring global strategies into a regional roadmap (1.33) Air cargo and Maersk’s transformation (3.14) Key customers (6.32) A hub with purpose (7.59) A world of black swans (10.21) Technology = the glue (13.05) Air freight opportunities (14.36) E-commerce growth curve (16.05) Benefits of asset ownership (18.29) 2023 peak season (19.59) Plans for 2024 (21.28) Aimed for net-zero (22.28)   Credits: Created, edited and produced by Mike King for The Loadstar www.theloadstar.com

6 Des 202325min

In this Loadstar podcast, host Mike King and guests examine the implications of the big shake-up of port ownership underway in Germany. Why are owners so interested in selling stakes in key ports, and why are container lines queueing up to buy them? How will this impact forwarders and shippers? What do the latest deals say about Germany's and Europe's approach to foreign ownership of maritime and shipping infrastructure, especially ownership by companies linked to the Chinese state? And what do changes to port ownership and EC regulations mean for liner networks and the alliance system in 2024?   Credits: Created, edited and produced by Mike King for The Loadstar www.theloadstar.com   Guests Jan Tiedemann, Head Analyst, Alphaliner Gavin van Marle, Managing Editor, The Loadstar Sebastian Reimann, Editor in Chief, DVZ (Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung)

30 Nov 202356min