Freight Forwarding and others

Do you know what is the impact on Digital Freight Forwarding?

183:792951800 (Erick Hinojosa) — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 17:56:48 GMT

The Digitalization of Freight Forwarding, Is Essential for its survival?

5 Interesting Facts....

For freight forwarders, digitalization is a strategic challenge, as it encompasses more factors than simply moving from paper to electronic format and the ability to find and send information online. Innovation in the port chain also involves these professionals.

Digitalization of the freight forwarding sector simplifies work dramatically by automating processes that previously required personal intervention. Naturally, all of this would not be possible without continued standardization and improvement of outsourced operations such as transportation, warehousing, customs clearance and other services.

In freight forwarding world, digital technology is here to stay and is likely to take an even greater place in the future. Fully automated sales, tracking, document management will become the standard across the globe. To meet customers’ expectations, but also increase their own flexibility and efficiency , and position themselves at the forefront of the market’s competition, freight forwarders must join the evolution.

Do you know What is a Freight Forwarding Network?

183:792951800 (Erick Hinojosa) — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 05:45:30 GMT

What is a Freight Forwarding Network, everything you must know about it

Forwarding networks are established groups of freight forwarders who work with each other to enhance the quality of freight, logistics and customs brokerage services.

These networks are designed to allow smaller freight forwarders to compete in the global marketplace, where large-scale freight forwarders tend to dominate the global shipping market.

Traditional Vs Digital Freight Forwarders – What would you prefer?

183:792951800 (Erick Hinojosa) — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 21:09:11 GMT

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FREIGHT FORWARDER,

DIGITAL FREIGHT FORWARDER, What would you Prefer?

Digital transformation is the need of the hour. Not a single person today moves without a mobile device, all the transactions are done while on go. With all industries understanding its importance, and have moved ahead with digital and online platforms, the freight forwarders have also embraced the technology. The digital world is disrupting all the traditional ways and accepting the challenges to finding enormous avenues of success.

Becoming a digital freight forwarder is the need of the hour. This has become all the more important as most of your existing and potential customers are surely conducting all their searches and transactions online. Moreover, there is a wide range of software that allows you to frequently engage with your customers. Simply stated, you should adopt a digital strategy that is more suited to the client’s behavior. You need to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and figure out the kind of services that they will expect from your company. Next, you need to take the required measures to transform your company’s approach towards the consumers.

Although the transportation and logistics industry was somewhat late in waking up to the call for digitization, the global pandemic pushed has pushed it to embrace technology. Most importantly, the advent of technology has disrupted the traditional model of its operations. This is why you need to find new avenues of success by means of digitized services.

What is an Incoterm?

183:792951800 (Erick Hinojosa) — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 18:11:53 GMT

What are the INCOTERMS and how they work?

Incoterms provide a universal set of rules and guidelines that help facilitate trade. In essence, they provide a common language traders can use to set the terms for their trades. Buyers and sellers can use Incoterms in a variety of activities necessary to conduct business.

International commercial terms—Incoterms for short—clarify the rules and terms buyers and sellers use in international and domestic trade contracts.
Incoterms were updated for 2020 and although only one term changed, there are notable differences in security costs.3
The terms are standardized but certain buyers and sellers will prefer individual terms over others. As such, which terms will be used is a matter of negotiation.

For mor details please check out this video.

What is a Freight Forwarder?

183:792951800 (Erick Hinojosa) — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 18:03:17 GMT

What is a Freight Forwarder and What are

Advantages of working with a freight forwarder?

Freight forwarders act as an intermediary between the company who makes the shipment and the final destination for the goods. Although they do not carry out the shipments themselves, they offer different transport modes such as sea/ocean freight, rail freight, road transport and air freight shipment.

As complicated as it may sound, freight forwarding is a straightforward, efficient approach for businesses like yours to manage and track the shipment of goods. A freight forwarding company is accountable for the passage of products from one destination to another. Freight forwarders are responsible for the following actions:

The arrangement of the entire process for shippers – from pickup to storage to shipping the merchandise.
They are the intermediate party between shipper and transporter which negotiates the best price and the most reliable and fastest route.

Please check out this video for more detai ls.

What is a BOL and how it works?

183:792951800 (Erick Hinojosa) — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 21:58:01 GMT

What Is a Bill of Lading?

Definition & Examples of a BOL

The bill of lading is a contract between shipper and carrier that describes the merchandise or cargo being shipped. The document indicates the address of the shipper and the customer, the shipping method, any special instructions or terms of delivery, shipping charges, descriptions with order information, and signatures of both shipper and carrier

What is Digital Freight Forwarding?

183:792951800 (Erick Hinojosa) — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 16:35:40 GMT

What is the Rol of Digital Freight Forwarding?

The practice of coordinating and controlling the transportation of products using digital technologies is known as digital freight forwarding. This involves tracking shipments , coordinating with suppliers and customers, and managing documentation using internet tools. The process of shipping goods can be made more effective and streamlined using digital freight forwarding. It can also save time and money for businesses by decreasing the need for manual labor. Let’s learn more about this way of transportation that makes the forwarding procedure easier.

5 Hacks to Grow Freight Forwarding

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 01:59:47 GMT

5 Hacks that will help your Freight Forwarding Business to Grow

We are sharing this post specifically for all freight forwarding and transportation companies looking for marketing strategies to boost their business. Written for modern-day digital and techniques, it comprises practical ideas that deliver results in such a competitive industry. Let’s get moving!

What are the documents for international Shipping?

183:792951800 (Erick Hinojosa) — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 02:45:40 GMT

Key Freight Documents For International Shippment

Part of the Freight Term Glossary

There are over 100 documents that play a role in freight shipping.

Fortunately, most of them only apply to specialized cargo.

So unless you are importing vicuña fiber from Peru, there are only eight key freight documents that you need to know.

Mexico’s Free Trade Agreements

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 16:55:48 GMT

Mexico’s Free Trade Agreements

Economic motivations are generally the major driving force for the formation of free trade agreements among countries, but there are other reasons countries enter into FTAs, including political and security factors. One of Mexico’s primary motivations for its unilateral trade liberalization efforts of the late 1980s and early 1990s was to improve economic conditions in the country, which policymakers hoped would lead to greater investor confidence, attract more foreign investment, and create jobs.

What is the future of Freight Forwarding?

183:792951800 (Erick Hinojosa) — Mon, 30 May 2022 13:44:39 GMT

Digital freight forwarders: the future of logistics?

As players in the logistics industry look towards digitalization in order to improve the efficiency of their operations, on the other side of the spectrum, there are players that aim to make life easier for those who are looking for logistics solutions. These are so-called digital freight forwarders , which utilize their own developed platform to connect shippers and carriers at a moment’s notice, facilitating the relationship between a carrier and a shipper momentarily.

These freight forwarders offer their customers the ability to get a solution provider not by the brand name, as in the company, but the trucks that are available on the platform. Connecting a customer and a truck directly removes the middle man, making the process of booking a full truck load (FTL) delivery, in theory, much easier.

The platforms have gathered quite the attention and managed to successfully raise funds in order to expand, whether that would be to improve their services or to grow their networks of trucks via Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A). The digital and asset-light companies seemingly have unprecedented flexibility on the kind of offer they could provide to their customers, as a wide-reaching network of trucks can connect customers with potential logistics providers seamlessly.

No doubt such digital companies are pushing the boundaries of what was previously established in the logistics industry. However, what they are also pushing is for traditional logistics companies to become more digital, as they aim to ease the process of selling capacity to their customers in order to be able to compete against the rising threat of digital forwarders.

The rise of digital freight forwarders

While digital freight forwarders have come onto the scene relatively recently, the concept of a service that directly connects a service provider, such as a person who wants to rent out an apartment, and a user that is looking for temporary accommodation, is nothing new. Such companies , whether it would be Airbnb or Uber, have successfully established themselves in their respective sectors and have amassed huge investor attention on the public markets.

The story was not much different once digital freight forwarders entered the logistics industry and began competing against traditional logistics providers. Uber also expanded into the logistics industry, not only in the United States but also in Canada and Europe with its Uber Freight venture, kicking the digital freight forwarder movement into what seemed like an overdrive.

Over the course of the past few years, investment volume in start-ups in logistics, including digital freight forwarders, has boomed. McKinsey & Company pointed out that between 2014 and 2019, funding in logistics startups has grown by a 76% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). Furthermore, out of all the business models, including last-mile delivery, warehousing, or air and ocean transportation, road freight marketplaces had the second-most funding with around $6 billion of total funds invested between 2014 and the end of 2019.

In a very fragmented European road freight market, where the largest companies have little market share due to the sheer amount of small to medium-size enterprises that operate throughout the continent, digital freight forwarders can disrupt the market by uniting the smaller players with a broad network of trucks. According to Eurostat data, at the end of 2017, there were 571,795 road transport companies registered in the European Union (EU), showcasing just how fragmented the market is.

However, European start-ups had little attention from investors compared to other regions. The funds these start-ups attracted stood at only 5% of the total start-up funding between 2014 and 2019, according to McKinsey, highlighting the discrepancy between the regions and the different levels of interest of investors in certain markets.

Nevertheless, one of the key advantages that the forwarders have is that they are not limited by having a heavy-loaded balance sheet of assets, in this case – trucks and trailers. At the same time, outsourcing the main component of the road freight transport process, namely road transportation, comes with associated risks. With a wide variety of trucks, which belong to numerous operators, the consistency of the service level that a customer might receive can fluctuate wildly.

In addition to fluctuation, issues of reliability of a provider have to be reduced to a minimum, which requires additional investment from the digital freight forwarders. Ensuring an equal, or at least a relatively close level of service between different providers is crucial in order for customers to remain satisfied with the solution. Meanwhile, asset-based providers have control over their road transport process and can pinpoint the reasons behind delays, for example, much easier. Being proactive is less difficult as the data of your performance is provided by a first-hand source, rather than a secondary source.

Transform to survive in a digital future

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 23:05:51 GMT

Digital transformation was a leading corporate agenda item prior to the outbreak of Covid, but the pandemic has acted as a catalyst to move things along more quickly.

Defined in a variety of ways, a company that’s transforming digitally will use new technologies to create new (or modify existing) business processes, corporate culture and customer experiences to satisfy the never-ending changing business and market requirements.

Some argue that it’s about moving from selling capacity to delivering value and a recent report from KPMG says that 69% of shipping companies are actively exploring new digital solutions. Although transformation will differ from carrier to carrier, containership operators will need to integrate digital technologies into every corner of their business if they are to derive full benefit. Moreover, they will need to embrace fundamental changes to how their business operates, how their corporate culture is manifest, and, above all, be willing to challenge the current status quo.

It’s likely that we’ll see some container carriers use the digital transformation process to further strengthen their market positions, whilst others will necessarily use it as a survival tool. If implemented effectively, it will give them the ability to maintain pace with their competitors and build the capacity to adapt more rapidly to changing customer and market needs. If ovid has taught us nothing else, it’s demonstrated the fragility of our ocean supply chains and installed an urgent need for change.

Covid has uncovered inherent weaknesses in global transport chains, which must be fixed. The ceaseless chase for low cost has translated into low reliability, disruption and failure which Covid has clearly demonstrated is not sustainable. We need to shift from “just in time” to “just in case” and much of that will be achieved through greater transparency and connectivity across every link in the supply chain. Digital transformation is the answer.

As with all journeys, the first step must be taken confidently and to embark on a digital transformation process, a shipping company must first ask itself “why”? Often, the answer will be focused on cost-cutting or delivering an enhanced customer experience. But the process might also stem from customers demanding enhanced value or competitors taking a more than palatable market share. For the truly aspirational carrier, it’s all about being the best in their sector.

Liner shipping is a vital element in the global supply of goods and so it is vital that it keeps up with the rapid pace of change that the logistics industry is currently facing. According to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), container operators will need to embrace seven digital trends that will transform their sector. These are advanced analytics, e-platforms, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, blockchain and robotics.

There won’t be blue-print for all carriers to follow and it will be up to each operator to forge their own path and define how a digital future fits into their own context. But most agree that the result is likely to include reduced operating expenses, enhanced visibility over costs, the ability to work faster and smarter, and – above all – an enhanced level of robustness and sustainability.

Some International Freight Forwarders are iintegrating to these new technologies. Freight Forwarding Coperative Platforms, for example, are increasingly being used to connect Freight Forwarders within individual companies and beyond – linking outstations such as customers, ports and authorities. In time, we are likely to see labour-heavy activities such as the creation and swapping of bills of lading transformed into streamlined digital processes. And although the much-hyped blockchain technology is yet to find a useful place within liner shipping, that’s not to say that it won’t be creating value in the future.

But let’s just pause for a moment. Digital transformation and the implementation of Freight Forwarding Coperative Marketplace s will only achieve their full potential if they can sit on a digitally enabled platform within a Freight Forwarding Network. Without this, they are less effective or, at worst, completely impotent. That’s because, without the fundamental building blocks in place, these new technologies will have nothing to connect with and no platform over which to share their benefits and advantages. Therefore – even before answering the “why?” questions we posed earlier – a Freight Forwarder don't have to install installed a company-wide IT solution (such as Softship.LIMA) that fully digitises and connects their core business processes. There are some Web based Freight Platforms such as CEIF Freight App allows Freight Forwarders to implement these valuable tools without an expensive solution.

Predicting the future is often futile, but in the case of global logistics and how that trickles down to container shipping, covid has allowed us to have a much clear picture of what the next few years might have in store. Society is beginning to demand more sustainability and more resilience in the way goods are manufactured and moved across the world. And as “society” is the customer of container shipping, it is more than likely that carriers will become much more digitally aware – and very quickly – as we move further into 2022 and beyond.

***We are not the original author of this post

Digital Freight Forwarding Market

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 20:02:58 GMT

Digital Freight Forwarding Market

The global digital freight forwarding market was valued at $2.92 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $22.92 billion in 2030, registering a CAGR of 23.1%.

"The COVID-19 outbreak proved very drastic for a variety of businesses and forced governments across the globe to implement strict lockdowns and led to social distancing being made mandatory to contain the spread of the virus, which disrupted the supply chain and halted logistics activities across the world. As a consequence of the COVID-19 epidemic, countries were left with no alternative but to temporarily halt their transportation and logistical operations with one another, which significantly impacted the supply of commodities, consequently producing a disruption in the supply chain. The digital freight market observed substantial recovery in 2021, owing to relaxing social distancing measures, exponentially rise in e-commerce, retail, and pharmaceutical sales, and refurbishment initiatives of automotive industry. With the revival in trade owing to fast pace of vaccination across the world, the demand for digital freight forwarding services—that offer a solution to cost-effective and fast delivery of items, —is soon expected to grow significantly."

Digital freight forwarder uses digital tools that help in smooth communication flow and get status updates regarding any shipment in a short timeframe. Digital freight forwarder employs a completely transparent system that provides comparison of various shippers to offer the best deal to the customers. It aims to reduce paper work by generating, uploading, and sharing all documents on the web platform, providing easy access to all stakeholders.

The growth of the global digital freight forwarding market is majorly driven by factors such as expansion of the e-commerce industry and rise in free trade agreements. However, poor infrastructure & higher logistics costs and stringent regulations for air freight hinder the market growth. On the contrary, rise in adoption of direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce logistics and cost cutting and lead time reduction due to adoption of multi-modal system are expected to open new avenues for the market growth during the forecast period.

The global digital freight forwarding market is segmented into mode of transport, function, vertical, deployment mode, and region. On the basis of mode of transport, the market is segregated into land, sea, and air. Depending on function, it is bifurcated into warehouse management and transportation management. By vertical, it is fragmented into retail and e-commerce, manufacturing, healthcare, automotive, and others. As per deployment mode, it is categorized into cloud and on-premises. Region wise, it is studied across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

Expansion of the e-commerce industry globally

E-commerce is a virtual store where goods & services do not require any physical space and are sold through websites. The e-commerce industry utilizes logistics services to manage and oversee the supply chain of e-commerce companies, thus allowing these companies to focus on marketing and other business operations. Easy accessibility, convenient shopping experiences, and heavy discounts & offers make e-commerce a popular medium for the purchase of a wide variety of products. These factors have collectively contributed toward the growth of the market for e-commerce services. For instance, according to the latest estimates by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the compiled online retail sales data by National statistical offices in several countries suggest that online retail sales as a share of total retail sales escalated by 3% points in 2020 (from 16% in 2019 to 19% in 2020). The share of online sales amounted to 25.9% in South Korea, 24.9% in China, and 23.3% in the UK.

Currently, international trade involves more complex communications among several individuals and organizations. Supply chains of shipments span different countries and regions and the trade has become a 24/7 business. High performance in logistics not only requires improved connectivity along sea, rail, and roads but also spans across different areas such as information-processing, financial markets, and telecommunications. Furthermore, the adoption of digital freight forwarding services is on rise owing to numerous benefits provided by logistics to e-commerce companies, for instance, efficient track systems, cost-effective shipments, and a faster-quoting process. Such developments are expected to fuel the growth of the global digital freight forwarding market during the forecast period.

Digital freight forwarding services are becoming beneficial for cost-sensitive customers who seek an extensive variety of high-quality products with faster delivery timelines. Thus, increase in trading activities due to globalization is propelling the demand for digital freight forwarding services. The signing of free trade agreements facilitates better trade between two parties and results in rise in import–export activities, which boosts the development of the entire logistics ecosystem. Reduction or elimination of tariffs, intellectual property protection, fair treatment of investors are some of the important advantages of free trade agreements. The U.S. currently has 14 free trade agreements with 20 countries in force. In Asia, China, Singapore, and India have 47, 44, and 43 FTAs, respectively, which offer lucrative opportunities for logistics to thrive and support the economy of the nations. UK and India are expected to sign an Early Harvest Agreement by March 2022, which permits both nations to establish selective benefits in commodities and services. The decision was taken after a meeting between the Indian and British Commerce and Industry on September 13, 2021. Thus, all these factors are expected to increase the import–export activities, thus driving the growth of the digital freight forwarding market during the forecast period.

Poor infrastructure and higher logistics costs

An efficient logistics ecosystem demands sophisticated infrastructure, a well-organized supply chain, and trade facilitation policies. Without these, logistics firms have to invest in building more stock reserves and working capital, which can strongly affect national and regional competitiveness due to high financial costs. In addition, lack of infrastructure development in various nations hinders logistics, as it increases costs and reduces supply chain reliability.

Key Benefits For Stakeholders

This study presents analytical depiction of the global digital freight forwarding market analysis along with the current trends and future estimations to depict imminent investment pockets.
The overall digital freight forwarding market opportunity is determined by understanding profitable trends to gain a stronger foothold.
The report presents information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the global digital freight forwarding market with a detailed impact analysis.
The current digital freight forwarding market is quantitatively analyzed from 2020 to 2030 to benchmark the financial competency.
Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of the buyers and suppliers in the industry.

Shipping & Freight Cost Increases, Freight Capacity, and Shipping Container Shortage [2022]

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 16:01:31 GMT

Freight & Shipping Delays

With ongoing pandemic-related delays and closures, non-stop demand for ocean freight from Asia to the US, and a lack of capacity, ocean rates are still very elevated and transit times volatile.

Continued disrupted schedules and port congestion, combined with omicron slow downs and Lunar New Year, mean that importers have yet to see any significant improvement in shipping conditions in 2022.

Ocean freight rate increases and delays

Ocean rates on the major trade lanes remained stable this week but are still extremely elevated.

Manufacturing in China is expected to slow down significantly over the Lunar New Year (LNY) holiday at the start of February, with shipping prices going up ahead of the holiday.

While there were fears that China’s swift lockdown policy would cause added disruptions, steps were taken to quash the spread of positive cases detected in multiple places and so far no major impacts have been reported at any of the relevant ports.

The recent increase in cases could limit manufacturing in areas with outbreaks, but could also mean factories that normally close over the Lunar New Year (LNY) holiday will stay open, reducing the typical pre-holiday pressure on logistics.

Plus, it is likely than any impact of LNY is already being felt and won’t cause additional price increases. With less than two weeks to go any ocean shipments that haven’t been booked yet are unlikely to get moved in time.

These are container freight rates for the week of January 17, 2022 :

Global freight rates increased 1% to $9,604 which is 140% higher than this time last year
Asia – US West Coast rates increased 4% to $15,171 which is nearly 250% higher than this time last year
Asia – US East Coast container rates went down slightly to $16,837 , a rate 184% more expensive than last year
Asia – North Europe container shipping rates also decreased slightly to $14,314, 83% higher than last year’s rate
North Europe – US East Coast rates increased 5% to $6,811 , however this is nearly 274% higher than this week in 2021

It is important to nderstand that delays and extra charges may arise . Freight forwarders are trying their best to move goods on schedule without additional fees, but in this unstable period, delays and additional charges can occur out of forwarders’ control.

5 trends that will shape the logistics industry in 2022

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 17:47:14 GMT

This time we looked at what 2022 holds for the logistics industry.

Keeping up with all technology developments, market trends, upcoming legislation and the ever-changing consumer behaviour is not easy. That is why we have prepared a summary of the major trends to watch in 2022. The following 5 trends, or in some cases issues, will affect a majority of transportation companies in one way or another during 2022.

Self-driving trucks soon to hit the roads

Autonomous, self-driving cars have always been a hot topic in the industry but today focus is shifting from self-driving cars (or robo-taxis) to self-driving trucks.

This year autonomous vehicle company TuSimple announced impressive test results - their self-driving truck delivered a load of fresh watermelons 42% faster than it would normally take with a human driver. A human driver worked on the pick-up and delivery stages while the autonomous part of the trip covered more than 900 miles. A human driver can complete the entire trip in 24 hours and six minutes and their self-driving truck did it in 14 hours and six minutes, which is 10 hours or 42% faster. Of course, the driver was present at all times for safety reasons, but the results are still very impressive. The self-driving truck growth is clear and in 2022 we will definitely hear more about the achievements of self-driving trucks.

eFTi and eCMR will shake up EU

The electronic freight transport information, or eFTI, regulation (EU) 2020/1056 is a harmonised EU framework for the business-to-authority electronic exchange of freight transportation information. The eFTI also aims to encourage the digitalisation of freight transport, reduce administrative costs and paperwork, improve enforcement capabilities and enhance the overall efficiency and sustainability of the transportation sector.

e-CMR has been around for quite some time now but 2022 could be a breaking point for it. Just recently Germany ratified the e-CMR protocol, enabling its application in Germany. With the largest automotive market in Europe onboard with e-CMR, it will definitely give a boost to e-CMR usage. Moreover, carriers are focusing more on efficiency and sustainability and ditching the paper CMR forms is one of the first steps. Currently, it is expected that by 2026 e-CMR will become mandatory.

Last-mile deliveries will make or break

The Covid-19 pandemic gave an enormous boost to e-commerce and changed consumer behaviour. With pandemic going on for 2 years and lockdowns becoming a new normal, online shopping is thriving like never before. People, who have previously never bought anything online, now have discovered how convenient and easy it is to shop online. As a result, parcel delivery demand is surging. After the pandemic will end, the new shopping habits will remain.

In the meantime, more companies are offering platforms, based on Uber and Airbnb models, for anyone to become an on-demand courier and make last-mile deliveries. Bike, electric scooter or an old car - anything goes as long as you make that delivery.

Growing demand and pressure for green logistics

Sustainability is a general direction that is getting more important every year and the transportation industry is no expectation. After the Conference of the Parties 26 (COP 26) meeting in Glasgow, the message is clear - to limit global warming we need to set more ambitious decarbonization goals which require a transformation of the way society produces and consumes. Road transport accounts for 10% of global emissions , and its emissions are rising faster than those of any other sector.

Corporate green initiatives also drive the need for more sustainable logistics. Large corporations are focusing on sustainability targets and making their entire supply chains greener, is usually one of them. In addition, more and more consumers are willing to pay a premium price for sustainable delivery of goods. Whether it is a carrier with a fleet of electric vans or ambitious corporate social responsibility initiatives, all of it adds value to the consumers’ buying decisions.

Not enough truck drivers and talents

It is no surprise that the global driver shortage will continue to be one of the key issues in 2022. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) estimates that driver shortage is already at a historic high with over 80,000 drivers short in 2021. ATA study shows, that in 2022 truck driver shortage will continue to grow and could come close to 90,000. Even more, the ATA study forecasts that at current trends the shortage could surpass 160,000 in 2030. Europe is also battling a similar situation - according to the research paper by Transport Intelligence (TI) , the European driver shortage is now surpassing 400,000. While Poland is only the 5th largest population in the EU, it has the highest driver shortage of over 120,000.

There is also a new issue emerging - lack of logistics, supply chain and digitalization experts. With the number of transfers growing and supply chains becoming more complex and difficult to manage, demand for experienced supply chain professionals is growing rapidly. Currently, most industries are undergoing digital transformations and the logistics industry is already in the process. Dock scheduling platforms, TMS, telematics, big data solutions and even first AI applications today are an integral part of the industry. At the same time specialists, that are driving the digitalization process, are in high demand since many industries compete over them.

Digitising your manual operations and overcoming challenges of the future can be as fast as a few weeks and results can be seen the very next day. Book a quick call with our expert and we will help you to understand how the Transport management and Dock scheduling systems could benefit your operation.

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Text taken from an external source/we are not the original author**

Freight Forwarding 2022, Predictions & More

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 17:10:13 GMT

What we are especting for Freight Forwarding this 2022?

2022 predictions

The impact of the pandemic is likely to linger, making the recovery of the sector quite fragile. We have seen 2021 demonstrate that any disruption such as a port closure or vessel delay causes huge ripple effects to supply chains. As an example, chip shortages are causing delays to the automotive industry and therefore having a huge impact on car availability. This highlights that supply chains are now under extreme pressure.

2022 will not see a silver bullet for shipping recovery and fostering positive supply chain relationships will be hugely important for shippers in the coming year.”

Historical data shows that going back to normalised freight rates after the 2021 all-time highs will probably take a long time. This will also be fuelled by shippers arduously looking to restock and get cargo out of Asia before the Chinese New Year holiday in February.

As ocean freight costs are expected to remain high, the cost of certain goods are likely to increase.

As companies work towards becoming more environmentally focused and ESG mandates become increasingly enforced we see the rise of carbon efficient supply chains becoming a 2022 trend.

Against this backdrop, here’s how CEIF Freight App can help

2021 has exposed the weak links of existing supply chains and has emphasised the importance of having up-to-date information and working in an agile, transparent and flexible way – which is where we come in.

Our platform uses the latest technology to respond to the changing needs of our customers, which translates into key logistical advantages:

Valuable freight data analytics and insights: To easily understand your shipments, the performance of shipping lines for each of your tradelanes, and more.

Automation & transparency: Including event triggered notifications and the powerful live tracking feature CEIF Freight App ™. Know where your goods are at all times, Booking in Real Time, Rates in Real Time.

Organisational visibility of supply chain: Secured digital consolidation of all your shipping-related documents and a centralised Company Management Page that gives you easy access to add, update or retrieve information.

End-to-end supply chain visibility: Don’t limit your visibility to just the international leg.

We know that in the world of international logistics and freight forwarding, there’s never a one-size fits all solution. That’s why our platform fosters the right balance between technology and people, creating a new standard for the logistics industry. Our expert team is ready to solve any transportation dilemma.

To summarise:

2021 has emphasised the importance of being prepared for disruptions and the necessity of using supply chain data to build supply chain robustness.

We are here to help you be better prepared for whatever 2022 throws our way. If you’re already an Explorate customer, stay in touch with your designated operations specialist. If you’re not with us yet but are interested in seeing how the Explorate Platform could change the way you do logistics, get in touch to arrange a free demonstration.

Best Regards

Erick Hinojosa

CEO - Director

C8-Global Logistics

What is leading the Disruption on Freight Forwarding?

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 16:51:17 GMT

What direct benefits does C8 Global Logistics offer through CEIF App?

Do you want your company to be more efficient with your International Shipments?

If the answer is "YES" you should know the benefits that C8 Global Logistics offers you through its CEIF App quotation platform, a technology tool developed to make the operation of our business partners more efficient, providing a large number of benefits that contribute to strengthening the operational structure of our users.

Why is Freight Forwarding Digital a key ally in this new reality?

Like everything today, "immediacy" is the key and more when the client requests a quote and wants to close a contract immediately, because he knows that time is money. New digital technologies are today a fundamental part of the operations of any company, they have come to revolutionize the way we operate our businesses, facilitating tasks that in the past required more effort and resources. Today C8 Global Logistics has taken a great leap in time looking to the future, with the implementation of CEIF App , a tool that allows Importers & Exporters, Logistics Operators, Freight Agents, and any user involved in the transportation process international cargo have a better control of their shipments, optimizing costs and times, becoming more productive and profitable companies.

What will the International Freight Transportation industry look like in the near future?

Digital freight forwarders will provide International Cargo Transport services online, in real time, so that their clients can access any of their services 24/7, 365 days a year , and are always informed of the location and conditions of their load. Even in the not too distant future, shipping companies are considering having their own fleets of autonomous navigation vessels to optimize and reduce operating costs, while complying with new maritime regulations.

What companies will survive the digital age?

From the mainland, digital Freight Forwarders are the first contact that a client has, compared to any carrier that is large and powerful, the client seeks a more personalized initial business experience and attention, a sentiment that we assume better transmits the digital freight forwarder. This does not imply that there are no customers who prefer to contact Freight Forwarder Traditional. However, each company will differentiate itself by the Optimization or Non-Optimization of its Processes, its greater competitiveness or by remaining as a traditional company.

What direct benefits does C8 Global Logistics offer through CEIF App?

Our CEIF App platform offers its users digital tools that streamline the logistics processes of our users, providing immediate online solutions.

CEIF APP Online processes:

- Online quote, with more than 10,000 routes to / from Mexico, Asia, Europe, Central and South America.

- Comparison of Carriers, Routes, transit times and costs

- Booking of Shipments in real time 24/7 365 days a year

- Shipment tracking in real time

- Management of shipping documents in real time

- Online payment of shipments

Although there is still much to compare between a digital freight forwarder and a traditional one, by now it is well established that the market for the International Freight Transport industry is already a digital business, on land, in the air or at sea.

At C8 we break with the traditional Freight Forwarding schemes, through disruptive tools and innovate our processes with the technology of the future. We know how to increase your productivity and contribute to the growth of your business.

We are C8 Global Logistics, and we bring you the best of the Freight Forwarding of the future TODAY, we invite you to live the CEIF Freight App experience.

To test our platform, please contact us at info@c8-global.com and we can create a personalized account for you.

Best Regards

Erick Hinojosa

CEO - General Manager

C8-Global Logistics

We are the Future of Freight Forwarding

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 21:49:47 GMT

With C8 Global Logistics, the Future Begins Today

Twenty years ago, we saw how the internet opened up new connectivity possibilities and brought us closer to countries thousands of kilometers from ours. Businesses began to be more efficient due to the ease of communication with other companies, and we saw the technological integration into our lives as something very distant, without realizing that our lives were being integrated into a digital world. In today's world, where, as consumers, we can book a plane ticket, buy any product, make payments, watch movies, make video conferences, among other daily activities, thanks to the internet, everything is possible online, in seconds without the need for intermediaries from the comfort of our homes or offices.

Today, 20 years later, it is real, technology is increasingly present in our lives, facilitating our tasks with applications that open more and more new business opportunities. Our Freight Forwarding industry could not be left behind, which is why at C8 Global Logistics we incorporated a new form of Freight Forwarding into our business model. We have integrated “CEIF Freight App” into our processes, a useful logistics tool that provides solutions for Importers and Exporters of the Future. With this tool, we are able to reduce response times to activities that can sometimes take hours or sometimes days.

Among the functions offered by "CEIF Freight App" we have:

Rate Calculator: A dynamic tool that calculates in real time the cost of your shipments to more than 10,000 routes to / from Mexico, Central and South America.
Booking of shipments: With our digital tool, any user can reserve spaces for loading in real time 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Shipment Administration: We know how important it is to have the status of your shipment immediately, that is why with “CEIF Freight App” you will be able to consult information about your shipment in real time.
Document Management: In foreign trade, we know that the timely sending of your shipment documentation is vital, that is why with our Digital tool, you will be able to download your shipment documentation instantly, without further waiting.
Payment Management: We know that for many companies international payments can be expensive and complicated, that is why our tool has a payment platform, without commissions, through which our users can pay with any credit card or Debit.

We are C8 Global Logistics, and we bring you the best of the Freight Forwarding of the future TODAY, we invite you to live the CEIF Freight App experience.

To test our platform, please contact us at info@c8-global.com and we can create a personalized account for you.

Best Regards

Erick Hinojosa

CEO - General Manager

C8-Global Logistics

Are changes in COVID-19 times for the bravest? (Part II)

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 22:15:44 GMT

Did this start before Covid-19?

If you’re asking yourself whether all of this is really due to Covid-19 or whether this is the continuation of an existing trend, you are not alone. Of course already pre-crisis, digitization drove efficiency gains through disintegration of the value chain.

To name a few examples:

• Freight booking: Booking freight (be it ocean-, air-, or road-freight) has started to move to digital platforms such as CEIF Management Tool and their digital forwarders have gained traction. The advantages of immediate visibility on price and availability has significantly speed up the booking process and shaved countless hours off quotation processes. Of course, complicated bookings still require actual “manual” communication, but this is driven out more and more.

• Freight rate benchmarking: Finding out how your freight rates compare to the market, optimizing when to issue tenders, and using information to your advantage in rate negotiations used to be more an art than a science. Freight procurement was often shrouded in darkness and information oftentimes based either on anecdotal evidence or on a highly aggregated industry-level which was of limited usability. Services like CEIF Management Tool have changed this and drive transparency through digitalization.

• Container management: Owning, leasing and managing container equipment used to be something that every company did individually--oftentimes resulting in high fixed costs, low asset utilization and limited equipment availability where boxes were urgently needed. Services like CEIF Management Tool have changed this and use digital technologies to allow companies to collaborate on equipment management.

Other examples within the logistics industry certainly exist--but the point is: Digital technologies are increasingly leveraged to drive efficiency, usually reducing the market power of integrated industry players. This is what we call the disintegration of the logistics value chain. At the same time, personal relationships are still a source of value but the way these are managed is changing and is becoming more “online”.

If you follow the argument above, it is easy to see that businesses (particularly freight forwarders in this example!) have to re-think their business models and technological set-ups. Don’t get us wrong: There will always be the need for a personal contact, a friendly chat and face-to-face issue resolutions. But technology will significantly change the underlying way of doing business. If you want to remain competitive and outgrow your peers, you have to adjust.

Try CEIF Management Tool and convince yourself about the benefits that we can offer you with just a click.

Are changes in COVID-19 times for the bravest?

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 20:40:38 GMT

Are changes in COVID-19 times for the bravest?

How did the arrival of a pandemic take us?

While the headline may be too dramatic, it is true. The Covid-19-induced global crisis has not only changed the way we view the risks of new viruses and global travel-accelerated pandemics, but it has also changed the way we will live, work, communicate, and drive business in the future. Although we have to be a little more specific: the virus is not the reason why these changes occur, but rather the catalyst that causes them to occur here and now.

Although these changes have been taking place without preparing ourselves and the fear of making the decision on the direction we should take, in many cases it has been taking place empirically, based on trial and error. What is very true and proven is that to be successful in the business of this "new world" we have to be brave, and empower ourselves to face the challenges of adapting to change, and as business leaders and leaders, carefully analyze what these changes mean for your particular industry, and the macroeconomic trends in your business environment.

Our business is the world of transport and logistics, particularly international transport, by its very nature, despite operating in a physical world, we are increasingly dependent on the digital world, and it is increasingly necessary to integrate links to operational processes of our clients.

Covid-19 General Trends

To better understand the new Post-COVID 19 business models, it is important to understand how our activities are developing in this “New Today”

1. Remote work in remote connection

What until recently we saw as a working condition for privileged employees of some companies, remote working remotely today has become a global trend for most companies, taking advantage of tools that already existed, such as Zoom, Cellular Telephony, FTP Servers, to name a few. At first, this new model of life represented mistrust for many companies, since it was a great challenge to change their face-to-face structure for a Digital scheme. For many managers the challenge was very great and there were doubts as to whether it would really work. As the days passed, they were surprised to find that their collaborators were adapting very quickly to this change.

It is important to take Zoom and Amazon as an example, a video conferencing platform and a virtual store that have been fundamental in this new way of life. Daily Zoom users have grown from 10 million to 200 million in April, and Amazon, which suddenly had to hire more than 100,000 new workers to cover the increase in demand.

It is very important to consider that we face a very uncertain future, since we are aware that interpersonal activities will resume their course, although it remains to be seen to what extent this will return to how it was before and to what extent companies decide to keep the best of this new scheme of work.

Are new technologies for the bravest?

As we have been talking about, many entrepreneurs had to put aside fears and act in consequence of the reality generated by a pandemic that caught most of us off guard, and that pushed us to look for alternatives to continue with our businesses, lessening the impact. due to an economic slowdown, the closing of offices and public spaces.

In a world before COVID-19, most companies saw the implementation of new technologies in their processes, or integration into electronic platforms, unnecessary, due to the costs that this represented, delaying investment or simply not giving them relevance any. Actually, if it takes a lot of value when making decisions to integrate new technologies into our businesses, and not see them as an unnecessary expense, but rather as an investment in the face of the challenges and changes of an uncertain world.

At C8 Global Logistics we stand in solidarity and connect with our business partners and other business owners to address this issue, share our experience (mainly in logistics), and actively encourage discussion and find opportunities in this new way of conducting our business. We are eager to hear from you, and together come to new conclusions, on how to improve our processes in a digital life.

Best Regards

Erick Hinojosa

CEO-General Manager

Building resilience is key to securing future supply chains

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 03:47:24 GMT

How we can build a new future based on resilience?

As the initial jolt of the global pandemic subsides and businesses begin to analyse how they coped with economic shocks created by Covid-19, Maersk Line believes now is the time to plan for the future.

In a wide-ranging interview conducted by Bloomberg, AP Møller-Maersk’s CEO of ocean and logistics Vincent Clerc, says that whether we like it or not another global shock will come and the key is to prepare for these events adequately to make certain that business are ready, not just for the initial shock but to reopen when the crisis has eased.

“The events of 2020 have served as a stark reminder that while today’s global supply chain brings vast benefits, such interconnectivity is not without risk. When we look at the supply chain holistically, disruptions at a national or regional level are no longer isolated events,” said Clerc.

According to Clerc there will be another global event, “whether we like it or not,” and to cope with future events preparation is key. The Maersk CEO offers customers a list of nine “top tips” that will help shippers plan for future pandemics.

According to the Maersk pandemic playbook the nine key elements in the preparation for future supply chain disruption is to establish a core planning team at a senior level; take a holistic approach in the appraisal of supply chains; visibility is logistics chain is key and each element in the process must be a credible source of information; supply chain integration will increase visibility; consider multi-sourcing key elements of your supplies such as parts, raw material or finished goods; transparent supply that allows for the identification of possible risks; enforce best practices allowing your company to monitor risk; enact regular simulations and response practice runs; and evaluate supply chain relationships through audits to assist suppliers to reduce logistical risks.

Currently, the supply chain is functioning, with ships moving and intermodal transport continuing, but other disruptions such as labour shortages due to quarantine measures may lead to congestion, explained Clerc.

To alleviate port bottlenecks Clerc urges cargo owners to “minimise port stays as much as possible,” to help maintain the flow of cargo through container terminals and other parts of the supply chain.

“This has probably been the highest period of change since the invention of the container. The resilience we have been able to show in the first part of the crisis, I think, is a tribute to the quality of the organisation, and also builds a lot of confidence in the ability that we will have to continue to meet challenges, now and in the future,” concluded Clerc.

Disruptive Freight Forwarding, a Global Trend

183:792951800 (Erick Hinojosa) — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 18:45:59 GMT

What are the benefits of Disruptive Freight Forwarders?

As we discussed in our previous article "How do we integrate to the logistics of the future?" Due to the constant changes of habits in people, businesses and countries, logistics now faces new challenges, which must be taken in consideration in order to optimize the delivery to end users of the products and services that in At this time, companies create, produce, distribute and market.

It is necessary then, to explain the meaning of disruption, whose term refers to innovation that is capable of generating radical changes in both existing goods and services, also refers to the generation of new business models, to innovation in technologies that they contribute to the efficiency, productivity and utility in the use or consumption of goods and services.

Freight Forwarding 4.0

Disruptive Freight Forwarding is the result of major changes in the world economy, the disappearance of many traditional business models, and the need for some Freight Forwarders to follow new trends and new business models, taking advantage of technological tools to generate a new added value to our business partners.

Taking this in consideration, we need to remember that, ebay, amazon, alibaba, etc., have not only changed their business model, but have also managed to consolidate a fast, specialized logistics chain and, above all, fulfilling the promise of value to their customers.

Starting from this new era of digital business, Freight Forwarding worldwide, is obliged to adapt to new market trends taking as main axes the following variables that are fundamental for the migration towards the new Freight Forwarding model.

Hyperconnectivity: We must to consider that we live in an era where access to the network has become a daily thing, and the acquisition of tablets, smartphones, laptops, etc. is becoming more affordable, which is why we must take advantage of these tools, to join electronic platforms that help us simplify our Booking processes, shipping payments, tracking, etc,

Smart industries and processes: It is necessary that companies not only implement productions at scale, but also optimize their logistics processes, adjusting to changing market conditions, so the challenge at Freight Forwarding is then to find the midway between reducing operating costs and making our clients' operations more efficient, without this representing any risk for any of those involved in the process.

Click & Book / Click and Pay: This is a trend that unites and takes advantage of the best of the traditional world and the digital world, making use of online platforms, through which customers carry out their operations online, the Freight Forwarders They operate physically, and the customer pays online, creating an experience that generates value, especially in improving operating times.

Automation and customization: Anticipating customer needs gives us a competitive advantage, so that we optimize processes for faster, more effective operations and, of course, leading to a great customer experience.

OmniChannel: It arises from the need for companies to be able to adapt to current clients, those clients are interconnected, eager for information and immediacy, clients who, in their relationship with Freight Forwarders, demand communication that integrates all possible channels, including the physicists, in a coherent and coordinated way. Thus, the need arises to design 360º strategies that offer such a satisfactory experience for our clients that they become benchmarks for our brand.

In order to comply with the above premises, it is necessary, not only to have robust technological tools, complete information systems, but also a team of collaborators who have the skills required to respond, make decisions and adapt to change, in a way that efficient and fast; If you do not have professionals who support an excellent supply chain, companies will not be as productive as Freight Forwarding 4.0 requires.

Disruptive Freight Forwarders also contemplates the implementation of indicators that allow the continuous measurement of the results of the processes, decisions are made, readjusted and improved; Without concrete measurements, it will be difficult to foresee market changes, external impacts or other unforeseen circumstances.

Erick Hinojosa

CEO-General Manager

C8 Global Logistics

How do we integrate into the logistics of the future?

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 02:39:47 GMT

What is the current situation of the global market?

Undoubtedly, the world is changing at a great speed, having as main drivers the macroeconomic changes generated by COVID-19, and the global mega economic recession, leading most companies of any size to rethink the course we must follow, and the changes we must make to our organizational, strategic, and operational structures.

Technology has been a determining factor in driving global business growth, surprising us more and more with the ease with which we can interact with people or companies in other countries in a matter of seconds. Starting in 2020, technology platforms are playing a big role in our lives and our economies, as a consequence of a global stagnation, and the constant challenges we have been facing this year, these being an emerging alternative, bringing as a result the verification of the great benefits of incorporating into our processes a technological tool that helps us to have a greater capture of operations, with an operation 24/7, 365 days a year.

How are we facing the new challenges of logistics?

At C8 Global Logistics, we have incorporated into our processes the platform for Freight Forwarders "CEIF Management Tool", a great technological tool developed by Our Partners "CEIF Logistic Services LLC" through which we provide our business partners with a more effective free of charge of interaction with our company.

What are the services we offer through the "CEIF Management Tool"?

24/7 connectivity 365 days a year

Quotes

Booking of shipments in time

Shipment handling on time

Real-time shipment tracking

Document download in real time

Bill payment (Credit Card / Bank Transfer)

What are the advantages of using "CEIF Management Tool"?

10433 routes to quote

Instant Rates

Reduction of downtime due to listing and shipping operations

Every day new routes and new fares are added

Greater coverage with Partners in more than +53 countries

We invite you to try our tool, if you require more information about how to use it, please contact us via email at info@c8-global.com and with pleasure one of our executives will help you.

C8 Global Logistics, the future of Freight Forwarding today

Erick Hinojosa

CEO-General Manager

C8 Global Logistics

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﻿

We are the Future of Freight Forwarding

With C8 Global Logistics, the Future Begins Today

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