Innovation is hard to come by in the ocean carrier industry. There is a lot of talk around AI, block chain, transport management systems and end-to-end offerings but as carriers try to figure out where to spend their newfound wealth, most don’t know how to harness all these opportunities and turn them into proven supply chain enhancements. So, they continue to do what they know best: buying vessels, warehouses, terminals and equipment. The concept of warehouse acquisitions or road freight companies being added to the core ocean transport segment is a somewhat innovative concept. The only problem is when you engage in discussions, it becomes evident that they haven’t figured out how to make it work. When one engages in the end-to-end discussion, you frequently need to speak to the person running each silo. They know how to sell products that specialize in each segment but not the end-to-end solution yet.
Until carriers can come up with solutions in these revolutionary technologies, we will focus on the stead-fast “innovation” that brings value year after year. That is the value of our local sales rep and her/his/they team. Whether they be in your hometown or across the world, that team is the most innovative asset in container shipping today. The good ones will pre-warn you when a shipment is delayed, about alternative booking options, payment disputes, savings opportunities or if the temperature of the relationship is going cold. They are our eyes and ears inside the carrier. Much like a personal doctor, you can leave exceptional management to them while you concentrate on the important things. Every carrier is different so having a good sales team allows us to maximize our relationship. For now, we will focus on growing our volumes with carriers that invest in their sales programs. If someday any of these technological innovations prove worthy, we’ll be happy to engage in those areas.