Jonathan Yock, President, Safmarine North America

https://www.safmarine.com
Jan 24, 2017, 3:37 PM EST
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Jonathan Yock

One thing is for sure this year: Our industry again appears primed to punish itself. This is not meant to be a negative statement out of the box, but as any good parent would say, “Time to grow up.”

We have seen consolidation. We have witnessed financial collapse. Despite these normal economic control elements, we continue to find ways to adhere to the same old standards and market practices that puts immense pressure on our markets.

“If one refuses to empty his mind of long-held beliefs, he can accept no new, different, and better beliefs or ways of thinking or behaving. They will just overflow and be lost.”

This year, I am not going to subscribe to offering up a solution of what may happen in our industry. That has become too predictable. In 2017, I expect to see industry leaders and visionaries pushing customers toward a new maturity level. We need to climb out of the wake of modern business practice that is steaming before us and join what is quickly becoming the new foundation of our lives and client base, modernization.

In our self-inflicted turbulent model, we can only help those who help themselves. Welcome to the new model of digitization. With freight rates at all-time lows, welcome to DIY shipping. Everyday life is upon us; expect to book, submit documents, make amendments, track cargo, all the basic fundamentals, at your own discretion. There is no value left in doing it now; at least not for free. Of course, everybody will need to play their part. As like real life, we all grow up. It's time.