2010 was a good year for carriers, and a much-needed one for the liner industry. Carriers were able to emerge from the depths of the worst container shipping crisis in history at a pace that exceeded expectations.
Demand rebounded to near 2008 levels, something none of us would have predicted at the end of 2009.
During 2009 everyone was busy restructuring their organization and preparing for the worst. But we have the impression that as soon as the storm was over many companies stopped making those essential changes and shifted their focus to dollars and liftings alone.
It’s our strong opinion that those companies that focused solely on dollars and liftings will have some problems in 2011, while those that have continued to focus on applying changes in all areas of the business will come out ahead.
There are, of course, always peripheral issues impacting our business, such as the discussed end to U.S. antitrust immunity; the relinquishing of chassis control by carriers; or the European Shippers’ Council’s push for an industrywide reconsideration of the “gray box” concept. But we will take these issues in stride as they come. This is a trait of our industry that we can proudly say persists, in the worst of times, and the best of times.