News / Maersk space ban means 'a dark future', maybe the end, for small forwarders

Comment on this article

• Elton Tan

  January 20, 2022 at 1:19 am

  I find all this dark and gloomy predicitions about the death of smaller freight forwarders because of Maersk action is very negative.

  My company haven’t not been booking with Maersk on a regular basis as we have other liners to choose from. Rates is important but end of the day, we are all providing a service as a whole package. Freight is part of that service.

  I believe there is always a light at the end of the tunnel for such pre-emptive move by Maersk to ‘kill’ smaller freight forwarders off.

  Innovate and be more precise in your service delivery, that is the only way you can move forward. While my dislike grows for giant liners like Maersk and CMA, I still believe there is room for growth for smaller freight forwarders.

  Good luck to all my fellow freight forwarder industry players, Stay strong and you shall be able to pull through. Men or Mankind have always found a way to survive when forced into a corner. Today might be the liners day.. the tables will turn and when it turns, the freight forwarders will comeback.

  Log in to Reply

• ECCO-FREIGHT TRANSPORT SERVICES B86916517

  January 20, 2022 at 12:46 pm

  Thanking Mr Elton Tan for sharing his vission -and specially “get the gears up & straight” on this touchy matter of concern, just want/couldn’t refrain to complement him by highlighting what we (“a small F.FWDR”) had focused on & work hard to make sure we are premanently + positively delivering to our Customers: Know-How, Dedicated Service, Innovative Solutions and ADDED VALUE as the strongest ARMOR we could have to stand and grow in the market -any market, against externals actions & policies fm the myriad of operators we daily have to wrangler. We decided very early on our venue that neither Carriers strategies+interests nor Freight Rates could ever become a matter of feasibility for our projects and plans. It has worked well for us this far and is proving again right on present enviroment. Sorry for extending as I simply wanted to to say that we “small Forwarders” should be clear and confident on our key contribution to freight and logistics for our Customers. Still, what we should be united in is on asking relevant governement & supra-national authorities to do their supervising regulatory job -what is flagantry missing for quite a long time.

  Log in to Reply

• Heinz Tepe

  January 20, 2022 at 2:50 pm

  And Messrs. Damco?
  Are they forced to use “Maersk Spot” too?

  On one hand is it difficult for smaller LSPs to work with Maersk for some time, and on the other hand is this trend a threat, particularly if adopted by other carriers like Hapag/Kühne+Nagel, CMA-CGM/Ceva.

  Log in to Reply

• Gerardo Hernandez

  January 20, 2022 at 5:41 pm

  With few shipping lines doing whatever they want with the rates (oligopoly), I see an open invitation for competition, we need new shipping lines, good for some big forwarders who chart their vessels and also some major shippers did the same, so Maersk should reflect that for every action is a reaction, they are not alone in the world…. I personally see that the war (and love and hate relationship) of shipping lines is with big FF, not with small FF, maybe I am wrong, but we might be now a collateral damage, if shipping lines are smart they should help small and medium FF in order to be protected against big FF in this war of titans, where big FF need more small shipping lines and big shipping line should appreciate and need more small and medium FF, that is the logical strategic direction, let{s see…. By the way I own a FF company of 35 people and so far feel that my company still have a future

  Log in to Reply

• Paul Kata

  January 23, 2022 at 11:05 am

  Quite interesting times!

  Log in to Reply