The Loadstar

In Part 1, host Mike King and Loadstar Publisher Alex Lennane look at the ‘tentative’ US west coast docker contract deal: is this the end of the dispute that has dogged US logistics for over a year or could talks still break down? They also examine the highlights and lowlights of the recent CNS Partnership air cargo conference in Miami and are joined by TAC Index’s Peyton Burnett to discuss the latest air cargo trends, appointments and rate movements.

In part 2, the Loadstar looks at the air cargo industry’s daunting task of rapidly cutting emissions. Currently there isn’t enough Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) available and it’s too expensive, but that needs to change – and quickly. But who is going to pay, what is holding up production, and will more regulation really speed progress?

Guests

Kathrin Brost, Global Head of GoGreen Program, DHL Global Forwarding

Peyton Burnett, Managing Director, TAC Index

Alex Lennane, Publisher, The Loadstar

Simon Holt, Manager, Emerging Energy Europe, Phillips 66

Chris Gilbert, Manager, Humber Decarbonization Projects, Phillips 66

Episode in more detail

Part 1

‘Tentative’ US West Coast docker contract agreed (3.00)

Xeneta shipping rate update (5.20)

Air cargo outlook – the view from CNS (6.15)

Air cargo rates with TAC Index (8.35)

Personnel changes in Middle East air cargo (15.28)

Women in freight– get it right guys! (17.02)

Sniffing out lithium risks (19.43)

US SAF initiatives

Part 2 – Special report

The global Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production and procurement challenge (22.23 – 44.00)

Credits:

Created, produced and hosted by Mike King

Evan King – sound engineer

www.theloadstar.com

In Part 1, the focus is on Munich, the host city of Transport Logistic 2023. This gargantuan event attracted the great and the good of global shipping, air cargo and logistics. Host Mike King explores the biggest stories and key discussions points that emerged during the show with his co-host Nick Savvides, Loadstar News Editor.

In part 2, Mike and his guests explore container line strategy, upcoming blank sailings, and rate movements on the major East-West trades.

Guests

Tim Scharwath, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding

Dan March CEO, World Cargo Alliance

Peter Sand, Chief Analyst, Xeneta

Sean Crook, Director, Neolink

Nick Savvides, News Editor, The Loadstar

Episode in more detail:

Part 1 – Transport Logistic 2023

News and themes from Munich (3.26)

China +1 with DHL (5.05)

Sustainability - who pays? (8.04)

Cutting cold chain waste (10.58)

Air cargo sentiment (13.03)

Shippers vs lines (16.35)

Part 2 - Container markets (18.30)

Transpacific GRIs (19.02)

West coast escape routes (22.58)

Slow steaming rationale (22.28)

Asia-Europe (26.57)

The trans-Atlantic (29.14)

The carrier box of tricks (30.58)

Importing Down Under (33.24)

China-Australia trade imbalance (35.19)

High inventories (37.13)

Surcharges on the horizon (38.34)

Credits: Created, produced and hosted by Mike King

www.theloadstar.com

In this episode host Mike King talks to industry heavy hitters about all things Europe.

The European economy is currently struggling with low economic and trade growth prospects. High inventories and soaring inflation are dampening freight demand. Strikes by unions are plaguing supply chain planning. And Asia-Europe ocean and air freight rates have collapsed, at least compared to a year earlier. And on top of that, war in Ukraine continues to take a sickening economic and human toll on the continent and the wider world.

However, for those in the business of supply chain, there is hope of a recovery later this year. And things really aren’t as bad as they might have been. Rates could have fallen further, for example. The growth outlook could be worse. Most of the pandemic era supply chain bottlenecks have now evaporated. And demand for intra-Europe rail cargo is holding up rather well.

Guests

Mads Drejer, Global Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Scan Global Logistics

Hans Nagtegaal, Director of Containers, Port of Rotterdam Authority

Conor Feighan, Secretary-General, European Rail Freight Association (ERFA)

Mike covers all these topics and a lot more in this European special.

Episode in more detail:

European economy and freight 2023 (1.42)

Scan Global’s optimism (4.51)

Ocean rates (7.23)

Air cargo outlook (12.47)

Big disruptor in ’23? Strikes (15.40)

Ports now versus 2022 (20.13)

Rotterdam volume decline (25.37)

Ukraine and northern Europe trade (29.57)

New terminal investments (34.02)

How sanctions have hit Asia-Europe rail (39.11)

Western operators pull out (41.35)

Making European rail more competitive ( 45.11)

Credits: Created, produced and hosted by Mike King

www.theloadstar.com

In this sponsored episode, Nick Savvides, Loadstar News Editor, explores how a rapidly evolving regulatory environment and shipper demands for more sustainable maritime supply chains are pushing terminal operators to cut emissions.

Nick is joined by Steve McCrindle, DP World’s Port Operations Director at Southampton, who explains how the deployment of green fuels is now helping the company dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of its quayside operations.

Episode in more detail:

Removing diesel from ‘green corridors’ (2.19)

Managing lithium batteries (4.40)

Getting to net zero (6.26)

The benefits of HVO (8.22)

Who pays for renewable fuel? (9.35)

A sustainable, sustainable fuel (11.45)

Cutting emissions across DP World (13.22)

From road to rail (15.56)

Brexit and Southampton’s cold chain (16.48)

This podcast is sponsored by DP World

Credits:

Created, edited and produced by Mike King

www.theloadstar.com

In part 1 Mike King and guests discuss slowing demand for container shipping, the challenging macroeconomic environment, heightened inventories, how union dockworker negotiations on the US West Coast are impacting the contracting season, and whether there will be a peak season this year.

In part 2 the focus turns to air cargo markets - how additional bellyhold capacity is affecting freighter operators, whether insurers are profiteering from humanitarian aid efforts in earthquake-stricken Syria, and where next for freight rates?

Guests

John McCown, Founder, Blue Alpha Capital

Emily Stausbøll, Market Analyst, Xeneta

Alex Lennane, Publisher, The Loadstar

Peyton Burnett, MD, TAC Index

Episode in more detail:

Bearish container shipping demand (3.00)

Rates update (6.55)

Capacity cuts vary by trade (9.50)

The trans-Pacific contracting season (11.13)

PMA vs ILWU (17.01)

Ocean Shipping Antitrust Enforcement Act (23.31)

Insurers profiteering in Syria? (29.37)

Hong Kong air cargo boost (33.15)

Air freight rates (34.10)

New entrants (36.18)

Credits: Created, produced and hosted by Mike King

www.theloadstar.com

In this bumper episode, Loadstar journalists report on the key sessions and share exclusive interviews from the biggest container shipping and logistics event of the year:  TPM23 held in Long Beach, USA, February 26 – March 1.

This is followed by an in-depth discussion of 3PL financials, global rankings and M&A activity when host Mike King is joined by Evan Armstrong, CEO of Armstrong & Associates.

Guests

Carl Bentzel, Commissioner, U.S. Federal Maritime Commission

Evan Armstrong, CEO, Armstrong & Associates

Gordon Downes, Co-founder and CEO, NYSHEX

Adrian Gutierrez, Global Client Manager for Agricultural Commodities, A.P. Moller - Maersk

Mike Wackett, Sea Freight Correspondent, The Loadstar

Nick Savvides, News Editor, The Loadstar

Episode in more detail:

Back to normal at TPM (2.22)

MSC CEO Soren Toft – out of the shadows, briefly (5.54)

NYSHEX and liner-shipper contracts (8.33)

Maersk, seeking backhauls (13.45)

Exporter dissatisfaction (20.00)

New maritime data system from the FMC (22.30)

Snippets and West Coast port talks (26.40)

3PL financials, global rankings and M&A forecasts (31.40 onwards)

Credits: Created, produced and hosted by Mike King

www.theloadstar.com

In Part 1 of this episode host Mike King and his various guests discuss the latest news including the latest on ocean and air rates, what next for MSC and Maersk, why the legal fallout from cyber-attacks is increasing, and where and why container lines are cutting capacity.

In Part 2, Mike speaks to two thought leaders whose business is understanding the link between more severe weather patterns and logistics risks. They explain how much more volatile storms are already adding to the cost of trade and the price of new port infrastructure.

Guests

Alex Lennane, Publisher, The Loadstar

Peter Sand, Chief Analyst, Xeneta

Peyton Burnett, MD, TAC Index

Michael Page, Certified Broadcast Meteorologist

Jasper Verschuur, Author/Postdoctoral researcher, Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford

Credits: Created, produced and hosted by Mike King

Episode in more detail:

PART 1

2M divorce fallout (3.24)

Cyber-attack legal action (5.25)

VC redundancies (9.26)

Air cargo update (10.30)

Container shipping rates (18.40)

Blank sailings and lay-ups (22.50)

Ranking liner emissions heroes and villains (24.30)

PART 2

Trade and port costs from severe weather (28.40)

Why so many boxes overboard? (32.15)

Forward risk and port infrastructure (36.00)

Are we taking any of this seriously? (39.10)

Credits: Created, produced and hosted by Mike King

www.theloadstar.com

In this sponsored episode Nick Savvides, Loadstar News Editor, tackles some of the big issues in European logistics, including the current economic downturn, the challenges of recruitment and new regulations, and how multi-modal solutions are providing some of the answers as the continent migrates to more sustainable supply chains. To explore these topics, Nick is joined by Timm Niebergall, CEO of P&O Ferrymasters.

Episode in more detail:

The P&O Ferrymasters European network (1.05)

Navigating war, Brexit and recession (5.13)

Driver shortages (7.34)

Shippers drive sustainability push (9.40)

Multimodal options (11.25)

New services and investments (14.20)

This podcast is sponsored by DP World

Credits:

Created, edited and produced by Mike King

This is a Loadstar podcast: www.theloadstar.com

This episode focuses on Europe where war, Covid, inflation and a cost-of-living crisis are taking a heavy toll on economic growth and the outlook for international trade.

Nomura now expects western Europe’s real GDP to contract by 0.4% this year. In Germany and Britain, the two large economies most affected by current economic headwinds, real GDP is expected to contract by 0.8% and 0.7%, respectively. Meanwhile, consumer prices in western Europe rose 8.5% last year and are expected to increase a further 5.9% this year.

However, despite the many challenges facing Europe, host Mike King hears there is cause for optimism as he talks to senior executives at two of the continent’s leading ports and the Loadstar’s Mike Wackett.

Guests:

Doug Bannister, CEO, Port of Dover

Axel Mattern, chief executive, Port of Hamburg Marketing

Mike Wackett, sea freight correspondent, The Loadstar

Episode in more detail:

A challenging year at Germany’s biggest port (4.27)

Covid demand to recession – learning lessons (6.18)

Clearing away congestion (12.50)

China to the rescue? (15.44)

Ocean and air freight rates update (22.18)

Trans-Atlantic bonanza (27.55)

UK port update (29.15)

The density of UK-EU trade via Dover (32.25)

The Brexit challenge (41.15)

Credits: Created, produced and hosted by Mike King

The Loadstar podcast www.theloadstar.com

Chinese New Year traditionally sees a spike in air and ocean demand - and freight rates - ahead of factory closures for the Chinese New Year holidays which start on 22 January. But will tradition mean a thing in this inflation-ridden start to the year? How long will factories stay closed? And what does the unwinding of China’s zero Covid policy mean for manufacturers, international travel, air cargo and shipping supply chains in the coming weeks and the year ahead?

Host Mike King and his guests also explain what air freight markets are doing ahead of Chinese New Year and look at the outlook for ocean freight rates after the spot market collapse of 2022.

Guests:  

Steve Saxon, Partner, McKinsey & Company

Peter Sand, Chief Analyst, Xeneta

Neel Jones Shah, EVP of Air Strategy and Carrier Development, Flexport

Episode in more detail:

China opens for business; Covid let rip (1.28)

Chinese carriers ready to fly (8.34)

China + 1 (11.32)

A CNY boost for air cargo demand? (14.10)

How long will factories stay closed (16.00)

Air cargo supply-demand (17.57)

US demand (22.15)

Shipping freight rate analysis (25.00)

GRI failures (27.40)

More blanks to come (30.11)

Carrier gloom forecast (30.11)

Credits: Created, produced and hosted by Mike King

The Loadstar podcast www.theloadstar.com