The Loadstar Podcast

In this episode, The Loadstar Podcast examines the pivotal freight stories and trends shaping 2024.

Host Mike King and guests identify the winners and losers of the year so far and attempt to predict what will be the key market drivers over the rest of 2024 and into 2025.

They also explore the dynamics driving air and ocean markets, especially the evolving Red Sea situation, as they seek to explain the challenges currently facing those charged with designing freight procurement and inventory management strategies.

But with so much at stake for the world of logistics, the analysis begins with the looming US presidential election and its potential ramifications for global trade and geopolitics, not least due to the threat of new tariffs on US imports.

The discussion then moves on to analyse how e-commerce demand is restructuring air cargo dynamics, who is still in the running to buy DB Schenker, looming changes to the container shipping alliance system, and the financial challenges SMEs face when they use IATA's CASS payment system.

Mike and guests also consider whether it’s justified for commentators to compare current supply chain challenges to those encountered during the Covid pandemic.

Guests:

James Hookham, Director, Global Shippers Forum

Alex Lennane, Publisher, The Loadstar

Gavin van Marle, Managing Editor, The Loadstar

Credits: Created, produced and edited by Mike King for The Loadstar www.theloadstar.com

In this episode of The Loadstar’s News in Brief Podcast, host and news reporter Charlotte Goldstone recaps last week’s supply chain news, including strike updates from Europe, Asia and North America. She also offers a preview of stories that might appear on The Loadstar this week.

The Loadstar’s managing editor, Gavin van Marle, recaps the latest ocean freight rates and discusses how there might be some hope for shippers' wallets on the horizon.

The Loadstar’s publisher, Alex Lennane, details her latest scoop of IATA's cargo payment system, CASS, and how forwarders have reacted. She also updates the latest in Schiphol's ongoing noise reduction plight.

So, what are you waiting for? This bite-sized news podcast will catch you up on anything you might have missed last week and put you ahead of the curve on this week’s happenings, all in under 15 minutes! 

In this episode of The Loadstar’s News in Brief Podcast, host and news reporter Charlotte Goldstone recaps last week’s supply chain news and offers a preview of stories that might appear on The Loadstar this week.

The Loadstar’s managing editor, Gavin van Marle, recaps the latest ocean freight rates, chats peak season problems, and looks at what ceasefire talks are doing to the market.

The Loadstar’s publisher, Alex Lennane, details why produce shippers and national postal services are looking away from air freight and what's going on with Shell's proposed SAF facility. She also divulges a scoop on Russian sanctions possibly being bypassed at a large US airport.

So, what are you waiting for? This bite-sized news podcast will catch you up on anything you might have missed last week and put you ahead of the curve on this week’s happenings, all in under 15 minutes!

In this episode of The Loadstar’s News in Brief Podcast, host and news reporter Charlotte Goldstone recaps last week’s supply chain news, including MSC's market-share milestone, and offers a preview of stories that might appear on The Loadstar this week.

The Loadstar’s managing editor, Gavin van Marle, details incessant ocean freight spot rate rises, and the details of Maersk's exit in the bid for DB Schenker. 

The Loadstar’s publisher, Alex Lennane, discusses the restructuring rumours swirling round Ceva logistics after its Bolloré integration.  

And in his podcast debut, news editor Alex Whiteman gives the latest updates in the HMM versus Samsung FMC case. 

So, what are you waiting for? This bite-sized news podcast will catch you up on anything you might have missed last week and put you ahead of the curve on this week’s happenings, all in under 12 minutes! 

In this episode of the Loadstar podcast, we explore the complex interplay between politics and global supply chains against the backdrop of the UK's upcoming elections on July 4th.

The conversation spans across several critical areas, starting with a freight rate update and moving on to an analysis of how elections in major economies, including the United States, Mexico, Indonesia India, and South Africa, will impact global trade.

The episode also examines what the UK elections could mean for the logistics sector, focusing on ports, planning, and investment. Insights into potential changes in trade policies and their implications for UK industry and consumers are shared.

Additionally, the podcast reflects on the effects of Brexit on UK trade and logistics, exploring the challenges that have arisen and identifying opportunities for improvement in the post-Brexit landscape.

Guests:

Richard Ballantyne. Chief Executive, British Ports Association

Nichola Mallon, Head of Trade & Devolved Policy, Logistics UK

Dionne Redpath, Group COO, Europa Worldwide Group

Gavin van Marle, Managing Editor, The Loadstar

Episode in more detail:

Where next for freight rates (3.21)

Modi’s shipping dilemma (10.05)

Opportunity in Indonesia (16.32)

State capture in South Africa (19.09)

Mexico’s border challenge (22.48)

Tariffs as US election looms (25.59)

ILA threat (28.51)

UK elections: what’s at stake (30.56)

Low hanging logistics fruit (36.56)

What UK ports need (39.31)

Reforming planning regulations (44.13)

Brexit and EU trade (50.45)

An operator’s view (58.40)

The UK’s lost distribution status (1.04.28)

Credits: Created, hosted and produced by Mike King for The Loadstar www.theloadstar.com

In this episode of The Loadstar’s News in Brief Podcast, host and news reporter Charlotte Goldstone recaps last week’s supply chain news, including the latest updates to strike action looming in Europe and North America. She also offers a preview of stories that might appear on The Loadstar this week.

The Loadstar’s managing editor, Gavin van Marle, details yet another rise in ocean freight rates, and how he thinks the US East Coast strikes could affect the upcoming presidential elections. 

The Loadstar publisher, Alex Lennane, discusses the impact, if any, Chinese ecommerce crackdowns have had on airfreight, and speaks on the turbulent times at Atlas Air. 

So, what are you waiting for? This bite-sized news podcast will catch you up on anything you might have missed last week and put you ahead of the curve on this week’s happenings.

This episode, hosted by Mike King, dives deep into the challenges currently rocking the container shipping and logistics industries and driving up shipper costs.

Red Sea diversions, unpredictable demand signals, new tariff regimes, possible union strikes, and space shortages are all making the management and forecasting of ocean supply chains increasingly difficult. Port congestion is also building, and container availability is tightening.

The net result is freight rates which are now threatening to reach Covid-era peaks. But, this episode asks, is this an early peak season, or is more chaos in store during Q3?

Guests:

Peter Sand, Chief Analyst, Xeneta

Christian Roeloffs, co-Founder & c0-CEO, Container xChange

Peter Sundara Swamickannu, Head of Global Ocean Freight Product, Visy Global Logistics

 Episode in more detail:

The foundations of chaos (1.20)

Singapore: epicentre of congestion (3.14)

Congestion and delays spread (6.40)

Visibility key for shippers (9.19)

Cargo rollovers (11.43)

Will capacity additions help or hinder? (13.20

Peak or no peak? (17.14)

Container availability in China (20.03)

Box shortages (22.57)

Container orders and possible over-supply (24.51)

Where next for freight rates (26.16)

Current rate movements and challenges (30.48)

Unpacking demand (36.16)

What else is muddying the container shipping outlook? (39.48)

Credits: Created, hosted and produced by Mike King for The Loadstar www.theloadstar.com

This week's episode of News in Brief is a special edition 'Multimodal in Brief', with a surprise celebrity guest!

Host and news reporter, Charlotte Goldstone, spent her time at this week's Multimodal exhibition in Birmingham recording 'brief' interviews with visitors and exhibitors from all across the supply chain to hear why their company attended the event and what they thought of it.

And at the awards gala Charlotte got to chat with footballing legend Kevin Keegan, the after-dinner speaker, about the years he spent in major port cities and his experience with the logistics industry...

In this episode of The Loadstar’s News in Brief Podcast, host and news reporter Charlotte Goldstone recaps last week’s supply chain news, including the latest in Canada's rail strike saga and what's got stakeholders annoyed at Schiphol airport. She also offers a preview of stories that might appear on The Loadstar this week.

The Loadstar’s managing editor, Gavin van Marle, discusses how GRIs and surcharges have contributed to yet another rise in ocean freight rates, and what, if any, silver linings there are in the very disrupted container shipping market.

The Loadstar publisher, Alex Lennane, details the latest on Chinese ecommerce crackdowns in both the US and the EU, and shares her calculations on which freight forwarders have had the most run-ins with the law.

So, what are you waiting for? This bite-sized news podcast will catch you up on anything you might have missed last week and put you ahead of the curve on this week’s happenings.