Some mid-size forwarders are rejecting new larger customers, having been forced to adapt their business model to accommodate the contract ban from Maersk and the reluctance of other shipping lines to offer much capacity.
Maersk’s move to restrict them to its Spot product only is said to have left some “4m TEU looking for a new home,” according to one source.
One medium-size forwarder said it was forced to adapt quickly to the new status quo after “Maersk outlined its intentions fairly clearly, so we started talking to other carriers.”
It added: “But it has pushed the market. Until now most of us have searched for new business with sizeable volumes. But now, with the long-term contracts, it’s quite stagnant. We won’t look for new business because there isn’t the capacity.”
Read more in an article from The Loadstar.