The Freight Buyers' Club

Hapag-Lloyd has agreed to acquire ZIM for $4.2 billion, creating a combined fleet of 400+ vessels. In this mini Freight Buyers' Club, Nils Roche (ex-CMA CGM, Maersk, PIL) breaks down what this deal means for the liner industry, for the Gemini Cooperation, for MSC, and crucially, for freight buyers. We cover: The deal structure and Israel's "golden share" carve-out What happens to ZIM's vessel shar...

The freighter capacity crunch is real. In this episode of Air Cargo Unpacked, Mike King and Neel Jones Shah break down UPS retiring its MD-11 fleet, why the aircraft backlog won't normalise until the 2030s, and what it means for air cargo rates. Plus: Dimerco's Kathy Liu on Chinese New Year from Shanghai, exclusive rate analysis from TAC Index's Neil Wilson, and how de minimis policy changes are r...

In this exclusive interview, Laura DiBella, the newly confirmed Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission, outlines the agency's aggressive new approach to protecting U.S. shippers and enforcing maritime trade compliance on a global scale. DiBella explains how the FMC is shifting from a reactive referee of commercial disputes to a proactive "consumer protection agency" with the authority to investi...

What should US shippers expect in 2026? This TPM 26 special covers transpacific contracting, the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern rail merger, and features an EXCLUSIVE interview with new Federal Maritime Commission Chair Laura DiBella. Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group. PART 1: TPM 26 PREVIEW Mark Szakonyi (Executive Editor, Journal of Commerce) and Lori Fellmer (VP Logistics, Bass...

Global trade isn't ending. It's fracturing along geopolitical lines. And it's reshaping supply chains, technology systems, and the entire logistics landscape as we enter 2026. The signals are unmistakable. Greenland threats. US-Europe tensions mounting. Trade wars escalating. This is no longer theoretical. Supply chain directors need to understand what's coming and how to prepare. In this critical...

Co-hosted by award-winning journalist Mike King and air cargo veteran Neel Jones Shah (ex-Delta, United, Flexport) with exclusive TAC Index market intelligence and IATA's 2026 forecast from Brendan Sullivan, Global Head of Cargo. Welcome to the launch episode of Air Cargo Unpacked - your monthly deep dive into air freight markets, capacity dynamics, and what actually matters for people who buy air...

Container shipping enters 2026 facing a perfect storm: deepening geopolitical fractures, a historic vessel orderbook driving severe overcapacity, and the growing likelihood that services will soon return fully to the Suez Canal. Could this trigger a new wave of consolidation among smaller container lines? For freight buyers, this creates both uncertainty and potential negotiating leverage. In this...

Freight rates, container capacity, and tender strategies are about to get complicated in 2026 — and Bjorn Vang Jensen is here to cut through the noise. Bjorn Vang Jensen (EVP Global Head of Ocean at EasySpeed International Logistics) has worn every hat in the freight industry: buyer, forwarder, consultant, and shipping executive. With 38 years of experience including major freight buying roles at...

Global container shipping reliability has improved in 2025, but the gains are fragile. In this episode, we examine what’s really driving the numbers, why performance is already slipping, and what shippers should expect as they plan for 2026. In this episode, produced with the support of OntegosCloud (https://www.ontegos.cloud/), we break down the latest reliability data from Sea-Intelligence and X...

Paul Berger of The Wall Street Journal’s Logistics Report joins the Freight Buyers’ Club to break down the biggest supply chain stories to watch in 2026 — from tariff battles and port policy shifts to the deepening US trucking recession, the crane crackdown, EV trucking setbacks, Canada–US trade flows, and what reopening the Suez Canal could mean for global shipping. We cover the forces reshaping...

A deep dive into the 2026 freight outlook, the return of Suez routes, China+1 manufacturing shifts, capacity risks and what shippers must prepare for next year. Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/]. It’s the Freight Buyers’ Club Holiday Special — a festive wrap-up of a year that delivered more plot twists than a Christmas soap marathon. From tariff shocks to Ch...

Air cargo wasn’t supposed to look this strong. Tariffs, the end of de minimis, political whiplash, war, and supply chain reshuffles all pointed to a difficult year. But the opposite happened. In this Freight Buyers Club air cargo special — produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group — Mike King breaks down why the market held up, how shippers and carriers adapted, and what the data really s...

Hamburg is gearing up for a turbulent few years in global container shipping. In this episode, Mike King speaks with Mathias Schulz , Director of Communications at Port of Hamburg Marketing, about the port’s major 2025–26 investment programme — including the enlarged turning basin, terminal expansion, and Hamburg’s push to speed up mega-ship operations. Schultz explains how Hamburg is managing con...

TIACA Director General Glyn Hughes joins Mike King in Miami on the sidelines of transport logistic Americas for an after-hours beer and a straight-talking look at the state of global air cargo. Fresh from TIACA’s first Air Cargo Forum in Abu Dhabi, Hughes breaks down why the sector keeps outperforming despite tariffs, geopolitics and chaotic trade policy. He explains how shifting e-commerce flows,...

Freight buyers are entering 2026 with a rare advantage — a genuine buyer’s market. In this clip from Container Shipping 2026: Strategies Every Freight Buyer Needs Now , host Mike King speaks with Mark Chadwick (President, Global Shippers’ Association) and Chantal McRoberts (Director, Drewry Supply Chain Advisors) about how shippers can negotiate smarter, reduce risk, and secure stronger Transpacif...

South Africa’s logistics system is fighting for its life — corruption, collapse, and political paralysis have left ports and railways in chaos. But could a real turnaround finally be underway? Host Mike King has just returned from a fact-finding tour of South Africa to uncover the good, the bad, and the ANC . In this hard-hitting explainer, Mike dives deep into: How Transnet fell apart under state...

Freight buyers face another wild year ahead. Mike King speaks with Mark Chadwick and Chantal McRoberts about the 2026 container shipping market — contracts, rates, and risk management for those who want to stay one move ahead. Produced with the kind support of Dimerco Express Group. Freight buyers are heading into 2026 facing a container shipping market full of volatility — from emissions uncertai...

Global trade is booming again in 2025 — the fastest growth since 2010. In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club , supported by Ontegos Cloud , Mike King talks with DHL Express CEO John Pearson about the new DHL Global Connectedness Tracker and what it reveals about today’s trade surge. From China’s export expansion and Africa’s growing trade power , to tariffs, de-minimis changes , and shifting...

In this Freight Buyers’ Club interview, produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, host Mike King speaks to Rainer Haag , CEO of DHL Supply Chain Europe , at the grand opening of DHL’s new European Innovation Center in Troisdorf, Germany. They discuss how DHL is turning innovation into action — applying AI, automation, and digitalisation to make supply chains more resilient, sustainable, and effi...

Shipping analyst Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, explains to host Mike King how carriers are responding to new US port fees on Chinese-built vessels, the reshuffling of fleets, and why global ship orders aren’t shifting away from China despite the new policy. This extended clip is from The Big Interview – Freight Buyers Club EP54, produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group. https://...

DP World’s John Trenchard explains how one of the world’s largest port and logistics operators is cutting supply chain emissions and shaping the future of sustainable logistics in the UK and worldwide. Recorded at Sustainable Logistics LIVE in London, this interview features Mike King, host of The Freight Buyers’ Club , in conversation with John Trenchard, Vice President for Sustainable Internatio...

Join Mike King at DHL’s brand-new European Innovation Center (EPIC) in Troisdorf, Germany, for an exclusive conversation with Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Customer Solutions & Innovation. Discover how DHL is using robotics, AI and digitalisation to transform supply chains, warehousing and last-mile delivery — and what the future of logistics could look like over the next d...

Global liner shipping expert Lars Jensen joins Mike King on the Freight Buyers Club to break down new US port fees, tougher IMO rules and the 2026 container shipping outlook. They discuss: • How carriers are reshuffling fleets in response to US port fees • The impact of IMO carbon charging and green fuels • Transpacific, Asia–Europe, Africa & Australasia trade trends • What happens if the Suez...

Where is air cargo headed next? In this Freight Buyers Club air cargo special, host Mike King is joined by Tom Crabtree, Managing Director at Transport Research Advisors and former Boeing air cargo analyst, and Robert van de Weg, CEO of ‘mas’ Cargo Airline.   Together they cut through the noise to explain today’s air cargo market outlook: ✈️ Global demand and capacity shifts across major trade lan...

Every 60 days, a container ship fire makes headlines — costing insurers, carriers, shippers and freight forwarders tens or even hundreds of millions. But who really pays when cargo goes up in smoke? In this episode of the Freight Buyers’ Club, recorded at London International Shipping Week and produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, Mike King speaks with Chris Grieveson, Managing Partner at Wi...