Have you noticed?

Ocean freight has changed. For good!

Fewer carriers control more capacity, giving shippers less room for weak planning, poor communication, or purely transactional relationships.

Strong carrier relationships are no longer optional.

But relationships are not built through lunches, friendly calls, and an annual rate request. They are built through honest discussions, reliable forecasts, operational discipline, and problems solved together.

Too many shippers stop at the local salesperson. Global shippers must go deeper.

Build relationships across sales, operations, regional leadership, trade management, and senior management. Visit carrier headquarters when the business warrants it. Meet the people who control capacity, pricing, equipment, and trade-lane decisions.

Make sure they understand your business. Your volumes. Your growth. Your challenges. Your value as a customer.

Then prove you are serious.

Honor commitments. Provide accurate forecasts. Address failures directly. Recognize good performance. Keep talking when discussions get difficult.

A strong partnership does not mean avoiding arguments. It means staying at the table until the issue is solved.

Negotiations require the same discipline.

Allow enough time, often ten to twelve weeks. That’s on top of your time putting the plan together in the first place.

Build the right team. Set targets for rates, capacity, service, equipment, free time, reporting, and escalation.

Do not negotiate only the ocean rate. They are only a part of your cost story. Origin charges, destination fees, detention, demurrage, per diem fees, Freetime days, storage, and premium services can destroy an otherwise good agreement.

Do not spread your freight too thin. Build deep partnerships with two or three strong carriers, supported by the right forwarder where needed. Keep other providers ready for niche lanes, changing markets, and future growth.

The goal is not to beat the carrier. Find the points that you really want and those you can give in on.  They are not all the same for the carrier.

The goal is competitive “total“ cost and reliable service for the shipper and profitable, predictable business for the carrier.

That is how you win.  That’s how both sides!

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