Maersk Implements an Eight Thousand Dollar Surcharge Raising Import Shipping Costs
An unprecedented eight thousand dollar peak season surcharge will dramatically increase non-spot shipping rates from September.
Transportation Procurement
Acquisition Process
Strategic sourcing processes for freight services involve the selection and contracting of carriers to move goods across a network. A formal transportation procurement cycle starts with the analysis of historical shipment data and the identification of future capacity needs. Organizations use this process to secure reliable service at the most competitive market rates available.
Selection Logic
Requests for proposal allow shippers to compare the capabilities and pricing of multiple service providers simultaneously. During the negotiation phase of transportation procurement, buyers evaluate the carrier on factors such as transit time, safety ratings, and technological compatibility. Digital bidding platforms facilitate the management of hundreds of lanes and thousands of individual rate submissions.
Specialized software can run optimization scenarios to determine the best mix of primary and backup carriers for every route. The resulting agreements provide the stability needed for long term planning and operational execution.
Contractual Scope
Operational execution and daily load tendering occur after the procurement phase is complete. While transportation procurement sets the rates and terms, it does not involve the physical movement of cargo or the resolution of transit delays. The process ends once the contracts are signed and the rates are loaded into the management system.