Schenker chairman: Forwarders grow faster than carriers

Schenker chairman: Forwarders grow faster than carriers    Market share of top ocean freight forwarders is growing faster than the market share of the largest ship owners, the chairman of logistics and forwarding giant Schenker said in a recent speech.
   ‘Over the past four years, the market share of the top four container shipping companies has grown by 4.3 percent,’ said Thomas Lieb, chairman of the management board of Schenker AG, at the Containerization International Global Liner Shipping conference in London last month. ‘During that same period, the market share of the top four ocean freight providers grew by 18.8 percent.’
   Lieb was making the case for the growing role of forwarders and integrated logistics companies in developing the still fragmented ocean freight market. He said forwarders can create added value not just for shippers but also for carriers.
   ‘Only logistics providers enable the comprehensive control of logistics costs,’ he said, adding that it is particularly true with regards to the ratio between the costs of warehousing and transport costs, where logistics companies can help their customers control the supply chain by determining both the inventories as well as the size and frequency of transports.
   ‘Cost transparency means that the point of maximum cost effectiveness can be clearly defined.’