Container Bytes

Freightos

 Container Bytes is your go-to podcast for quick insights on the latest global freight trends, condensed into easy-to-digest, under-ten-minute episodes. Each week, you’ll get key data points, actionable market movements, and forecasts to help you navigate the ups and downs of ocean and air freight. Tune in, stay sharp, and ship smarter. Brought to you by Freightos, the global freight booking platform.

Episod

  1. 4 HARI LALU

    Episode #14: "Weird" Peak Season, AI Air Rates, and...Curling

    Welcome to the final Container Bytes of 2025! It’s been a year. We laughed, we cried, we watched spot rates do things that defy physics. (I’m not crying – you are). The "Blink-and-You-Missed-It" Peak This year's peak season on the Trans-Pacific was… weird. Like, "my kids eating their veggies" weird. It was skewed entirely by the trade war front-loading. We saw rates hit $6,000 per container briefly in June/July as everyone panicked about the jump from 30% to 145% tariffs, but then it vanished. Asia-Europe volumes were actually up 8%, but rates sat around $3,000 (compared to $8k-$9k last year) because capacity just keeps growing. Air Cargo is for Robots Now While everyone was worried about e-commerce, air freight decided to pull a fast one. Trans-Pacific air rates spiked over $8/kg—which is usually "Christmas panic" pricing—but it wasn't for fast fashion. It was laptops and AI microprocessors. Even with a dip in general e-commerce, the robot revolution is keeping planes full. I, for one, welcome the overlords as long as rates stay normal. The Red Sea Wildcard Looking at 2026, the biggest threat might actually be things getting better. If the Suez Canal reopens, we aren't just going to see rates drop immediately. We’re likely going to see massive "bunching" at ports in Europe, leading to congestion, equipment shortages, and chaos before the overcapacity actually kicks in. ---- If you don't listen and share this episode, I hope your next BOL gets lost during the Olympic Curling finals. ---- 00:00:00: The "Freak Year" Review 00:00:18: Why Ocean Peak Season was a hallucination 00:01:39: AI Chips vs. Fast Fashion ($8/kg Air Rates) 00:03:33: The Q1 2026 Forecast 00:04:46: The Red Sea "Bunching" Nightmare This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

    7 min
  2. 23/12/2025

    Surviving Your 2026 Ocean Freight Procurement: Special Interview with Stephanie Loomis, Noatum Logistics

    Welcome to a special edition of Container Bytes, featuring 30-year ocean veteran Stephanie Loomis, who's navigated everything from Hanjin's collapse to pandemic-era chaos. Her market predictions are legendary, and she's not sugarcoating what's ahead for your freight procurement in 2026. Carriers have finally learned capitalism. The days of $500 China-LA rates are buried, and today's shipping giants won't touch freight that doesn't make money. "There are rates that will move freight and rates that will not." Smart shippers are securing space, not just chasing pennies. Annual tenders? Dead. With the pave of change, quarterly procurement is the new minimum.  Industry boundaries are blurring fast. BCOs working with forwarders, everyone building tech stacks, and carriers potentially timing their Suez return to create just enough chaos to boost rates. Share this episode or your next shipment might mysteriously end up on the blank sailing list. CHAPTERS: 00:00:00 — Reality Check: Why your cheap rate won't move jack 00:00:52 — This Ain't 2008: When carriers discovered profit margins 00:03:20 — New Procurement: Space security trumps rate chasing 00:06:34 — Tender Evolution: Why annual contracts are obsolete 00:07:34 — Industry Convergence: BCOs, forwarders and carriers blur lines 00:09:23 — Human Element: Why relationships still beat algorithms 00:12:39 — Suez Strategy: Calculating when carriers create profitable chaos This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

    15 min
  3. 10/12/2025

    Episode #12: Air Cargo Defies Death, Rates Spike Past Last Year's Peak

    We're back and pumped to talk freight. Get your freight Christmas sweater on.🧣 Transpacific air rates hit $7.50/kilo, beating out last year's $7.30 peak despite recession fears and front-loading concerns (take that, 2024!). Meanwhile, Asia-Europe stays flat at $3.60/kilo as carriers shift more capacity there. And....the Red Sea is showing signs of life! I'm not crying - you are. Houthis released hostages that had been held since July, and CMA CGM is increasing vessel traffic through the area (though full return remains as elusive as my son's missing left shoes). Ocean rates continue their wild ride, with transpacific bouncing between $1,400-$3,000 in recent months, while Asia-Europe rates have climbed 40-50% since October lows. It's a rollercoaster. Also, don't miss tomorrow's session with Stanford's Neil Mahoney on trade war impacts.  If you don't share this episode, I'll blank sail your next three shipments and replace your BOLs with my 4-year-old's crayon drawings. NBD. CHAPTERS: 00:00:00 — Air cargo defies death, rates spike 00:01:23 — Red Sea: Signs of life or zombie twitches? 00:03:15 — Ocean rates: The rollercoaster that never ends 00:05:34 — How not to get fleeced in 2024 contracts This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

    7 min
  4. 04/12/2025

    Episode #11: Red Sea Flippity Floppity and Air Cargo Peak

    BREAKING: So... the Suez Canal Authority is that friend who tells everyone you're definitely coming to their party when you clearly said "maybe next year."  Meanwhile, carriers are playing Red Sea chicken while rates do whatever the heck they want (mostly staying flat by YMMV). Air cargo is peaking harder than my acting career (I was a lollipop in Willy Wonka in second grade, nbd). , with China-US hitting $6.50/kg despite everyone's doom predictions. Who needs consistency when you can have CHAOS? Here's a link to the procurement planning webinar I casually dropped in while chatting. Also..share this episode or we'll blank sail your podcast feed. (Kidding! ...or are we?) Chapters 00:00:00 — Red Sea Confusion™: the world's most expensive game of "you first" 01:56 — Ocean rates refusing to behave, carriers blanking sailings 03:42 — Capacity management theater: Slow steaming and ship scrapping 05:04 — China→US rates climbing to $6.50/kg (because apparently people still buy stuff) 07:42 — Plot twist: People actually bought things on Black Friday/Cyber Monday! Supply chains acting surprisingly adult-like for once This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

    8 min

Perihal

 Container Bytes is your go-to podcast for quick insights on the latest global freight trends, condensed into easy-to-digest, under-ten-minute episodes. Each week, you’ll get key data points, actionable market movements, and forecasts to help you navigate the ups and downs of ocean and air freight. Tune in, stay sharp, and ship smarter. Brought to you by Freightos, the global freight booking platform.