The Freight Buyers' Club

Mike King
  • 5.0 (3)
  • BUSINESS NEWS
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

The Freight Buyers’ Club podcast is a new home for anyone with a professional interest in international trade, container shipping, procurement, logistics and air cargo. Each episode your host, award-winning journalist Mike King, will be speaking to leading decision-makers, analysts, journalists, operators and shippers to get their take on current freight and logistics markets and the challenges and opportunities ahead. You can subscribe to receive each episode direct to your inbox at: thefreightbuyersclub.com

  1. Middle East Conflict 2026: Global Shipping and Trade Crisis ft. Lars Jensen and Greg Knowler

    3D AGO

    Middle East Conflict 2026: Global Shipping and Trade Crisis ft. Lars Jensen and Greg Knowler

    The Strait of Hormuz has been closed to commercial shipping since the end of February. One month on, the world is still counting the cost. Freight rates are rising, bunkers and jet fuel are running short, and the risk of escalation into the Red Sea and beyond is growing. In this episode of The Freight Buyers' Club, Mike King is joined by two of the most respected voices in the industry: Lars Jensen, CEO, Vespucci Maritime Greg Knowler, Europe Editor, Journal of Commerce Together they cover: ✅ Is the Middle East conflict actually a global shipping crisis — or a regional one? ✅ Container shipping rates: are we heading for a Red Sea-style spike or not? ✅ Bunker fuel shortages in Asia — why availability is becoming a bigger problem than price ✅ Jet fuel shortages and the collapse of air cargo capacity through Gulf hubs ✅ The intermodal alternatives: Saudi Red Sea ports, Khorfakkan, Salalah — and their limits ✅ The danger of escalation: Houthis, Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb and the eastern Mediterranean ✅ What US importers are facing on top of the existing tariff chaos ✅ Why supply chain resilience always loses out to efficiency — and what shippers can do about it ✅ Lars Jensen's forecast for container shipping rates in the weeks ahead Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group, leading Asia-Pacific freight forwarder and logistics provider. https://dimerco.com #MiddleEastConflict #ContainerShipping #GlobalTrade #SupplyChain #Freight #ShippingCrisis #Hormuz #AirCargo #BunkerFuel #FreightRates #SupplyChainResilience #FreightBuyersClub #LarsJensen #GregKnowler #Dimerco #OceanFreight #Logistics #Intermodal #RedSea #TradeDisruption

    35 min
  2. LATAM Cargo CEO: Perishables, Trade Wars and Growing a 19-Freighter Fleet

    6D AGO

    LATAM Cargo CEO: Perishables, Trade Wars and Growing a 19-Freighter Fleet

    Recorded live at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima, Peru, Mike King sits down with Andres Bianchi, CEO of LATAM Cargo, the cargo arm of the largest airline group in South America. Andres breaks down LATAM Cargo's network across North America, Europe and intra-South America, their fleet of 19 Boeing 767 freighters, and why 65% of their cargo is special cargo, dominated by perishables like Chilean salmon, Ecuadorian flowers and Peruvian fruit. We cover the structural changes hitting e-commerce and de minimis exemptions across Latin America, how LATAM Cargo planned for multiple tariff scenarios without having to implement most of them, and how the Middle East conflict is sending shockwaves through supply chains. Andres also explains how LATAM Cargo handles fuel surcharge transparency with customers in a volatile pricing environment, and outlines plans for 5 to 7% belly capacity growth in 2026, with a focus on cargo-heavy European routes including Amsterdam and Brussels. Topics covered: IATA World Cargo Symposium 2025 takeaways LATAM Cargo fleet and network overview Perishables, pharma and lithium battery cargo US tariffs, trade war and de minimis changes Middle East conflict and supply chain disruption Fuel surcharges and price volatility LATAM Cargo 2026 growth outlook This content is brought to you by Dimerco Express Group. Learn more at dimerco.com. #AirCargo #AirFreight #LATAMCargo #IATAWorldCargoSymposium #FreightBuyersClub #SouthAmericaFreight #Perishables #ColdChain #LogisticsPodcast #FreightPodcast #SupplyChain #Ecommerce #DeMinimis #Tariffs #TradeWar #FuelSurcharge #CargoFleet #FreightMarket #AirCargoIndustry #Dimerco

    11 min
  3. Logistics Tech Procurement: The Questions Every Freight Buyer Should Ask Vendors

    MAR 26

    Logistics Tech Procurement: The Questions Every Freight Buyer Should Ask Vendors

    Logistics technology promises a lot. But how do you know if a vendor is selling you reality or a roadmap? In this Freight Buyers' Club interview from TPM26 in Long Beach, Mike King sits down with independent logistics technology consultant Mike DeAngelis, who has worked across Maersk, INTTRA, WiseTech Global, project44 and FourKites, to get the questions every freight buyer and shipper should be asking before they commit. From clean versus dirty data to the risks of automating AI workflows on unreliable sources, Mike DeAngelis cuts through the sales pitch to give shippers a practical framework for evaluating any logistics tech platform. LogTech Industry veteran, ex - Maersk, INTTRA, WiseTech Global, p44, FourKites In this interview: Why the sales pitch and the software are often two different things What clean data actually means and why it matters for AI How to structure a vendor conversation around your use cases, not their features Why you should always ask for a live demo, not a PowerPoint The importance of getting your actual users in the room Why reference customers are one of the most valuable and underused evaluation tools Whether you are assessing a visibility platform, a TMS, or an AI-driven workflow tool, the framework here applies across the board. This content was brought to you by Ontegos Cloud, freight forwarder profitability specialists. #FreightBuyers #LogisticsTech #SupplyChain #FreightProcurement #AI #ShippingTech #FreightBuyersClub

    9 min
  4. Before You Add AI to Your Freight Systems, Fix This First | Peter Creeden, MPC International

    MAR 23

    Before You Add AI to Your Freight Systems, Fix This First | Peter Creeden, MPC International

    Everyone's talking about AI. Peter Creeden thinks we're building on sand. Peter Creeden, MD of MPC International and advisor to the IMO's Port Call Optimization task force, joined Mike King at TPM26 in Long Beach to make the case that shipping's data foundations need to come before any AI investment. From the IMO's new PCO Guide to e-bills of lading, smart contracts, and scope three emissions reporting in Australia, Peter maps out the digital layer cake that has to exist before AI can actually deliver. If you're a freight buyer evaluating visibility platforms, digital tools, or AI-powered freight systems, this one is required viewing. Guest: Peter Creeden, MD, MPC International This content is brought to you by Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/] #FreightBuyersClub #TPM26 #SupplyChain #ArtificialIntelligence #DigitalTransformation #Shipping #FreightTech #PortCallOptimization #IMO #LogisticsTech #EBillOfLading #Decarbonization #OceanFreight #FreightBuyers #SmartContracts

    12 min
  5. United Cargo's Jan Krems: No Freighters, No Problem - War, Disruption and Why Cargo Is Still Sexy

    MAR 17

    United Cargo's Jan Krems: No Freighters, No Problem - War, Disruption and Why Cargo Is Still Sexy

    Air cargo doesn't stop for war. It reroutes. Jan Krems, President of United Cargo, joins Mike King at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima, Peru, for one of the most candid conversations in recent air freight memory. With Middle East airspace closed, fuel prices up sixty to seventy percent, and tariff policy shifting overnight, Jan explains how United keeps cargo moving when the world keeps throwing curveballs. His model is built on belly capacity, smart partnerships, and access to freighter space rather than ownership of it - a position he defends with characteristic Dutch directness. On the growth side, Jan talks through United's pharmaceutical business in India, new Southeast Asia services into Vietnam and Thailand, and where he sees opportunity in a market disrupted by both conflict and trade policy chaos. He also breaks down how United thinks about automation, AI, and the one thing technology still cannot replace: people with a cargo heart. Thirty-nine years in the industry. Twelve with United. And cargo, he says, is still sexy. Recorded live at WCS Lima, March 2026. This episode of the Freight Buyers Club is supported by Dimerco Express Group. https://dimerco.com/ CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome from WCS Lima 01:00 Five years of disruption: COVID, Ukraine and the Middle East 03:00 Middle East airspace closure: impact, fuel costs and workarounds 05:00 Tariffs: coping when policy changes overnight 07:00 India, pharma and new Southeast Asia routes 09:00 South America: how United serves the region 10:00 The freighter question: why Jan will never own one 11:30 Fleet investment, specialty products and the cool chain 13:00 AI, automation and the 50/25/25 booking model 14:30 Thirty-nine years in the industry and why cargo is still sexy #AirCargo #FreightBuyers #UnitedCargo #SupplyChain #Logistics #AirFreight #GlobalTrade #FreightMarket #Shipping #CargoIsSexy

    16 min
  6. Air Cargo: Capacity Shocks, War and What Comes Next | Ray Zedov, Rotate

    MAR 12

    Air Cargo: Capacity Shocks, War and What Comes Next | Ray Zedov, Rotate

    The Middle East war sent shockwaves through global air cargo markets almost overnight. 18% of global capacity disappeared within 48 hours. Mike King sits down with Ray Zedov, Commercial Director at Rotate, at IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima to break down what the data actually shows - from grounded Gulf carriers and rerouted integrators to Vietnam's supply chain surge and what shippers should be watching for in the months ahead. This content is proudly supported by Dimerco Express Group, your ideal freight forwarding partner for Transpacific Asia and beyond. Learn more at https://dimerco.com/ #AirCargo #MiddleEastWar #FreightBuyersClub #Rotate #Dimerco #AirCargoNews #SupplyChain #Freight #IATAWCS #Lima2026

    14 min
  7. Air Cargo Unpacked l Middle East War Analysis

    MAR 11

    Air Cargo Unpacked l Middle East War Analysis

    Recorded live at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima, Air Cargo Unpacked brings together host Mike King, United Cargo President Jan Krems, TAC Index Founder Peyton Burnett and co-host Neel Jones Shah for the definitive air cargo briefing on the Middle East war. Capacity on the Asia-Europe corridor has collapsed by more than 40% on some routes. Charter prices have tripled. Jet fuel has hit levels not seen in years. And ocean shipping is in simultaneous chaos. This episode covers what's happening, why it matters, what freight buyers should do right now, and where this goes next. Sponsored by Ontegos Cloud — freight forwarder profitability specialists.

    26 min
  8. Exclusive: Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen on Iran, Suez & Zim

    MAR 4

    Exclusive: Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen on Iran, Suez & Zim

    In this exclusive interview at TPM26 in Long Beach, Mike King is talking to Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, to discuss three of the biggest stories shaping container shipping right now. Rolf gives his take on the proposed Zim acquisition and what it means for freight buyers, the impact of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and what that means for ships currently stuck in the Persian Gulf, and whether a return to the Suez Canal is now further away than ever. He also shares his view on the container shipping supply and demand balance, why he sees underlying demand as still strong, and how shippers should think about US inventory levels and the transpacific market heading into the rest of 2026. This content is supported by Dimerco, a global freight forwarding and logistics network that believes in the value of independent journalism in the freight industry. Find out more at https://dimerco.com/ #TPM26 #ZimDeal #SuezCanal #IranStrikes #ContainerShipping #FreightMarket #HapagLloyd #LogisticsNews #SupplyChain #FreightBuyers

    6 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Freight Buyers’ Club podcast is a new home for anyone with a professional interest in international trade, container shipping, procurement, logistics and air cargo. Each episode your host, award-winning journalist Mike King, will be speaking to leading decision-makers, analysts, journalists, operators and shippers to get their take on current freight and logistics markets and the challenges and opportunities ahead. You can subscribe to receive each episode direct to your inbox at: thefreightbuyersclub.com

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