The power of a phone call is greater than the power of a mouse click!

Battle lines have been redrawn as a very big online platform have joined forces with the biggest liner shipping company to provide one of the best electronic booking service. Chinese exporters who are customers of Alibaba’s One touch service  wishing to move LCL shipments can lock a freight rate on Maersk by paying a deposit online. And this will be with the same ease of booking an airline ticket!

What is in it for the biggies? Alibaba stands to benefit in the big battle of the big internet trading platforms as they now occupy the territory called as logistics.. leaving Amazon far behind! For Maersk – well they do not need Chinese forwarders anymore!

A coin has two sides! Perspectives differ:  Look from the eyes of a liner or vessel owner : forwarders do not own anything. So why should they pocket a margin for nothing.. or just answering some telecalls? Now look from the eyes of a forwarder: Shipper whip lashes him for everything from the best freight to the best service including container pick up  arrangement at any odd hour,  shipment related information, bill of lading release – everything on time and to answer the unending queries 24x7!

In the logistics business, the small & smart guys know that the big guys are out to exploit their size to the maximum extent possible. The small guys stay in business by making sure that they do not allow big guys to do this !

The point is that the collective brain power of the small guys is huge compared to the brain power of the big guys! Reminds me of the story of Lion and Mouse – hopefully we can expect both help each other and not the other way!

The power of a phone call is greater than the power of a mouse click! The customer is fully empowered when he knows that amidst his busy schedule of manufacturing, trading or export or import, he can call a forwarder or Logistics Service Provider who will in turn respond with the best freight quote fully backed by the best service with credit!  The power to lock in a freight rate with a mouse click is not really such an advance on the power to lock in a freight rate by picking up the telephone! Besides that customers want comparison of rates like the prices of flight ticket comparison on makemytrip.com or yatra.com... for that we have the likes of freightos

There has been a declaration of a war and a great number of sales people will be wondering how things will unfold? We will have to wait and watch!