FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: Dealing with imports during turbulent times
DETAILS: In this fireside chat, Global Gateway Logistics CEO Caitlin Murphy discusses the current conditions that CPG companies are experiencing in global trade. She breaks down common import problems, how companies have been reactive to those issues and how they can be proactive to port congestion in the future.
SPEAKER: In 2017, Murphy founded Global Gateway Logistics, offering services in global maritime, air and ground transportation for an array of commodities. The firm’s mission is to simplify global logistics through a hybrid approach of customer service and technology.
KEY QUOTES FROM MURPHY:
“Drayage carriers are getting booked out weeks in advance at the ports. … Gone are the days of trying to arrange drayage and transloading the day a container is released from a vessel. I fear that many of the containers sitting at a lot of these ports are dealing with that issue.”
“With CPG companies, we usually peel back a layer before anything ever ships. We want to first make sure what are the delivery dates, what are the deadlines, what is your packaging and is it the best? We have come across many companies whose packaging is a complete mess because no one gave them the best practices to create an economy of scale.”
“SMBs have said we cannot give a purchase order to a massive retailer because a lot of our margin is predicated on our freight costs remaining the same. I cannot tell you how many times it has come back on them where the spot market all of a sudden spikes and they are stuck having to pay the overages.”
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