Executive Commentary |
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than 20 countries, it’ s imperative to continue to lean into those strategic relationships while maintaining a diverse portfolio. This enables us to remain flexible and nimble with sourcing and transportation partners.
Some of these relationships took years to build and develop. And while technology continues to reshape how we operate, it’ s the long game that will separate the leaders from the rest. Those who invest in collaboration, transparency, and mutual success today will be best positioned when the market inevitably turns. The future belongs to those who move smarter, faster and greener while staying grounded in strategic partnerships and long-term vision.
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Signify
Greg Boyle
Director, International Logistics www. signify. com
The phrase“ ocean shipping predictability” often feels like a contradiction.
We rely on sailing schedules to plan our supply chains, but on-time performance is often unreliable. In some shipping lanes, carriers struggle to deliver more than 40 % of shipments on time.
What are we really paying for? How can one effectively plan a supply chain when ocean carriers have little or no incentive to stick to their schedules?
From a shipper’ s perspective, we put a lot of effort into providing accurate forecasts to help carriers plan their operations. Every month, we outline the number of containers we expect to book each week during the following five weeks by carrier and shipping lane. By sharing this information, we aim to help carriers plan their vessels more efficiently, improve reliability, ensure equipment availability and optimize stowage. While this process is challenging, we believe it’ s essential for building successful partnerships.
The process itself is highly detailed and labor-intensive. First, orders must be translated into the number of
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“ While some issues, such as bad weather or safety concerns, are unavoidable, we value carriers who actively work to resolve fixable problems.”
Greg Boyle
“ Technology and awareness are not just business opportunities; they’ re imperatives for the planet.”
Claudio Zanframundo
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packages, which are then calculated into cubic meters, converted into pallets and planned for loading into containers( either palletized or floorloaded). Delivery dates are factored in, production schedules are adjusted and unexpected factory delays are managed. Once that’ s done, we coordinate consolidation shipments, where suppliers deliver their goods to designated consolidation centers on specific days. This detailed planning is repeated for every shipping lane.
After all this preparation, issues such as blank sailings, rolled cargo,
Thermo King
Claudio Zanframundo
President, EMEA Truck, Trailers, Bus and Global Marine, Rail, Air www. tranetechnologies. com
As global trade environments change, at Thermo King, a brand of Trane Technologies, we focus on manufacturing within the regions where our products and solutions ultimately reach customers. Remaining competitive means balancing price, market-acceptable lead times and uncompromising quality. Our dual sourcing strategy has proven effective, particularly during uncertain times when trade flows are disrupted or tariffs change suddenly. Building strong partnerships with our suppliers also helped us fortify our supply chain against unpredictability.
We have a dedicated team monitoring commodities and parts, setting clear strategies. When it’ s not possible to resource alternative suppliers, we face the reality of paying additional tariffs. In these cases, transparency is essential. We must make sure our customers understand the net impact on the final product. We’ ve communicated a policy of transferring only the net
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fluctuating vessel capacity, phase-ins and phase-outs, congestion, and other unforeseen carrier problems often disrupt operations and undermine the hard work we do to plan effectively.
That’ s why we prioritize working with carriers that are genuinely committed to improving their on-time performance. While some issues, such as bad weather or safety concerns, are unavoidable, we value carriers who actively work to resolve fixable problems. These are the partners we’ ll continue to work with as we move forward.
impact of these changes, striving for fair business that doesn’ t excessively burden our end-customers.
As a company listed on the US stock exchange, there are details we cannot disclose. Yet, one thing is clear: our supply chain is strong and agile. Every day, we seek new ways to mitigate cost increases from material inflation, transportation and duties.
Looking ahead, Thermo King EMEA sees great opportunities for 2026. Technology is driving growth: electrification of cold chain transport and storage, improved energy efficiency, new sustainable refrigerants and digitalization. We have solutions spanning all cold chain market verticals— air, sea, road, rail and storage— as well as passenger transport for bus and rail HVAC. Focused strategies and thoughtful organizational structuring will be crucial in the short- and medium term.
On the long-term horizon, cold chain is set to grow to reduce food loss and waste from 30 % of all harvested or processed food— a major contributor to global CO2e emissions. Here, technology and awareness are not just business opportunities; they’ re imperatives for the planet.
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