The Loadstar

The Loadstar is an independent, United Kingdom based, supply chain and logistics publication covering freight forwarding, air cargo, ocean shipping, ports, and international trade policy. gCaptain republishes select Loadstar coverage under content partnership terms when stories are materially relevant to maritime and offshore readers. Loadstar stories on gCaptain are clearly attributed and may be edited for house style, formatting, and headline clarity while preserving source reporting.


Wednesday, July 12, 2023
ZIM logo on a building
Shipping

ZIM Faces Bleak Outlook as Container Shipping Weakness Persists

By Alex Whiteman (The Loadstar) – Ongoing weakness in container shipping has forced Israel’s Zim to drastically re-evaluate its full-year performance,

July 12, 2023
Total Views: 2653

Friday, July 7, 2023
container ship at sea
Shipping

Ocean Carriers Run Out of Niche Trades

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Container spot rates on the transatlantic took a hammering this week, losing over 20% of their value, and the

July 7, 2023
Total Views: 2185

Monday, July 3, 2023
Maersk ship entering the Port of Rotterdam
Shipping

Maersk Unleashes Huge Asia-North Europe Rate Hike

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Maersk is attempting to undo weeks of heavy discounting on the Asia-North Europe tradelane with a substantial increase

July 3, 2023
Total Views: 4539

Friday, June 30, 2023
Stock image of an MSC containership
Shipping

MSC Lead Transpacific Capacity Exodus as ZIM Bucks the Trend

By Alex Lennane (The Loadstar) – Ocean carriers have removed almost a quarter of their capacity from the transpacific tradelane in the past year as

June 30, 2023
Total Views: 5498

Thursday, June 29, 2023
port of los angeles and long beach
Shipping

Containership Charter Market Loses Steam as Carriers Look to Off-Hire Ships

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – There are now clear signs that the weak demand for ocean freight is beginning to impact the hitherto insulated

June 29, 2023
Total Views: 2502

Friday, June 23, 2023
FILE PHOTO: Shipping containers are seen at the container terminal of the port of Oakland, California, U.S., October 28, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Shipping

Liner Bear Market Looms as Rates Continue to Tumble

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Maritime analysts are bearish on the outlook for liner shipping, as inventory de-stocking progress in the US and Europe

June 23, 2023
Total Views: 1131

Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Aerial top view of a ship at sea
Shipping

Survival of the Fittest for Shortsea Shipping Market

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Shortsea shipping lines in Northern Europe are facing a fight for survival as demand weakens and rates plummet. As in

June 21, 2023
Total Views: 3104

Monday, June 19, 2023
msc containership
Shipping

MSC is Bleeding the Charter Market Dry

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – The containership charter market shows no sign of softening as it goes into the usually slack summer season, despite

June 19, 2023
Total Views: 8223

Friday, June 16, 2023
Rates Woes Continue for Carriers Amid Claims of Transatlantic Price-Dumping
Shipping

Rates Woes Continue for Carriers Amid Claims of Transatlantic Price-Dumping

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Asia-North European carriers are being obliged to discount rates at the time of year – the build-up to the peak

June 16, 2023
Total Views: 2046

Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Ismailia,,Egypt,-,November,5,,2017:,Large,Container,Vessel,Ship
Shipping

Top Ocean Carriers Set Course for More Profitable Routes

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Ocean carriers constantly reassess network coverage to cope with the impact of demand fluctuations but, post-pandemic,

June 7, 2023
Total Views: 1701

Friday, June 2, 2023
Aerial top view of a containership underway
Shipping

Long-Term Container Freight Rates ‘Collapse’, Says Xeneta

By Charlie Bartlett (The Loadstar) – June is bearing few surprises for container shipping, with demand continuing its inexorable downward correction. In

June 2, 2023
Total Views: 4888

Friday, May 26, 2023
Aerial top view of a containership at port. Stock Photo: Shutterstock/Avigator Fortuner
Shipping

Peak Season Hope Fades as Container Freight Rates Slip Again

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – The prospect of a traditional peak season is slipping away with each week that passes and ocean carriers are as yet

May 26, 2023
Total Views: 3658

Tuesday, May 23, 2023
expanded panama canal
Shipping

Panama Canal Draft Restrictions Could Halt Coastal Shift

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is to further reduce the maximum draft allowed for vessels transiting the waterway

May 23, 2023
Total Views: 4915

Wednesday, May 17, 2023
MSC Tessa, one of the world's largest containerships, under construction at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Shanghai, China. Photo courtesy CSSC.
Shipping

MSC and CMA CGM Out in Front in Box Fleet-Building Race

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – MSC’s phenomenal growth over the past two years has largely been driven by acquisition of second-hand containerships,

May 17, 2023
Total Views: 3255

Friday, May 12, 2023
Maersk ship entering the Port of Rotterdam
Shipping

2M Adding Capacity to Reduce Speed on Asia-Europe Network

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Next month, 2M partners MSC and Maersk will deploy nine extra vessels on their Asia-Europe services, an injection of

May 12, 2023
Total Views: 1558

Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Vytautas Kielaitis / Shutterstock.com
Shipping

Alliance Rivals Ready to Cash In if 2M Divorce Gets Messy

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – THE Alliance and Ocean Alliance vessel-sharing partners are taking full advantage of the 2M’s potentially messy

May 10, 2023
Total Views: 1465

Friday, May 5, 2023
containership underway
Shipping

With Rates Under Pressure, Ocean Carriers Struggle to Hold Transpacific GRIs

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – The transpacific mid-April GRIs (General Rate Increase) imposed by carriers, ahead of the finalisation of annual

May 5, 2023
Total Views: 1546

Tuesday, May 2, 2023
port of long beach 2
Shipping

Bankrupt Bed Bath & Beyond Files FMC Complaint Against OOCL

By Alex Lennane (The Loadstar) – US retailer Bed Bath & Beyond, which last week filed for bankruptcy protection, has filed a claim of $37.65m

May 2, 2023
Total Views: 2935

Friday, April 28, 2023
cargo ships loading at port of oakland
Shipping

Soft Demand Pushes Ocean Spot Rates to ‘Lowest Sustainable Level’

By Nick Savvides (The Loadstar) – Weak demand in the three major ocean trades, coupled with the expected flood of new tonnage, will feed declining

April 28, 2023
Total Views: 1399

Thursday, April 27, 2023
containership
Shipping

Can Slow Steaming Offset Container Shipping’s Capacity Problem?

By Nick Savvides (The Loadstar) – Any recovery in the container shipping market will be overwhelmed by the flood of new vessels entering the market,

April 27, 2023
Total Views: 3040