Coca-Cola Turns to Bulkers Amid Container Shipping’s Chaos

The chaos in container shipping has forced some brands like Home Depot, Ikea and Costco to get creative with their supply chains. We can now add The Coca-Cola Company to the list.

According to Alan Smith, a Procurement Director of Global Logistics at the beverage giant, the shortage of shipping containers and space on ships has had the company thinking outside the box (or containers) for its supply chain.

In a social media post, Smith revealed the company loaded 3 bulk carriers last week with 60,000 tonnes of materials to keep productions lines running across the world. This is equivalent of 2,800 TEU that would have been shipped on containerships, Smith said.

While not quite the strategy taken by the other brands listed above (who have all disclosed that they are chartering their own containerships), it goes to show the lengths some companies are taking to avoid shipping lines, with their ever-rising freight rates, port congestion and equipment shortages, and chronic schedule unreliability.

“The first of many we hope over the coming months and a prime example of excellent collaboration between our procurement teams, our supply chain partners and our supplies,” Smith’s post said.

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