Manage Chinese New Year Freight Challenges with AI

Your Game Plan for Chinese New Year Freight Challenges

The busiest freight season is here–Chinese New Year (also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival) is a critical period for global supply chains. Taking place in late January or early February, it’s the biggest celebration in China and can disrupt operations for weeks. But with the right strategy and AI-powered tools, you can turn CNY challenges into opportunities. 

What Happens During Chinese New Year?

• Factory Closures: Factories close for an entire week, but disruptions span at least 4 weeks due to pre- and post-CNY slowdowns as workers travel home.
• Capacity Constraints: Vessel space becomes tight, and delays are inevitable due to reduced operational capacity.
• Global Impact: Ripple effects are felt across supply chains from Asia to North America, especially with the U.S. RFP season kicking off shortly after CNY.

Potential Impact on You and Your Clients

CNY is more than a logistical hurdle—it’s a massive opportunity to strengthen your client relationships and differentiate your freight forwarding operations. Here are key scenarios to prepare for:

1. Vessel Space Constraints
   • Space will be tight due to blank sailings and capacity adjustments. Clients without proactive planning will need your help to keep goods moving.
2. Operational Overload
   • As CNY approaches, your team will face increased workloads, coordinating pickups, documentation, and shipments under tight deadlines. With manpower shortages at historic lows, retaining a happy, efficient team is critical to keeping clients satisfied.
3. Proactive Shipment Management
   • Missing key milestones (e.g., gate-ins, loading, payments) can lead to costly detention and demurrage (D&D) bills. Your team must stay ahead with real-time data and effective tools.

How AI Can Transform Your CNY Strategy

AI can give you a significant edge over competitors who are hesitant to embrace new technology. Here’s how our AI-powered solutions can help:

1. Secure Vessel Space with AI
   • Our AI-enabled marketplace scans real-time rates and loading data to connect you with the best origin agents.
   • Vetted agents provide Starboard-quality service at rates 15-20% lower than market averages.
2. Streamline Operations
   • AI agents monitor live data from 75+ shipping lines and 300+ airlines, processing 25+ shipping documents automatically.
   • They proactively flag potential issues, follow up with vendors, and even handle long wait times with shipping lines using our soon-to-launch voice agent, making inefficiencies a thing of the past.
3. Proactive Shipment Management
   • Use our live control tower for AI-driven document drafting and reminders to ensure containers are picked up and returned on time.
   • Reduce D&D charges and gain complete shipment visibility. Our AI agent even reconciles those invoices for you, acting as the reliable freight friend you’ve always wished for. ‍
4. Empower Your Team‍
   • With AI agents acting as digital assistants, your team can focus on strategic tasks instead of manual firefighting.

Ready to Win This CNY?

Let AI be your secret weapon. From securing vessel space to proactive shipment management, our AI solutions can help you navigate the complexities of CNY while delighting your clients.

Reach out today to learn more!