Maersk’s CEO, Soren Skou, announced at IHS Markit’s TMP 2019 Conference, the company is planning on ‘closing-in on instant confirmation for booking space on a container ship for standard freight, down from a three-hour or longer wait.’
Additionally, online quotes, tracking, and immediate confirmations “will be table stakes” for the industry in the future according to Skou. He said, “I expect other carriers to follow suit.”
Automating aspects in the process of booking ocean freight will provide a much easier experience for the customer and also aid in keeping operating costs low as the “single most common phone call to Maersk is where is my container,” Skou stated.