Trade Lane Management 101 (7 MIN)

Introduction to Trade Lane Management

Learn how freight forwarders, like Flexport, leverage trade lane management to optimize their shipping contracts and procurement strategies with ocean carriers.

Ocean Trade Lane Management Instructor

Jan Hinz is Flexport’s Head of Ocean North America, and has over 15 years of relevant experience. His experience lies in the shipping industry, including ocean carriers as well as freight forwarders. Jan has been with Flexport since 2019.

Ocean Alliances & Service Strings Instructor

Martin Holst-Mikkelsen is the Senior Director and Head of Ocean Freight for the APAC region. Prior to his current role, he held the position of Senior Director of Ocean Freight for Europe at Flexport. Martin has been with Flexport since 2017, and has about 20 years of experience in liner shipping, logistics, operations and supply chain management, and working at start-ups. He has extensive leadership experience as a shipping and logistics executive, including development and execution of strategy.

Headhaul & Backhaul Trades Instructor

James Ford-Hutchinson is the Director of Trade Lane Management, East & Canada and has been with Flexport since 2017. James spent 16 years on the ocean carrier side, where he started in sales and in his last role ran the transpacific services setting pricing and strategy. During his time at Flexport, James has launched new teams focusing on launching new trade lanes, building out foundational processes, been the business product lead working with our product, engineer, data analytics and data science teams. His time at Flexport and with ocean carriers gives James the benefit of understanding both the traditional logistic side, but also a strong understanding of how technology can help the industry.

Ocean Trade Lane Management Instructor
Jan Hinz is Flexport’s Head of Ocean North America, and has over 15 years of relevant experience. His experience lies in the shipping industry, including ocean carriers as well as freight forwarders. Jan has been with Flexport since 2019.
Ocean Alliances & Service Strings Instructor
Martin Holst-Mikkelsen is the Senior Director and Head of Ocean Freight for the APAC region. Prior to his current role, he held the position of Senior Director of Ocean Freight for Europe at Flexport. Martin has been with Flexport since 2017, and has about 20 years of experience in liner shipping, logistics, operations and supply chain management, and working at start-ups. He has extensive leadership experience as a shipping and logistics executive, including development and execution of strategy.
Headhaul & Backhaul Trades Instructor
James Ford-Hutchinson is the Director of Trade Lane Management, East & Canada and has been with Flexport since 2017. James spent 16 years on the ocean carrier side, where he started in sales and in his last role ran the transpacific services setting pricing and strategy. During his time at Flexport, James has launched new teams focusing on launching new trade lanes, building out foundational processes, been the business product lead working with our product, engineer, data analytics and data science teams. His time at Flexport and with ocean carriers gives James the benefit of understanding both the traditional logistic side, but also a strong understanding of how technology can help the industry.

Your Key Takeaways

Learn how to manage strategic relationships and initiatives with ocean carrier partners, globally and locally.

Learn the advantages of ocean carrier alliances and fixed port rotations in building a more reliable supply chain.

Learn how ocean carriers use cargo weight to balance freight costs when it comes to imports vs. exports.

Go Further

Expand your knowledge. Explore related topics to enhance your knowledge and skills.

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Bills of Lading are one of the most crucial shipping documents used in global trade. Learn about their history and function in the supply chain industry.

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Learn the basics of freight forwarding, how it fits into global trade, and why companies choose freight forwarders over handling the logistics themselves.