Dockflow

🚢 We're hitting the road this Q. Come find us!
Our team will be at some of the most exciting events in logistics, transport & port tech this spring.

Whether you're curious about the future of multimodal transport, port innovation, or just want to connect, we'd love to meet you in person.

📅 Here's where you can find us:
03 March — Start-up Huddle x TechNight, Antwerp
06 March — Ontdek de Toekomst van Haven, Transport en Logistiek, Antwerp
10 March — BITO-IBOT Seminarie, Antwerp
12 March — Multimodaal Transport Expo, Breda
31 March — Multilingualism in the AI era, University of Antwerp
7–12 June — Benelux Port Immersion Week
16–18 June — Breakbulk Europe, Rotterdam

Come say hi to Michiel, Pauline, Geert or Thijs 👋

Shipping Innovation

Container shipping rates have dropped for four straight weeks, and the usual pre-Lunar New Year cargo rush never happened…
Here's what's actually happening in the market:

Carriers are publishing rate quotes of $2,050-$2,100 for West Coast shipments, but actual deals are closing around $1,700. For East Coast routes, quotes sit at $2,800 while real transactions happen at $2,400-$2,500.

Carriers announce rate increases, but they fall apart within days as everyone fights for volume.

The reason? Too many ships, not enough cargo.

What does this mean for your business?

When rates are falling and everyone's quoting similar prices, you can't compete on price alone anymore. The winners in soft markets are the companies that run tighter operations.
And, visibility makes the difference!

Real-time tracking catches delays before they turn into demurrage charges. Clear data helps spot when carriers adjust capacity so you can move fast.

And while shipping costs drop, regulatory costs keep climbing… accurate emissions reporting based on real routes is becoming table stakes.

Rates will always go up and down. What matters is how quickly you can adapt when they do.

In markets like these, operational transparency is what separates profitable shipments from costly surprises.

Check how Dockflow can help using your own containers: https://dockflow.com/book-demo/

How many containers in your EU shipments need CBAM authorization so far this year?
If you don't know the answer immediately, you have a problem.

As of January 1, 2026, importing steel, aluminum, cement, or fertilizers to the EU without CBAM documentation blocks customs clearance.
No authorization number = no release.

And that's just half the story.
Every EU shipment now faces two carbon costs:
1. EU ETS surcharge (vessel emissions - passed down by carriers)
2. CBAM certificates (production emissions - paid by importers)

Both require emissions data.
Both calculate using CO₂e including methane and nitrous oxide. Both are auditable.

The verification gap: Your carrier invoices you for a 45% higher EU ETS surcharge.
How do you know it's correct?
The calculation now includes: → CO₂ from fuel combustion → CH₄ with a 28-36x multiplier → N₂O with a 265-298x multiplier

Without route-specific, container-level data, you're trusting the invoice.
That's not a strategy.

What container-level tracking actually means in 2026:
Before: "Where's my box?"
Now: "Which boxes have CBAM goods? Is the documentation ready? Are we being overcharged on carbon surcharges?"

The freight forwarders winning this year aren't the ones with the most containers. They're the ones who can answer these questions before the vessel arrives.

Compliance isn't a cost center anymore. It's a service offering.