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Case Study

Freight Management
An importer of toys, hobby goods, and giftware leveraged JMR's services to reduce costs and get detailed tracking data.

Client

An importer of toys, hobby goods, and giftware that supplied the country’s largest retailers.

Challenge

Our client had been taking advantage of being a beneficial cargo owner (BCO) and signed direct contracts with steamship lines for many years. Their volume of more than 5,000 FEUs annually meant that they could negotiate very strong rates spread across multiple carriers and take advantage of the preferred pricing and space consideration afforded to importers who sign direct contracts.

However, they found that the services from carriers were lacking. They were dissatisfied with the responsiveness and customer service afforded and could not get detailed tracking information in the way they wanted from the carriers’ systems.

    Solution

    The client hired J.M. Rodgers for our “Freight Management” service, which involved JMR providing all the benefits of a freight forwarder but using the clients’ direct contracts to book the actual freight.

    JM Rodgers built a customized and detailed website for our customer, with which they could easily see all the containers they had moving across multiple carriers. We also gave them access to a team of professionals at JMR to assist them, including Licensed Customs Brokers and freight experts.

    Our open-pricing model meant that the client paid only a flat fee per container and could get full use out of this. In peak season, when their demand for space outpaced their weekly or monthly allotments, JM Rodgers acted in our capacity as a traditional NVOCC and procured space under our contracts. While the prices would vary from the set prices they had negotiated directly, they were able to get their product moving at critical times.

    Results

    The client was able to take advantage of the low pricing and guaranteed space inherent in a BCO contract while still getting the services that JMR provides as a traditional freight forwarder.