The ocean freight market remains defined by volatility, from shifting geopolitical pressures to unpredictable capacity swings, leaving procurement teams struggling to plan with confidence.

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In this session, Keelvar's Dylan Alperin was joined by Antonio Schiano-Lomoriello, Lead Value Engineer at Xeneta, to cut through the noise and focus on what's actually working right now. Rather than chasing a "magic wand" solution, the discussion set realistic expectations for the current market and shared practical strategies for managing ocean sourcing through ongoing disruption.

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Key discussion points

  • The state of the market: why rates and capacity remain so unpredictable, and what that means for shippers.
  • Rethinking contract length: practical alternatives to the traditional annual tender.
  • Index-linked contracts: how to use market indices to adjust pricing fairly and transparently.
  • Segmenting your lanes: why different lanes need different sourcing strategies.
  • Faster bidding cycles: how to keep pace with the market without adding workload.