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Intermodal 2017 was an exceptional show, similar to previous years the show provided lots of new ideas and innovations in the industry, as well as the chance to meet up with old colleagues and new potential business partners. The three main take aways were industry consolidation, the shortage of second hand containers, and the influence of technology.
After the merger between Triton and TAL, creating the largest container company in the market, it’s opened up a lot of room for new competitors in the industry, and a competitor can come in the form of new entrant, or through a merger of existing companies. As of this post, there’s no company close to the new Triton in terms of size and market power, and there’s a lot of rumors about new entrants to the marketplace as well as mergers to form a viable competitor to the new Triton.
Due to slowing production at the container manufacturers in China, a lot of shipping lines are picking up existing cargo worthy equipment from lessors as well as extending the life of their owned fleets until production returns to normal. What this means for container traders and retail sellers is that prices will continue to see upward pressure on the back of low inventory volumes.
In the past several years there has been a greater presence of technology companies showcasing their wares at Intermodal Europe, and this year was no exceptions. Container tracking and monitoring software companies are trying to win over users of refrigerated container equipment, while new platforms are being designed to facilitate one way trades in the new container sales sector. The costs of each still seem somewhat high, but when the container shipping industry decides on the direction which they want to go the prices will drop as new entrants decide they too can provide the needed service.
The next major convention that ContainerAuction.com will be visiting is Intermodal Asia, which takes places in Shanghai, China in late March. While the platform is similar to Intermodal Europe, the attendees tend to be more Asia focused with an emphasis on trading and manufacturing. More will be posted on this event as the date draws near, but if you have any questions in advance feel free to contact ContainerAuction.com directly.