Despite the current range of obstacles, shippers must still fulfil the fundamental promise to customers to get goods to their destination on time and within budget. The specific disruptions may vary – from congestion to labour disputes to geopolitical tensions – but the core challenge remains the same: maintaining supply chain continuity and predictability in an inherently unpredictable environment.
DHL’s Ocean Freight Market Outlook for February 2025 shows global port congestion has surged to a three-month high of 10.3%, with Chinese ports bearing the brunt of the crisis. Fears of early implementation of higher U.S. import tariffs triggered a surge in cargo shipments. Maersk advised it would resort to “cut and run” tactics to make connections at transhipment ports, as congestion in East Asia and Africa builds.
President Trump’s trade war with China has cast doubt on supply chains, forcing strategic pivots as businesses hunt for logistics workarounds.
Unfortunately, natural forces are compounding these human-made challenges. Brutal storms hammering Asia have paralysed port operations, with climate scientists warning these disruptions will become more regular. However, one technology is helping organisations overcome this perfect storm of disruptions: Transportation Management.
Understanding Transportation Management (TMS)
At its core, a Transportation Management System (TMS) is a logistics platform that uses technology to help businesses plan, execute, and optimise the physical movement of goods.
Early TMS software like SAP TM or Descartes, launched in the 1990s, was an add-on to ERP systems, typically customised for specific buyers and needs. These early systems were isolated and limited.
Modern supply chains need much more – an end-to-end logistics workflow that follows products from factory floor to customer door, orchestrated by a single platform that keeps everyone informed simultaneously. Today’s TMS platforms function as the central system for these complex logistics operations, connecting different systems, trading partners and transportation modes into a unified workflow.
What makes modern TMS platforms valuable is their accessibility. Cloud-based solutions now deliver enterprise-level logistics capabilities without requiring large IT investments, bringing advanced shipping capabilities to businesses of all sizes.
Today’s TMS platforms don’t just react to problems – they predict them. Artificial intelligence analyses historical shipping data, current port conditions, weather patterns, and even social media signals to predict congestion patterns with remarkable accuracy. They provide automated custom workflow that manages a diverse process by signalling exceptions and taking or recommending corrective action. This foresight allows savvy shippers to reroute cargo before delays materialise, often gaining days or even weeks over competitors relying on traditional shipping methods.
For example, when a TMS detects early warning signs of congestion at a particular port, it can automatically suggest alternative routes or ports of call, estimate the cost implications of each option and even begin the process of rebooking shipments – all before human operators would typically recognise a developing problem.
Real-time visibility platforms have become mission control for global shipping, providing live container tracking that enables instant course corrections when congestion strikes. Modern TMS solutions integrate data from multiple sources – including carrier EDI feeds, IoT sensors, AIS vessel tracking, terminal operating systems and more – to create a single, coherent view of shipment status.
This comprehensive visibility extends beyond just location tracking. Today’s systems monitor temperature and humidity for sensitive cargo, detect unusual delays or handling, and alert operators to potential compliance issues before they result in costly fines or rejections.
Three keys behind TMS
Multimodal Orchestration: TMS integrates ocean, rail, trucking and air freight networks into a single ecosystem. When ocean routes face delays, a sophisticated TMS can analyse alternatives like air freight for high-priority items or rail for less time-sensitive cargo.
Integration: The future belongs to modular systems with fast updates that sync automatically between TMS and warehouse systems, flexible capabilities for market adaptation and unified information systems where everyone accesses the same real-time data.
The Human + Technology Formula: For all their computational power, TMS platforms still need human expertise. Supply chain professionals use TMS data to improve carrier negotiations, develop contingency plans, and build key partner relationships. This combination – advanced technology guided by experienced judgment – creates the resilience needed to manage disruptions.
Turning Challenges into Advantages
Port congestion appears to be an ongoing challenge, but companies using TMS are turning difficulties into advantages. While competitors rely on fragmented or manual processes, digitally transformed companies use predictive analytics to anticipate problems and find alternative solutions.
Organisations investing in robust TMS solutions aren’t just addressing immediate challenges – they’re building capabilities that will enhance logistics performance for years to come, converting today’s necessity into tomorrow’s competitive advantage.
