Unclaimed cargo is a problem that has always been and led to great difficulties for the carrier.
Digitalization can be one of the solutions to this problem.
The cargo becomes unclaimed when the shipper agreed with the carrier, who delivered the cargo to the desired port — and the recipient did not appear to pick up the cargo.
What should the carrier do in this case?
The standard option is to try to negotiate with either the recipient or the sender so that the shipment is ultimately delivered to them.
But the sender rarely agrees to return , because he has already fulfilled all his obligations and is not at all interested in paying for the return flight (the distance can be huge).
The recipient also does not always refuse to pick up the cargo because of his whim.
The reasons can be serious, including: change in quotations for this product; changes in the requirements of the state where the recipient is located for this type of cargo (sanitary, veterinary, customs).
So in many cases, the consignee cannot pick up the cargo, even with such a desire.
In the end, the carrier is left alone with all the difficulties, continuing to bear the costs of storing and servicing the cargo .
One of the ways out of the situation is to sell the cargo at an auction, but this requires a lot of effort to find a buyer, as well as to settle all legal nuances.
The scale of the problem could be gigantic .
For example, in 2021, more than 3,000 containers with unclaimed cargo were found in Vietnam alone, and more than 7,000 in Bangladesh.
And how many of them are there in the world, taking into account the largest countries? The bill can go into the millions.
How will the marketplace help carriers solve the problem of unclaimed cargo?
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The recently launched American B2B Discount marketplace is very simple: anyone can place an advertisement for the sale of a consignment of any cargo with a discount from 5% to 90%.
In the same way, a potential buyer has the opportunity to view such offers and purchase what interests him.
This allows the carrier to notify an unlimited number of people and companies about their offer in a short time, without spending a lot of effort.
Another big plus is that an ad can be placed while the cargo is still in transit, if there is even a slight suspicion that the recipient will not come to pick it up.
Some carriers may reinsure and advertise the sale of goods at a discount on all consignments, without exception, in order to find a «spare» buyer in case of possible problems.
It is assumed that this service and digitalization in general will help carriers solve those problems that they could not cope with for years and which have become especially urgent today — at a time of total shortage of containers for transportation.
