Shippers preparing ocean freight tenders for 2026/27 should build contingency arrangements into their procurement strategies rather than focus solely on rates, Drewry argues in guidance published by Hellenic Shipping News. The consultancy says the bidding process offers an opportunity to prepare for disruption before contracts are awarded, with an emphasis on understanding exposure, strengthening resilience and being ready to respond.
The guidance comes against uncertainty over geopolitics, port congestion, carrier network changes, costs and service reliability. These factors can undermine the assumptions used to select freight providers, Drewry says. While competitive pricing remains important, it recommends that shippers also assess whether their chosen arrangements would remain effective if market or operating conditions changed after an award.
Drewry advises companies to map their risks by trade lane and cargo flow, recognising that different supply chains face different exposures. That assessment should inform tender planning from the outset rather than begin only once disruption has occurred. It also recommends testing several possible market scenarios instead of basing procurement decisions on a single expected outcome.
To reduce vulnerability, the consultancy advocates diversification across carriers, services, routes and ports, alongside contracts that allow flexibility on rates, capacity and surcharges. Its guidance asks shippers to consider how they would respond if a key port became congested or inaccessible, a carrier altered its network, freight prices moved sharply, available capacity tightened or a new surcharge appeared.
Alternative arrangements and the commercial terms for using them should be agreed before they are required, according to Drewry. It also calls for companies to establish, before awarding business, the circumstances that would trigger a contingency response. The consultancy presents this preparation as part of a wider procurement approach encompassing network design, access to capacity, reliability and schedule performance. The aim is not to predict every disruption, but to make freight arrangements more adaptable when conditions change.