Disruption and Demand All Day, Every Day

We had all witnessed the extraordinary — and unpredictable — series of shocks and challenges that had been shaping the breakbulk market since COVID first hit five years earlier. Even logisticians who had never paid attention to geopolitics then parsed the headlines for signs of the next blunt-force impact to global supply chains.

In the fall of 2024, predicting what the market would look like when the Journal of Commerce Breakbulk & Project Cargo Conference convened April 23–25 in New Orleans seemed a bit of a fool’s errand. But we could bet on a few big-picture forces that the industry would still surely be grappling with, including geopolitical tensions, unexpected hits to the supply chain, and tight capacity in the multipurpose, heavy-lift sector.

Project forwarders and cargo shippers used words such as "stressful" and "crazy" when they told us about the market. There was little stability in bookings or rates. Although project cargo demand was strong and getting stronger, uncertainty surrounding project commitments and schedules continued to make shippers reluctant to contract forward. This reluctance, in turn, added to carriers' reluctance to order new vessels beyond capacity replacement.

Whatever else had been happening, we knew that, come that April, we would bring together breakbulk and project cargo shippers, ocean and land-based specialized carriers, project forwarders, ports and terminals, and other breakbulk supply chain service providers in New Orleans. There, we would sort our way through myriad industry and logistics opportunities and challenges that showed no sign of calming.

Conference sessions included discussions with subject matter experts on geopolitics, energy and the MPV fleet, in-depth panel sessions, case studies, and guided breakout sessions. At the same time, stellar networking, as always, was the lifeblood of the event.

We invited everyone to join us in New Orleans, where, together, we continued to build on the world’s most impactful breakbulk and project cargo industry event.

Among that year’s topics and features:

  • Geopolitics and risk management
  • Global shipping outlook: Boxes and breakbulk
  • No more JIT: Thriving despite a whipsaw supply chain
  • State of the multipurpose/heavy-lift fleet
  • Decision-making in the era of decarbonization
  • Progress report: The Journal of Commerce Breakbulk Index
  • Filling the talent gap: recruiting industry newcomers
  • Powering the world: energy and renewables outlook
  • North and south: trade and market trends in the Americas
  • Brownwater reality check
  • Heavy-haul with a side of rail
  • AI and project cargo shipping
  • Using industry indices
  • Heavy-haul/DOT corridor update
  • Navigating customs and tariffs

And for the second year, Breakbulk Academy featured prominently in the programming, including:

  • Interactive project cargo case study, Parts I and II
  • Industry introductions