In his late-November newsletter, consultant Jon Monroe says “BCOs have a lot to think about and plan for, to get ready for 2024. There are so many underlying obstacles or potential headwinds that will need to be addressed.” Among those are the possibility of the market unexpectedly tightening — despite the prevailing narrative of overcapacity and the failure of multiple carrier GRI attempts in 2023 — and how BCOs should plan for what might seem like a remote possibility. “Looking ahead to 2024, there is a concern: if carriers choose to tighten capacity with the same intensity as witnessed in 2020, the market may once again grapple with soaring rates and constrained vessel space,” he wrote to subscribers. Industry stakeholders listen to Jon because he is the rare individual in shipping today who brings to the table the full gamut of experience and the willingness and ability to expound publicly and articulately in ways that are highly relevant to BCOs and other market participants. In a career stretching back to United States Lines, he logged time with a variety of organizations, including Circle International, Emery Worldwide, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Top Ocean, DeWell, and Transfar Shipping. In addition, he has built significant BCO technology platforms that are in use today. In a late-2023 market that looks deceptively similar coming out of COVID versus how it entered it, the reality is it’s a new world that requires players across the spectrum to reorient themselves anew. To do that. it’s worth spending time with Jon, who will bring his perspective to the TPM24 audience as one of the rare individuals who can provide the informed straight talk that market participants will find certain value in.