Member Interview: Danton International Logistics, China

IFN members are highly competent and professional, with a wealth of knowledge and industry experience to share.

With that in mind, we interviewed some of our members to ask for their views on the industry today, the benefits of networking, and their vision for the future. In September, we spoke to Anson Wang, Managing Director at Danton International Logistics Co., Ltd., China.

> How did you start out in Freight Forwarding? 

I previously worked for carriers during 2000-2008, experienced as trade lane sales and internal trade controller. After I accumulated some shipping skill and initial customers, I found that the sky of freight forwarding is much bigger and more challenging than the shipping field, which was the initial reason to found Danton int’l in 2010. Then, with the efforts from our colleagues and partners, we start to involve various freight modes based on ocean. After 12 years, we have not only ocean business but also air and rail and both for export and import with a diverse account structure.

> Your thoughts on the logistics industry today and how things have changed over the last 2-3 years? 

Disintermediation. For example, more and more shipping liners launched their online service, which can directly face to the ultimate customers. Such kind of action makes the market more transparent than before and broke the “info barrier” situation which has existed in the industry for a long time. This could be a trendency and more and more online tools will be applied in the logistics field to narrow the margin of freight forwarders, which also means the previous life mode can’t catch the pace of evolution and we have to make some changes accordingly.

> What are the main challenges facing independent forwarders today?

The declined demand from customers incurred more severe competition and narrower profit margins. We have not only the competition from local forwarders but also international forwarders, which could be more aggressive currently than the former. More and more merging cases makes the gap bigger and bigger between giant and tinies. And the digital wave is also pushing forward, which makes all those small size companies have to consider their own strategy for the future.

> Are there emerging markets or growing fields that independent forwarders can focus on?

As a local forwarder in China, we fully believe that all the company strategy has to be stick with the government policy. As a result, Danton is focusing on the belt and road area and concentrating on E-car export market recently.

> How relevant is networking in today’s forwarding industry?

With the declining market, freight forwarders have to struggle and survive at first. But we have to be apart from the old rate gap mode, the whole logistics chain solution is the way out, which needs very strong and qualified networks, either overseas or local. Especially for air and rail market, the multiple POL or POD choice could be better or more profitable solution to beat the original one, this could be a new concept for freight forwarders.

> How do you see the future for independent forwarders?

The future divides into 2 parts, some will be out due to stuck with the old conception and mode, the others will survive and evolve with new digital systems, new conception of the strategy, new solutions for the customer. So does the network, how to be different from the others and what will be the core competitiveness is the most important thing that every member should think over.

Please visit our website here: www.dantonlogistics.com.

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