They said you’ve been showing classic signs of freight stress: sleepless nights, short fuse, constant inbox refreshes, and a worrying attachment to the phrase “any updates from the supplier?”
If that sounds familiar, don’t panic, you’re not the only one lying awake wondering where your container really is. Freight stress is a shared condition across every importer’s calendar, and right now it’s peaking.
Because while everyone else is switching off for the holidays, your freight clock keeps ticking.
And if you’re not already planning your 2026 shipments, you’re already behind.
Here’s the thing: good freight planning happens 6–8 months out.
That’s right - the smart importers are already looking well into next year, locking in supplier schedules, and forecasting arrivals through mid-2026.
But if you haven’t started yet?
Take a deep breath and start now.
Because “later” in freight terms usually means more expensive, more stressful, and less available space.
Chinese New Year (17 February to 3 March 2026) will shut down large parts of Asia for several weeks, with many factories stopping production well before those dates. If you want goods arriving early to mid-January, your bookings need to be in motion right now.
And it doesn’t stop there, Easter lands early in April 2026, which means you need to plan your replenishment stock and inbound deliveries before mid-March. If your orders aren’t planned now, you’re likely to hit backlogs, higher rates, and that dreaded phrase: “no space available.”
Let’s be honest - freight planning doesn’t sound thrilling.
But it’s the business version of therapy: it lowers your stress levels, gives you clarity, and helps you manage the stuff you can’t control.
Here’s what planning gives you:
Peace of mind.
When orders, bookings, and timelines are mapped, you replace chaos with calm. No more 3 a.m. “urgent” checks.
Lower costs.
Airfreight emergencies vanish when you plan ahead. You ship smarter, not faster.
Happier staff.
Logistics panic burns out teams. Clarity creates confidence, and fewer late-night calls.
Better partnerships.
Suppliers and forwarders love working with businesses that plan. You’ll become their favourite customer, the one who gets the best rates, quickest replies, and early notice on market changes.
Think of freight planning as a detox for your business. You’re flushing out the stress, replacing it with structure, and setting your team up for success.
Grab your calendar, pour something caffeinated, and let’s make this practical.
1. Ask better questions
Don’t just send a purchase order and cross your fingers. Ask your suppliers:
- What’s your actual lead time right now?
- When’s your last ship date before Chinese New Year?
- What’s the minimum order quantity for the best service and reliability?
- How far in advance do I need to confirm my booking to guarantee production?
The more you know, the less you’ll be blindsided later.
2. Involve your suppliers early
Treat suppliers like partners, not order-takers. Share your demand forecasts, let them know when you expect to order, and agree on production and packing windows that work for both sides.
When suppliers are part of your strategy, they’ll help you find efficiencies you’d never spot alone, like consolidating shipments, batching production, or sharing containers.
3. Book early - really early
By mid-December, forwarders are already juggling January allocations. Leave it too late, and you’ll be competing for space (and paying for it).
Plan and book now for January, February, and even early April arrivals.
Good planning gives you leverage, your suppliers cant start communicating with freight providers and having a better idea of scheduling and timing.
4. Build real relationships
This one’s your freight therapist’s favourite.
You can’t build trust through emojis and WhatsApp messages.
Freight is, and always will be, a people business.
Visit your suppliers. Meet your freight partners. Have lunch, walk the warehouse, listen to their challenges. These relationships matter. When space is tight, when you need a favour, or when things go wrong, it’s the people who know you who help you.
Can’t travel? Jump on a video call. Even that human connection builds trust and keeps you front of mind.
Freight planning is more than ticking boxes - it’s strategic.
It’s aligning your sales forecasts, supplier capacity, and transport lead times so they work in harmony.
Smart freight planning gives you:
- Visibility – you can see exactly where every shipment fits into your business timeline.
- Predictability – fewer surprises, smoother inventory flow.
- Profitability – every shipment is optimised for cost and timing.
It’s like playing chess, the best players don’t move faster, they think further ahead.
We see it all the time....
Once a business starts planning properly, things shift.
A client realising they were always running late because their supplier’s real production time was double what they’d assumed. Another saved thousands just by consolidating two suppliers’ cargo into one weekly shipment.
And a third said meeting their freight forwarder in person was “the best business decision I made all year.”
Because relationships, clarity, and timing, those are your real competitive advantages.
If you’re reading this thinking, “I need help,” that’s exactly where we come in.
At Freight Lab 360, we help importers and e-commerce businesses build smarter freight systems through:
- Personalised freight strategy sessions.
- Practical templates, tools, and freight-planning calendars.
- Supplier communication guides and cost-reduction frameworks.
We simplify the complex, so you can focus on running your business, not chasing containers.
Because when you understand freight, you don’t just avoid disasters. You scale with confidence.
