30 maart 2026
Spot rates vs. batch rates: what you are actually paying for
The spot market looks cheap until your cargo does not move. Comparing the real cost of a spot booking with a batch slot on a constrained lane.
The headline rate is not the cost
A spot rate quotes carriage if your container sails as planned. On constrained lanes it often does not: rolls add 1–3 weeks of delay, demurrage and detention accumulate, and replacement bookings price at the panic end of the market. The expected cost of a spot booking includes all of that, weighted by how often it happens.
What a batch rate buys
Batch rates are negotiated for the whole block before the window opens. They are usually competitive with mid-market spot — but the real difference is variance: confirmed batch bookings sail in their window, because the carrier has committed the space to the block contractually.
When spot still makes sense
Slack lanes, flexible cargo, no downstream commitments: spot is fine and sometimes cheaper. Batch capacity earns its keep where utilisation is high, schedules are tight, and a missed week costs you real money downstream.