Each new year brings new challenges and with them, revised priorities. For some businesses, the focus is growth. For others, it is streamlining operations or improving efficiency. For Freight Forwarders operating in intermodal logistics, 2026 should be about moving away from practices that quietly erode margin and towards systems that restore control, visibility, and speed.
Here’s our perspective on what Freight Forwarders should be leaving behind, and what they should be investing in — whatever their goals for 2026.
OUT: Spreadsheets for managing inland transportation
IN: End-to-end visibility across every leg
Freight Forwarders have long relied on robust systems for sea freight and cargo documentation. However, historically, inland transport has been treated as an afterthought – managed through spreadsheets, emails, and manual workarounds.
The outcome is all too familiar:
- Fragmented planning
- Standalone tools
- And, too often, a return to spreadsheets to manage inland legs
In 2026, that approach is officially out.
What’s in is true job-level visibility across every leg of every movement. Systems like Fargo TOPS enable planners to manage inland transport within a single operational environment. By integrating directly with ports and industry platforms, planners gain clear real-time insights over:
- Who is moving each container?
- Its status in the journey
- And how costs are accumulating in real-time
When costs and subcontractors are managed in one place, decisions become faster, and more profitable.
OUT: Paying avoidable fines, quay rent and demurrage
IN: Proactive control of time-critical charges
Quay rent, detention, and demurrage remain among the most frustrating — and costly — challenges for transport planners.
The reality on the ground:
- Free quay time is missed
- Containers aren’t restituted quickly enough
- Costs are identified only after they’ve already been incurred
In 2026, Freight Forwarders need to move from reactive cost discovery to proactive cost prevention.
With Fargo TOPS:
- Tariffs can be entered for both port and inland movements
- Automated reporting highlights containers at risk of incurring additional charges
- Last quay and restitution dates are clearly visible
- Off-dock storage decisions can be made before penalties apply
This allows planners to intervene earlier, prioritise high-risk containers and reduce unnecessary demurrage, detention, and storage costs.
Container control extends beyond the port. Fargo TOPS allows users to manage yard storage agreements, lift-on/lift-off charges, and container dwell time, all of which are raised directly against the correct booking and supplier.
The result is simple: fewer surprises, fewer fines, and far tighter cost control.
OUT: Wasted miles and revenue leakage
IN: Intelligent planning and resource optimisation
Empty running and inefficient routing are silent margin killers, particularly in an industry where profits per container are slim and operational risk is high.
Manually searching for subcontractors, planning routes, avoiding wasted miles, and identifying reload opportunities is no longer sustainable.
In 2026, efficient planning should be system-led.
Fargo TOPS’ Twin and Reload Wizard automatically scans unplanned work and suggests:
- Reload opportunities
- Twin movements
- Journey splits that maximise utilisation
Weight restrictions and operational constraints are automatically factored in, improving overall utilisation.
For Freight Forwarders, this means:
- Lower operational costs
- Better use of subcontractor capacity
- More efficient resource utilisation
- And stronger commercial outcomes on high-volume movements
OUT: Manually planning every leg
IN: AI-driven planning and vendor optimisation
Freight Forwarding is a discipline of precision. Speed matters, but accuracy matters more.
Manually allocating trunks to subcontractors based on experience or habit or historical preference increases risk and limits scalability. In 2026, the competitive edge belongs to those using AI-assisted planning tools.
Fargo TOPS’ Smart Vendor Planner optimises subcontractor allocation automatically by considering:
- Agreed subcontractor rates
- Minimum and maximum job allocations
- Geographic coverage
- Hazardous goods restrictions
- Port and terminal capabilities
- Available capacity
By combining operational parameters with stored tariff data, Fargo TOPS makes recommendations and suggests assigning work to the best-fit vendor.
The outcome is faster planning, stronger vendor performance, and improved profitability on every movement.
OUT: Disconnected data and lost containers
IN: Fully Integrated, real-time data flows
Disconnected systems don’t just slow teams down they limit visibility and control.
Without integrated data flows:
- Jobs must be created manually
- Status updates arrive late – or not at all
- Containers disappear between inland legs
- Additional headcount is needed to maintain oversight
In 2026, integration isn’t optional — it’s foundational.
Fargo TOPS integrates with multiple ports and platforms to:
- Receive job orders electronically
- Track containers across every inland leg
- Exchange real-time status updates, arrival times, and operational information
- Provide clear visibility of which supplier completed each movement and when
Subcontractors and hauliers can exchange job information electronically, ensuring transparency in both directions.
This result is more proactive planning, fewer errors, and complete container visibility from quay to final delivery.
Looking ahead
For Freight Forwarders, 2026 is about choosing control over complexity, intelligence over manual effort, and integration over fragmentation.
The practices that once “worked well enough” are now limiting visibility, efficiency, and cost control. Systems that deliver real-time insight, automation and cost control are no longer future facing, they’re essential to day-to-day operations.
At Fargo Group, we believe Freight Forwarders who make that shift now will be better equipped not just to navigate 2026, but to outperform it in an increasingly complex logistics environment.
To learn more about Fargo tops, contact out team, who are happy to help.