Arrange the movement
Translate shipping demand into bookable transport legs, schedules, capacity choices and delivery commitments.
Merlyn Consult / Supply Chain Case Study
Supply Chain Control: the intermodal forwarder from 1836 to 2026
Freight forwarding began as the art of arranging a journey. In 2026, the real challenge is orchestrating the journey, the information and the decisions behind it — across ocean, rail, inland waterways and road.
History meets todayIntermodal transportDigital control
One shipment · multiple connections
Ocean & portArrival / release
IntermodalRail / inland barge
Final mileCustomer delivery
The physical flow is only half the story. Booking, customs, status events, documents and exceptions must remain connected from start to finish.
The context
What a freight forwarder really does
A freight forwarder coordinates shipments on behalf of shippers, arranging transport with carriers and organising information, documents and handovers. The forwarder need not own the vessel, train or truck: the distinctive value lies in designing the route, combining transport modes and managing the commercial and operational connections.
Manage the information
Coordinate commercial invoices, shipping instructions, waybills, customs information and status updates.
Control the exceptions
Respond to missed connections, terminal delays, missing documentation and changed customer priorities.
An industry in motion
From forwarding agents to connected logistics networks
The original article traced the profession back to early forwarding businesses and the expansion of railways and steamships. That history provides the right foundation for understanding what changed — and what did not.
1836Early forwarding
Thomas Meadows & Company in London is cited in the original article as an early example of freight forwarding.
1950s+Standardisation
Containerisation and increasingly integrated transport networks make multi-leg movement more scalable.
2016Digital disruption
The original article cites Drewry’s warning about online platforms changing how transport services are purchased.
2026Network orchestration
Forwarders compete through interoperability, visibility, data quality and the ability to act on disruptions.
The timeline is an editorial overview, not a claim that all businesses changed at the same time. The 1836 and 2016 references come from the original Merlyn article.
The physical and digital chain
One container, five critical handovers
This illustrative sea-to-hinterland route shows why control matters. Every transfer changes operational responsibility; every gap in the information flow creates risk.
ShipperOrder, booking, shipping instructions
Ocean carrierSchedules, vessel events, ETA
Port & customsRelease, documents, terminal status
Rail / bargeConnection, terminal transfer, capacity
CustomerFinal-mile slot, arrival, proof of delivery
“A shipment can change carrier, mode and location several times. Its information should not lose continuity.”
2026 perspective
The new control agenda for freight forwarders
The forwarder has long been an information specialist. What is different today is the expectation that data should arrive quickly, connect reliably and support operational decisions — not merely document what happened yesterday.
From documents to structured data
Digital booking, transport documents and customs information reduce repetitive manual entry when systems can exchange data consistently. Data standards and validation matter as much as the interface.
From track-and-trace to exception management
Visibility alone does not solve a missed rail connection. Control requires clear ownership, decision rules, reliable milestone events and alternative execution options.
From isolated applications to connected platforms
Forwarding systems, TMS, customer portals, carrier interfaces and terminal data are more useful when updates can flow across organisational boundaries without losing context.
From prediction to human judgement
AI-assisted ETA and anomaly detection can help prioritise attention, but decisions still depend on the quality of incoming data, commercial constraints and accountable people.
Practical control points
What should a forwarder measure?
A modern control approach connects customer service, network performance and commercial value. Start with a manageable set of measures rather than another dashboard full of charts.
Service reliability
Monitor milestone accuracy, on-time arrival, delivery window adherence and the frequency of avoidable escalations.
Handover quality
Track missing documents, terminal dwell time, late status updates and unsuccessful connections between transport legs.
Cost-to-serve
Understand rework, demurrage and detention exposure, exception costs and profitability at shipment or customer level.
These are suggested KPIs, not verified performance results from the historical case.
Original case context
DiLX, the Orbit platform and an earlier vision of control
The original article highlighted DiLX and a set of Orbit-branded freight-forwarding and supply-chain applications, including capabilities for bookings, shipment management, communication, documentation, carrier selection and proof of delivery. That section illustrated a broader strategic direction: freight forwarding shifting from disconnected transactions towards integrated digital services.
Those product descriptions and the original partnership attribution are historical source context. This 2026 revision does not assert that the same product portfolio, ownership structure or commercial arrangements remain unchanged today.
The enduring business lesson: software has value when it connects partners, processes and decisions — not when it merely replaces paperwork with screens.
Original article attribution: Harry Luijk, described in the original publication as Logistics & Supply Chain Professional at DiLX B.V. and partner at Merlyn Consult. Historical product and partner references are retained for context.
Merlyn Consult / The next step
Better control starts with better connections
A practical review of your forwarding operation can identify where customer expectations, process handovers and business software no longer line up. Merlyn brings an independent business and supply-chain perspective to that conversation.
Make complexity manageable.
Explore your transport processes, data flows and technology choices — from the first booking to the final proof of delivery.
Editorial note · Updated October 2026. This feature revisits an earlier Merlyn publication and separates its historical material from current professional analysis. All process examples are illustrative; no client savings or quantified outcomes are claimed.