Household Goods Shipping Update

November 20, 2025

Along with many of you, I was traveling in October for the conference circuit. Nice to see so many of you and even nicer to hear that many of you appreciate this inconsistently timed newsletter! Thank you, and please continue sharing it with others.

The big news in the world of global shipping is that the Suez Canal is back in use for the shipping lines. Last week, Houthi leadership committed to a ceasefire on ships transiting the canal and Red Sea. In October, volume in the canal was the highest it has been in 2023, with two ships being mega-capacity vessels, including the CMA CGM Ben Franklin, which has a 17,859 TEU capacity. Trivia question: If that ship had just household goods on it, roughly how much household goods weight could it carry?

With this critical passage back in use and global trade declining, ocean freight rates are expected to drop noticeably as we enter 2026. Along with that, transit times should improve, assuming things keep going the way they are. One caveat is that as demand for global shipping declines, shipping lines may reduce the number of sailings to help boost their bottom line.

In the short term, air freight rates are seeing slight increases, but should not have a noticeable impact on household goods. The crystal ball is a bit fuzzy for 2026, so more to come on that down the road.

Overall, 2025 has been an excellent year for capacity, and with the slow season upon us, I expect that to continue into the next quarter.

As parts of the world experience colder temperatures, it is essential to remind transferees to drain appliances containing water before moving them. In some cases, we may delay reconnecting certain appliances to allow them to return to room temperature. We are trying to avoid damage to items such as refrigerators, most of which have ice makers and water lines.

Finally, the current administration continues to crack down on immigrant truck drivers, including a recent move in California to revoke 17000 drivers ‘ CDLs. Since household goods movers typically do not use immigrant drivers, this may not affect us in the short term. This change might slow down container movement within the ports, as well as to and from them. Trucking companies may also have to increase salaries to get qualified drivers. They may attract drivers from our industry, and some drivers like the idea of moving goods that do not come with a personal attachment.

As always, thank you so much for reading and sharing. To those here in the States, wishing you a peaceful and lovely Thanksgiving!

Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know if you’d like to see anything else covered, have questions, or good information to share.