Sh*t Happens
Bankrupt Client's Cargo
What began as a shipping job turned into an unplanned logistics salvage and resale operation. After a customer of my TELEPORT Logistics Company went bankrupt and abandoned a full container of stationery goods at the port, I personally took ownership of the situation – negotiating debt relief, retrieving the cargo, and eventually selling it piece by piece to recover losses.
Year :
2011 - 2013
Niche :
Import
Company :
TELEPORT Logistics Company
Duration :
2 years
Problem :
One of TELEPORT’s customers experienced major cash flow issues while importing 10×40’HC containers of stationery. I had already negotiated steep discounts with the container line and port authorities to help them manage costs. But even with those concessions, it took the customer over a year to pay and receive the shipments. When only one container remained, the consignee went bankrupt, leaving $30,000+ in unpaid port charges. The shipper declined to retrieve the cargo.
Solution :
After exhausting options with both customer and shipper, I returned to the container line and port authorities and successfully negotiated an almost complete debt write-off on the final container. I then arranged for pickup, customs clearance, temporary warehousing, and resale. The container held over 900,000 units of back-to-school goods: pens, markers, glue, and more.
Challenge :
I received a bulk purchase offer but declined, believing partial resale would be more profitable. That misstep delayed recovery by nearly a year and risked goods reaching expiration. Balancing urgency, pricing, and logistics in a non-core operation was a real test of decision-making and execution.
Summary :
This internal project showed the value of staying proactive, creative, and accountable – even when things go off-script. I acted early to support the client, and later stepped in to protect company interests when the deal collapsed. It was a crash course in freight, finance, and follow-through.
More Projects
Sh*t Happens
Bankrupt Client's Cargo
What began as a shipping job turned into an unplanned logistics salvage and resale operation. After a customer of my TELEPORT Logistics Company went bankrupt and abandoned a full container of stationery goods at the port, I personally took ownership of the situation – negotiating debt relief, retrieving the cargo, and eventually selling it piece by piece to recover losses.
Year :
2011 - 2013
Niche :
Import
Company :
TELEPORT Logistics Company
Duration :
2 years
Problem :
One of TELEPORT’s customers experienced major cash flow issues while importing 10×40’HC containers of stationery. I had already negotiated steep discounts with the container line and port authorities to help them manage costs. But even with those concessions, it took the customer over a year to pay and receive the shipments. When only one container remained, the consignee went bankrupt, leaving $30,000+ in unpaid port charges. The shipper declined to retrieve the cargo.
Solution :
After exhausting options with both customer and shipper, I returned to the container line and port authorities and successfully negotiated an almost complete debt write-off on the final container. I then arranged for pickup, customs clearance, temporary warehousing, and resale. The container held over 900,000 units of back-to-school goods: pens, markers, glue, and more.
Challenge :
I received a bulk purchase offer but declined, believing partial resale would be more profitable. That misstep delayed recovery by nearly a year and risked goods reaching expiration. Balancing urgency, pricing, and logistics in a non-core operation was a real test of decision-making and execution.
Summary :
This internal project showed the value of staying proactive, creative, and accountable – even when things go off-script. I acted early to support the client, and later stepped in to protect company interests when the deal collapsed. It was a crash course in freight, finance, and follow-through.
More Projects
Sh*t Happens
Bankrupt Client's Cargo
What began as a shipping job turned into an unplanned logistics salvage and resale operation. After a customer of my TELEPORT Logistics Company went bankrupt and abandoned a full container of stationery goods at the port, I personally took ownership of the situation – negotiating debt relief, retrieving the cargo, and eventually selling it piece by piece to recover losses.
Year :
2011 - 2013
Niche :
Import
Company :
TELEPORT Logistics Company
Duration :
2 years
Problem :
One of TELEPORT’s customers experienced major cash flow issues while importing 10×40’HC containers of stationery. I had already negotiated steep discounts with the container line and port authorities to help them manage costs. But even with those concessions, it took the customer over a year to pay and receive the shipments. When only one container remained, the consignee went bankrupt, leaving $30,000+ in unpaid port charges. The shipper declined to retrieve the cargo.
Solution :
After exhausting options with both customer and shipper, I returned to the container line and port authorities and successfully negotiated an almost complete debt write-off on the final container. I then arranged for pickup, customs clearance, temporary warehousing, and resale. The container held over 900,000 units of back-to-school goods: pens, markers, glue, and more.
Challenge :
I received a bulk purchase offer but declined, believing partial resale would be more profitable. That misstep delayed recovery by nearly a year and risked goods reaching expiration. Balancing urgency, pricing, and logistics in a non-core operation was a real test of decision-making and execution.
Summary :
This internal project showed the value of staying proactive, creative, and accountable – even when things go off-script. I acted early to support the client, and later stepped in to protect company interests when the deal collapsed. It was a crash course in freight, finance, and follow-through.