#234: Bringing Order to the Global Ocean Freight Industry with John Hahn, USMMA ‘04

Service Academy Business Mastermind

“The big vision is how can we bring order to the mess that is the ocean transportation industry on the bulk side? $1.3 trillion is being spent to transport commodities annually…this is an international business and every ship is filled to the brim. The smallest shipment we’ve done is 50,000 metric tons. What that looks like is two and a half football fields long and seven stories high….you’re talking about a very big business for the building blocks of the world and we’re trying to bring order to that.” - John Hahn (USMMA '04)

John Hahn is a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy grad and the CEO and Co-Founder of Ocean Freight Exchange, a company he started in 2015 to optimize the global supply chain and make shipping simple by connecting ship owners and charters via their data-centric AI platform, like Uber for the freight industry. The company’s platform enables brokers to become super-brokers, save over 3 hours of time every day, and generate over 4X revenue plus a 5X bonus. They ship everything from grain, fertilizer, and metallic ore to sugar, construction materials, coal, road salt and more across the world in dry bulk, oil tanker and gas freight vessels. They currently work with 28 people in 7 countries.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why the technology developed by Ocean Freight Exchange is so groundbreaking
• How Ocean Freight Exchange is solving the biggest problems in the global ocean transportation industry
• When and how John’s business idea for Ocean Freight Exchange came to fruition
• Tips on raising capital and best practices for establishing relationships with investors
• Why execution is an essential part of every successful business

John also shares the story of his first sale and why his team members are as important to him as his clients. John also discusses recent wins, what he’s looking forward to in 2023 and how his experiences at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy are helping him in his business today. We loved learning how John’s company is making the ocean freight industry more efficient and can’t wait to see how he continues to transform the industry on an international scale.

Connect with John:

• LinkedIn
• Ocean Freight Exchange
• Venture Deals by Brad Field and Jason Mendelson

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to John for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01