Alexander Kliem - Pixabay With container lines experiencing a severe shortage of containers a “mystery shopper” survey of major freight forwarders by Container xChange found only 10% could source shipper owned containers (SOC) rather than accepting carrier owned container (COC) shipments. In the undercover survey Container xChange sourced quotes from 50 forwarders for a shipment of industrial coffee machinery parts from China to Germany, with 45 days storage in the container and the use of an SOC box. The survey found that while 12 forwarders accepted the booking only five, or 10%, could actually move and source an SOC container. Of the remaining 12 forwarders that accepted booking two offered to buy the container on behalf of the shipper, and five others suggested that the company supply its own container.