A proposed freight forwarder network called Conqueror aims to operate as a “virtual multinational”

Selected members will be obliged to work with each other on at least 50 percent of their shipments but the Spanish initiative promises a single worldwide brand, exclusive territories, and “other advantages now enjoyed only by the biggest players”.

Antonio Torres, a freight forwarding veteran who devised the Conqueror Freight Network, said: “The idea is to mobilize the top rank of independents to work together as another ‘mega-forwarder’, while keeping their independence.”