; Trade Direct Ocean shipments transfer at the first port of call to LTL carrier
UPS Freight’s trucks. Smaller packages,
including pre-labeled parcels, unload at
sortation hubs from ocean containers
directly into UPS’s ground or air parcel
system. Technology helps to streamline
the transition. UPS taps into ocean carriers’ systems to get live shipment-status
feeds via electronic data interchange.
“Information is fully integrated,” says
Crabbé. “The same visibility technology
ties it all together regardless of mode.”
; Flexibility is key for Hanjin Logistics
and Old Dominion. For example, Hanjin is
free to use any ocean carrier and is not tied
to its parent company. “We make decisions
jointly and look at each opportunity on its
own merits,” says Plemmons. The partners
also designed a Web interface that lets
Pacific Promise customers book shipments
through either company and get a guaranteed quote and transit time in less than a
minute. Once Old Dominion takes over,
delivery is swift: A move from Los Angeles
to Atlanta, for example, takes just three days.
; At origin ports, OceanGuaranteed containers have “late gate” privileges. APL
Logistics arranges for them to be “hot
stowed” on sister company APL’s ships,
making them last to load and first to
unload. Most OceanGuaranteed customers
have been certified under the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (
C-TPAT) security program; APLL segregates
their shipments in separate containers so
they qualify for “green lane” expedited processing by customs authorities, Villalon says.
Warm reception
The ocean/LTL services hold particular
appeal for importers of high-value goods
like electronics, seasonal and time-sensitive
products like printed material and fashion
accessories, customized items such as cor-porate-logo merchandise, and manufacturing parts. Many of the customers are small
and mid-sized businesses, but even large
retailers that use LCL in some markets take
advantage of the day-definite services.
All of the carriers say their ocean/LTL
services have been warmly received. McGee
reports that Asia-Memphis Express now
builds two to four containers a week from
Shanghai alone. Several carriers have
added new origin points in response
to customer demand—
OceanGuaranteed is now available
from seven countries in Asia—and
importers are clamoring for more.
Plemmons, for instance, has fielded
requests to expand Pacific Promise to
Vietnam and South Korea.
