APL Logistics starts guaranteed delivery of full container loads

APL Logistics has introduced guaranteed delivery of full container loads from Asia to virtually any destination in the US.

Named APL Guaranteed Continental, the new service connects the ports of Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chiwan and Yantian with any ZIP code in the US. The service guarantees delivery of full-container load cargo on a specified date, or shippers will receive a 20 per cent refund, a company statement said.

"From the moment we introduced day-definite LCL service, customers told us they wanted it for their full-container shipments," said APL Logistics president Brian Lutt. "This meets their need for expedited, reliable transportation from a single provider at a time when supply chains are growing longer and more complex."

APL Logistics said its new service will provide the industry's fastest transit times between key ports in China and customers' US locations. For example, full-container load shipments from Hong Kong to a consignee's door in Boston will take 15 days.

APL Guaranteed Continental works by cargo receiving priority stowage on the vessels of container carrier APL in Asia. The cargo is among the first to be discharged after vessels arrive at APL's marine terminals in Los Angeles and Seattle. Ocean containers destined for metropolitan areas are loaded onto specially designed long-haul chassis. Cargo bound for any other US destination is transloaded (or transferred) into domestic highway trailers at a Los Angeles-based APL Logistics facility. Full in-transit visibility is provided port-to-door, including en-route updates from motor carriers.

APL Guaranteed Continental is expected to provide relief from delays that hamper supply chains in an era of strong global trade growth. For instance, expedited inland truck transport enables shippers to avoid transit variability common to intermodal rail networks. What's more, the service offers guaranteed vessel space and ensures priority handling at marine terminals, even during the crowded peak shipping season, the release added.