APL Logistics has introduced a new door-to-door automotive transport service that uses flexible container racks to accommodate up to three times the usual number of cars in one intermodal container.
In a press statement, APL Logistics said it has completed a pilot shipment employing its new AutoDirect service that uses removable, collapsible, and returnable racks to transport up to six finished vehicles door-to-door to cut costs and to minimize the handling of vehicles that can lead to damage.
“Racks can be configured to fit up to six cars in one intermodal container compared to conventional fixed-rack container equipment which typically accommodates two medium sized cars,” said APL Logistics, the global freight forwarding arm of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines.
The company added that it used the AutoDirect service for the first time to carry a shipment of 28 cars in seven 40-foot high-cube containers and one 40-foot container from China to Thailand.
The eight containers made their way from Yantai, China, via Dalian and the transshipment port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, before arriving at Laem Chabang, Thailand. The vehicles were moved to their final destination in Laos.
The service is being touted as an alternative to roll on-roll off (RORO) transportation.
“AutoDirect is an innovative transport solution that can increase cost competitiveness compared to conventional containerized delivery,” said Rinaldy Sudyatmiko, APL Logistics’ director of business development for auto logistics for Asia/Europe. “This innovative solution is targeted to be the preferred solution for small to medium shipments by original equipment manufacturers (OEM), importers or distributors.”
Photo courtesy of Neptune Orient Lines
