APL extends guaranteed service to Europe

As carriers struggle with service reliability, one line is offering a money-back guarantee on loading time-sensitive cargo

News ID: 80071

Date: 16 June 2018 - 10:47

Priority access to slots and equipment will be extended to destination ports in Europe

APL, the Singapore-based subsidiary of French carrier CMA CGM, is to offer its Eagle Go Guaranteed premium service to customers transporting cargo between Asia and Europe.

The Eagle Go Guaranteed product gives priority access to equipment and cargo loading on a preferred vessel voyage on direct APL services from 58 ports and offers a money-back guarantee.

The extension of the service will see it offered on 13 Europe-bound services from 27 ports in Asia from July 1.

Launched last October, Eagle Go Guaranteed continues to be offered on 22 North America-destined services. In April it was extended to its transatlantic and Oceania networks.

The extension of the programme comes at an opportune time as carriers struggle with service reliability and customer retention.

2M alliance partners Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Co have said they will prioritise efforts to improve service reliability by slowing down ships and reducing the number of port calls.

Schedule reliability has become an increasing problem for carriers, falling to record lows this year when just 66% of ships from the world’s top carriers arrived on time.

APL has been focusing heavily on providing premium services to customers on the highly competitive transpacific market, where spot rates have remained low this year despite increasing volumes.

As well as its Eagle Guaranteed product, it also has an 11-day transit service from Shanghai to Los Angeles that will offer to offload customers’ containers to an offsite collection depot to avoid terminal congestion and truck charges at Los Angeles