Maersk Line is offering shippers the option of paying a fee for priority loading of their cargo on a particular vessel on many global services, except those to and from North America.
The Priority Product Upgrade “allows customers to determine the urgency of their shipment,” said Maersk Line director Uffe Ostergaard.
“We’re trying to increase efficiency by filling our vessels with the highest value cargo … but some customers will simply have immediate shipping needs and now they have an option, regardless of type of cargo,” Ostergaard said.
Until now, shippers have been served on a first-come, first-serve basis – which costs Maersk substantial revenue “but also provided no choice for customers at the end of the line with immediate service needs.”
According to Maersk’s own customer survey, 88 percent of shippers value the ability to ship their cargo when they want to, and 54 percent are willing to pay extra for priority loading.
The cost of the upgrade will vary, depending on both demand and availability on the vessel as well as the revenue generated by the cargo.
Shippers will get a full refund if their cargo isn’t loaded on the designated vessel due to unforeseen changes or delays.
The upgrade won’t be available on some services due to operational constraints or local regulations.
--Contact Bruce Barnard at brucebarnard47@hotmail.com.