Container Management News

The global container company A.P. Moller – Maersk has started end-to-end cold chain logistics solution for its customers exporting grapes from Nashik and Sangli in India to North Europe.With this new offering, Maersk is enabling the exporters from the region to supply high quality Indian grapes to global market and helping fetch higher returns for the farmer community in and around the Nashik district. Leveraging its variety of services throughout the supply chain, Maersk is improving the overall turnaround time to North Europe by 4 days.Gearing up for the peak grape season and helping exporters based in Nashik, ‘The Grape Capital of India’…

Hamburg Süd is introducing its future use of Remote Container Management (RCM) with full transparency in real time as well as significantly increased efficiency for refrigerated transport chains.In recent months, all the reefer containers used by Hamburg Süd have been outfitted with RCM technology, said the international logistics service sector.Using satellite and mobile radio technology, RCM makes it possible to monitor the refrigerated container and the condition of the cargo inside it – including its location, temperature profile, relative humidity, and concentrations of oxygen and CO2 – around the clock and in real time. In addition…

Maersk Shipping Line will add a virtual assistant — named Captain Peter — in the first half of 2019 to its remote container management (RCM) platform, which will feature a revamped design and new product features.Currently being tested by a group of select customers, technical improvements are being put in place to simplify the processes integrated into the Remote Container Management (RCM) platform. In the first half of 2019, Maersk will release the new platform with a revamped design and new product features which will be enhanced by a virtual assistant named Captain Peter.“Our goal is for the RCM product to look and feel like your favourite smartphone app. There is still a lot of paper work and difficult processes in global trade.

Avantida, an INTTRA company, announced that CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd, two of the world’s largest liner shipping companies, are offering reUse container management services in Mexico. reUse is a container triangulation service for transporters made available on Avantida’s online platform. It is the first time that this service is offered in Mexico, and for Avantida it is their first step into the North American market.This is how reUse works: once an import container has been unloaded it must be taken back to the port or assigned depot. With reUse, transport companies can request the liner shipping company to use that same container and bring it straight to their export customer to get loaded.

South Korea's Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) announced that it started its first ‘Ultra-Freezer’ service from Busan, Korea to Barcelona, Spain, based on its rich experience in the high-tech reefer container service. Ultra-freezer service refers to transportation of goods in – 60ºC, which are above the limit of regular reefer containers (– 35ºC to -40ºC). High technology and skilled personnel are also needed in the ultra-freezer service, as ultra-freezer containers need to maintain the very low temperature during shifting, loading, and discharging process. Due to such reasons, freight rates of ultra-freezer service are 4 to 8 times higher than regular reefer containers.

In Q3, the revenue of A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S’ continuing operations increased by 14% year on year driven by higher freight rates in Maersk Line. The underlying profit was USD 248m, with an improvement of USD 290m in Transport & Logistics and a decline of USD 15m in Energy. For A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S, the third quarter of the year was a defining quarter of major change, where strong and viable solutions were found for Maersk Oil and Maersk Tankers. Furthermore, today A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S has announced that the Salling Companies will acquire the remaining 19% shares in the Dansk Supermarked Group. A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S’ now expects a positive underlying profit (loss of USD 546m).

Maersk Container Industry is introducing an energy meter with its Star Cool refrigerated containers. Star Cool refrigerated containers are now fitted with a new embedded digital feature that offers visibility and precise knowledge of actual energy consumption. To provide transparency into actual energy consumption throughout the transportation window, over land and sea, Maersk Container Industry (MCI) is introducing an energy meter feature integrated into all new Star Cool refrigerated containers. Maersk Line, the world’s largest container shipping company and part of Maersk’s Transport & Logistics division, became the first of MCI’s customers to take delivery of the new Star Cool reefers at the start of the year.

Transas CEO Frank Coles delivered a presentation at 2017 SMART4SEA Conference & Awards, where he voiced his views on “smart shipping”, from big data and cyber security to unmanned ships. We live in a world where we hear the words, smart ships, connected ships, unmanned ships, automated ships, etc. We hear statements about a digital shipping world and a forecast of new business models in shipping. It’s a confusing world, a fast moving world. What is the reality and how do we sift through the hype?

Maersk Line has ordered 14,800 new reefer containers in 2016, driving the average age of its 270,000 unit reefer container fleet down to 7.9 years. Part of the reefers replace older equipment, and add to the 30,000 reefers acquired by Maersk Line in 2015. “We continue to invest and modernize our reefer fleet to include the latest technologies in supply chain visibility and cargo care,” said Shereen Zarkani, Head of Reefer Management, Maersk Line. The new reefers feature built-in Remote Container Management (RCM) technology…

Have you heard about Maersk Line's smart reefers that can listen and talk? Cutting edge technology that reduces risk in customer supply chain, claims Maersk Line. "We’re always looking for ways to improve cargo care on behalf of our customers. As the world’s biggest container shipping company, we play an important role in cold chains all over the world, and our care means your cargo has a safe passage from field to fridge," says a statement in the company website. Innovation is a key element for us in the quest to ensure that the goods arrive in the exact condition intended. "One of our new developments is called Remote Container Management (RCM), which turns the reefer container into a digitally connected device," says the company.

Shipping refrigerated goods? Maersk Line's Remote Container Management ensures the ideal environment for your shipment, claims the company. " We’re always looking for ways to improve cargo care on behalf of our customers. We play an important role in cold chains all over the world, and our care means your cargo has a safe passage from field to fridge," says the company website. The world’s biggest container shipping company claims that innovation is a key element for it in its quest to ensure that the goods arrive in the exact condition intended. RCM lets the shipper monitor the temperature and humidity in the container, enables it to handle alarms remotely, complete faster pre-trip inspections, and much more.

One of Maersk Line's  innovations turns the reefer container into a digitally connected device! "At Maersk Line, we’re always looking for ways to improve cargo care on behalf of our customers. As the world’s biggest container shipping company, we play an important role in cold chains all over the world, and our care means your cargo has a safe passage from field to fridge," says a statement from Maersk Line. "Innovation is a key element for us in our quest to ensure that your goods arrive in the exact condition intended. RCM lets us monitor the temperature and humidity in the container, enables us to handle alarms remotely, complete faster pre-trip inspections, and much more.

The NYK Group has been selected by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) as a “Competitive IT Strategy Company” for 2016. NYK is the first company in the maritime industry to receive this award. This award recognizes NYK's appropriate internal governance of the planning, execution, and utilization of IT, in addition to the company’s active IT efforts. Since 2015, METI and TSE have assessed companies listed on the TSE for proactive IT implementation that creates management innovation, enhances profitability and productivity, and leads to increases in mid-to-long term corporate value and competitiveness.

Hili Company, the logistics division of Hili Ventures, has entered into a joint venture agreement with leading international energy logistics company Peterson to provide oil and gas logistics services across the Mediterranean and North Africa. Peterson offers a comprehensive range of safe, reliable and value added logistics solutions to the global energy industry from locations including the Netherlands, North America and the northeast of Scotland. Established in 1920, the organisation has expanded throughout the UK with facilities at several prominent ports, including an integrated asset base in Aberdeen. The joint venture marries Peterson’s expertise in global oil and gas support with the wide-ranging capabilities of Hili Company…

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), the world’s leading maritime services provider, is celebrating the awards of ISO 22000:2005 – Food Safety Management System and ISO 9001:2008 for the company’s supply chain operations in Dubai, Mombasa and Mogadishu. Ceremonies recently took place at its global headquarters in the UK and in its regional Head Office in Dubai. As a pre-requisite to fulfilling the requirements of a three year (plus two year option) contract with the United Nations to supply the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), ISS had to meet a number of operational criteria relating to the procurement, supply chain management, transportation, warehousing and distribution of food to the Mission.

The development of a £300 million container terminal in Liverpool (U.K.) is driving a major technology investment by Britain’s second largest ports group. Peel Ports is introducing the Navis N4 terminal operation system – acclaimed as the gold standard in global container management – at eight sites in the U.K. and Ireland. The upgrade is being driven by Liverpool2 – a new container hub for the U.K. and Ireland which will serve as the enabling platform from which the group will standardise and centralise its terminal operation systems.

The Container Owners Association – the international organization representing container shipping lines and container leasing companies worldwide – has appointed Mr O I Kwon, Senior Vice President – Container Business Management Division, STX Panocean Co Ltd, to its Board of Directors. Mr Kwon joins six other Directors, who represent some of the world’s largest container owners, on the Board of the Container Owners Association. “It is a great honour – both for me personally, and for my company STX Panocean - to join the COA Board,” Mr Kwon says. “This position carries considerable responsibility and I will do my best to promote the COA in Asia and to support the wide range of initiatives that the COA is working on.

The Container Owners Association (COA) appoints O. I. Kwon, Senior V-P, Container Business Management Division, STX Panocean, to its Board. The Container Owners Association (COA) was established in November 2004 as an international organisation representing the common interests of all owners of freight containers, worldwide. It has over 165 Members, including container shipping lines, leasing companies, intermodal operators and suppliers of a wide range of container equipment and services. Mr Kwon joins six other Directors, who represent some of the world’s largest container owners, on the Board of the Container Owners Association. "“It is a great honour – both for me personally, and for my company STX Panocean - to join the COA Board,”" Mr Kwon said.

Shipping companies, criticized for being slow to modernize, are being targeted by information technology (IT) companies seeking a slice of a container management business estimated to be worth up to $14 billion. IT companies say they see the Internet as a way for shipping companies to cut the annual cost of handling containers. The problem mainly arises when companies ship cargo from point A to point B, only to find they have no return cargo. They either have to pay storage costs or ship them back empty. Greybox Logistics Services territory manager, Far East and North Pacific, Dana Lee, said that in 1994, 24.6 million TEU were handled empty in 1994 - about 19.5 percent of the total handled by ports that year.

Norcontrol IT has recently concluded the installation of a complete Port Operations System for the Tees & Hartlepool Port Authority. The system has been designed to be one the world’s most robust vessel traffic management applications, and is capable of handling high volumes of traffic. Unlike most vessel traffic database applications, which merely record visits, vessel data, and related events and details, this next generation VTS Database (VDB) functions as the cornerstone of the ports' operational business systems. The application takes the first booking for a vessel, generates a unique reference number for each visit, and with that number facilitates the management of a vessel's visit from arrival to departure.

Hapag-Lloyd is starting its new weekly service from Europe to South Africa in October 2006. The relevant organization is already in place in South Africa. Hapag-Lloyd is starting its new service from Europe to Africa not with charter ships as originally planned, but after further studying the market as a space charterer from Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), based in Geneva. "As a result of the cooperation with MSC, we can offer our customers considerable service improvements with fixed day weekly sailings and refrigerated cargo capacity," said Tony Firmin, Managing Director Ships and Container Management of Hapag-Lloyd AG at the signing of the agreement with MSC. Hamburg, Antwerp and Le Havre with Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban.

Starting end of April, Hapag-Lloyd will operate their own independent service from Northern Europe via Suez direct to Australia/New Zealand that it used to provide with a partner. “We will be introducing two additional units and continuing to operate the service with twelve ships. With this direct service, we offer the best transit times on this route,” states Anthony Firmin, Managing Director Ship and Container Management of Hapag-Lloyd AG. Vessels with a capacity of 2,500 TEU, including 300 reefer plugs, are deployed for the weekly service provided on fixed weekdays. The transit time from Rotterdam to Melbourne is only 28 days. The following port sequence is planned: Tilbury…