Your Cargo, Your Choice

1 June 2010

Determining whether cargo is a priority or not should be up to the customer not Maersk Line - and now it is.

In order to balance more efficient use of vessel space with the needs of customers, Maersk Line is offering customers the option of paying a fee for priority loading on a particular vessel.

It’s called a Priority Product upgrade. “Essentially, it allows customers to determine the urgency of their shipment,” says Uffe Ostergaard, director in Maersk Line.

In the past, customers have been served on a first-come, first-serve basis—a system that costs Maersk Line substantial revenue but also provided no choice for customers at the end of the line with immediate service needs.

“We’re trying to increase efficiency by filling our vessels with the highest value cargo,” says Ostergaard. “But some customers will simply have immediate shipping needs and now they have an option, regardless of the type of cargo.”

According to Maersk Line’s own customer survey, 88 percent of customers value the ability to ship their cargo when they want to. Additionally, 54 percent said they were willing to pay extra to receive a priority loading.

The cost of the upgrade will vary, depending on both demand for and availability of space on the vessel, as well as the revenue generated by the customer’s cargo. Of course, if unforeseen changes or delays occur and the customer’s cargo is not loaded on the vessel, a full refund of the upgrade price will be issued to the customer.

There will, however, still be services where we will not be offering the upgrade option due to operational constraints or local regulations.

For more information about the new product upgrade, please contact Uffe Oestergaard at +4529371708 or email (uffe.ostergaard@maersk.com)

Maersk Line, press release