MOL's new service will employ Phnom Penh's river barge terminal. Containers will be shipped via barge to Ho Chi Minh's deepwater terminal and loaded on MOL's line-haul vessels for direct service to North America and intra-Asia. By utilizing Phnom Penh's barge service, MOL will now provide 2-10 days faster transit times to the USWC and Canada than our present routes over Singapore. Transit times to key ports will be reduced to the following:
Los Angeles: 20 days'' Oakland: 24 days'' Seattle: 19 days''' Vancouver: 21 days
Customarily, Phnom Penh containers are trucked to Sihanoukville in southern Cambodia where they are transferred to feeder vessels, shipped to Singapore and transshipped to line-haul vessels bound for North America. Direct barge service to Ho Chi Minh will reduce intermodal travel, while completely eliminating the need for feeder services and transshipping in Singapore. In addition to reduced transit times, customers will also experience cost savings both in intermodal and inventory carrying costs.
Additional advantages include:
- Ideal Weekend CY/SI cut-off on Saturdays at Phnom Penh
- Elimination of feeder misconnections
- Clear operating procedures communicated directly to barge operators by MOL
- Barge service tested for efficiency and effectiveness
'As the pioneers of this service, MOL management has spent a significant amount of time scrutinizing every detail to ensure seamless transport. Our service development process included actual 'process trips' to familiarize ourselves with customs and operations procedures,' said Richard Hiller, vice president trans-Pacific trade, MOL (America).
