Basel--(Business Wire)--Traditionally, there have been only two main choices for cargo flows between China and Southeast Asia: costly air freight, or slower ocean freight. Now, Panalpina is introducing a new alternative solution: Intra Asia road transport, connecting China, including Western China, with Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Value-Added Services include customs clearance with on-site staff and close security monitoring.

The new solution caters to both full-truck-load (FTL) and less-than-truck-load (LTL) shipments. It is a through container service, which means goods remain in the same sealed 40-foot or 45-foot container throughout the entire journey; only the trailers are exchanged. This concept makes the service interesting for high-end products. The door-to-door transit time is five to six days shorter than ocean freight, and the costs are 30% to 50% lower than air freight. Plus, it is a more eco-friendly means of transportation than pure air freight.

Shenzhen to Bangkok in four days

The daily LTL service from Shenzhen to Bangkok via Hanoi takes four days. Apart from coastal cities in China, Intra Asia road transport also directly connects Western China with Southeast Asia. "The service covers a number of major cities in Western China such as Chengdu and Chongqing, where the entire market still struggles to find adequate capacity for air and ocean transport. Our trucking solution will come in very handy here", said Andreas Wolff, Area Trade Lane Development Manager Intra Asia at Panalpina.

Supervised customs clearance

Specialist staff prepares and oversees customs process on-site at country borders to avoid any delay caused by incorrect or incomplete paperwork. For shippers in China, there is no need to physically transfer customs handbooks to the border customs, as copies are sufficient. This makes the process more flexible.

Highest security

"Security is one of the main concerns", added Stefan Gustafsson, District Manager Yangtze & Bohai, Panalpina Greater China. "All trucks are equipped with GPS devices, and CCTV systems are installed inside each container to survey the cargo, ensuring highest security standards. Considering that it is still a relatively fresh and new way for high-end transportation, we will further tailor the service to the customer and market requirements."

The Panalpina Group

The Panalpina Group is one of the world's leading providers of supply chain solutions, combining intercontinental Air and Ocean Freight with comprehensive Value-Added Logistics Services and Supply Chain Services. Thanks to its in-depth industry know-how and customized IT systems, Panalpina provides globally integrated end-to-end solutions tailored to its customers' supply chain management needs. The Panalpina Group operates a global network with some 500 branches in more than 80 countries. In a further 80 countries, it cooperates closely with partner companies. Panalpina employs approximately 15,000 people worldwide.

www.panalpina.com

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