Bangkok--18 Mar--Agility Logistics
Agility, a leading global logistics provider, is expanding its South East Asian cross border trucking operations as demand grows for road services to connect countries across the region and into China.
Agility’s integrated trucking network provides shippers with an option to truck directly to several major cities in South East Asia and China as well as direct connections to major airports and ports in the region. The service provides a time and cost-effective alternative to air and sea freight. The flexibility offered opens new transport routes and enables the combination of land, air and sea for the transportation of raw materials and finished goods.
In 2009, China became ASEAN’s (Association of South East Asian Nations) largest trading partner, accounting for 11.6 percent of ASEAN's total trade, while in the first eight months of 2010 trade between ASEAN and China was 47 percent higher than the volume for the same period in 2009. Agility’s expanded cross border service provides a viable option for trade within this area and helps to further develop growth.
“Customer demand for cross border logistics in South East Asia has been growing dramatically year-after-year as more manufacturers relocate to the region to take advantage of the increasing connectivity and lower labor and land costs,” said Mike Gildea, Agility’s Chief Executive Officer of South East Asia. “Developing a cross border service will create jobs in the region and help the local economies grow. We are discovering that many customers find the door-to-door option provides the optimum solution for their supply chain needs. For example, we are regularly transporting time-sensitive cargo from Thailand and Malaysia to Hong Kong for a number of our customers and other trade routes are also proving very popular.”
Agility has long established cross border links between Vietnam and South West China and now the network is expanding to the rest of the country. Regular services connect Vietnam and Cambodia with Malaysia, Singapore, Laos and Thailand and provide shippers with a cost effective alternative to air freight with savings of 30 to 40 percent.
“Our experience working with customs authorities across the region helps us significantly reduce transit times,” added Gildea. “Transit times of 20 hours from the Vietnam-China border to Hong Kong and 40 hours to Shanghai are proving attractive to many shippers of hi-value added goods. Such routings offer road-sea and road-air alternatives that offer both time and cost efficiencies.”
An added benefit to customers utilizing this expanded cross border trucking service is the ability to lower their environmental impact as the level of CO2 emissions from trucking is considerably lower than other forms of transportation.
Agility has also been working with authorities in South East Asia to improve border administration and accelerate customs clearance, while improving security through a reduction in trans-loading, and will continue to drive continued improvements in these areas. Agility maintains a high standard of security compliance by utilizing trucks equipped with the latest GPS technology and in-container camera security connected to a command center in Bangkok.
For more information about Agility, visit www.agilitylogistics.com.