COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (July 15, 2008) — Averitt Express, one of the nation's leading freight transportation and supply chain management providers, has announced a new less-than-container load (LCL) service from Asia known as Asia-Memphis Express.
Company officials say the innovative new service will translate into substantial benefits to importers, including transit times up to 10 days faster than traditional LCL service and unrivaled delivery consistency.
"Averitt's been providing LCL service from Asia for years, however, with this new service we have completely reengineered the way we are moving cargo. Our new operational process is unlike anything else being done right now. For the first time ever in our industry, we are truly integrating an LCL service with an LTL network. This ground-breaking approach will open the door for us to provide LCL service from the Asia market that is unparalleled in terms of speed, delivery consistency and seamlessness – all at a competitive price," said Charlie McGee, Averitt's Vice President of International Development.
McGee says Averitt's innovative combination of ocean service and inland transportation is unique, yet the process is simple.
"We load containers in Asia and book them all the way to Memphis. After passing through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the containers move immediately to our Memphis service center. In Memphis, we deconsolidate the cargo and blast it through our LTL distribution network directly to our customers."
According to McGee, the difference in speed and delivery consistency lies in how Asia-Memphis Express differs from the traditional LCL process.
"With most traditional LCL service, cargo is consolidated at origin and deconsolidated at the first port of entry, increasing the risk of delay," says McGee. "Under our system, our exclusive relationships with partners in Asia give us the critical mass we need to ship LCL containers on a fixed schedule direct to Memphis.”
"At the port of entry, we don't stop and hold LCL shipments until we have a full load of cargo to a certain destination. Because we regularly load containers bound for the South via Memphis, we can avoid these delays. Plus, our containers don't have to wait at the port to clear customs. We can immediately transport them to our CFS Bonded Distribution Center in Memphis, at which we efficiently process the cargo and quickly push it through our robust LTL distribution network.
"Moving cargo through our Memphis facility has definite advantages. Our Memphis facility is among our largest and most secure. And because we are the South's leading carrier, no provider in the industry can get freight from Memphis to our customers faster.
"All of this translates into an LCL service that is faster and more consistent than any traditional LCL service in the market. Asia-Memphis Express can help cut shippers' LCL transit times by as much as 10 days. That speed will help our customers get their goods to market faster, but the real value to most shippers will be in the consistency. LCL shippers need delivery consistency to keep their supply chain costs down. With this consistent service, we can prevent them from having to keep higher safety stock inventory levels or resort to airfreight to recover from random delays on LCL shipments."
McGee says Averitt expects the new service to be popular with importers of all sizes, especially medium to small-sized firms.
"The market's expectations for LCL service are far greater than the capabilities of the market to meet those demands. Right now, the service that most small to medium-sized shippers are getting is mediocre at best. We are about to change those dynamics. We are going to level the playing field for the medium to small importer who relies on LCL shipping and is trying to compete with the mass retailers, wholesalers and mega manufacturing entities.
Our International customer service specialists constantly monitor each shipment and provide the exact location of your cargo at any time. Web-based visibility is also available.
About Averitt Express
Established in 1971, Averitt Express is a leading provider of freight transportation and supply chain management with international reach to more than 100 countries. The company specializes in delivering customized solutions for service offerings that include less-than-truckload, truckload, time-critical, importing/exporting and supply chain management. Backed by successful execution for hundreds of customers, Averitt’s supply chain management capabilities include dedicated fleet operations, warehousing services and transportation management. For more information, call 1-800-AVERITT or visit http://www.averittexpress.com.
