DCL launches direct NY-PE groupage service

A DEDICATED bi-monthly direct service between New York and Port Elizabeth has been introduced by the US based NVOCC, Direct Container Line (DCL).
The first sailing leaves New York today (June 5) with expected arrival in Port Elizabeth on July 7. With further sailings every two weeks, the upgrading to a weekly service in the near future is under consideration.
The service, aimed at both co-loaders and direct shippers, has been introduced to fill the gap for shippers in the Eastern Cape. The majority of LCL cargoes currently destined for that area are routed via Durban or Cape Town.
Local director Mark van Zijl, who has been paying regular visits to the PE area, says that DCL's decision took into consideration the fact that companies have been paying high freight rates to move cargo via these other ports, with excessive transit time involved in this type of routing.
DCL has a network in the US in excess of 40 receiving terminals all feeding into the New York Consolidation Centre.