DCL offers volume incentives to selected wholesalers

Neutrality a major factor, says newly appointed agent Claude Nuttall É new online Track 'N Trace system. John Will É increased import volumes last year. DIRECT CONTAINER Line will continue to offer a neutral consolidation and FCL service from any point in the United States to South Africa following last week's announcement of a new agency agreement with United Maritime Logistics (UML). That's the word from vice president sales central region John Will who was in South Africa last week to touch base with customers and to finalise arrangements with the new agency directors. UML was established on October 1 as a joint partnership with offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Claude Nuttall, who has notched up 15 years in the groupage industry, specifically involved in the US trade, will head up the Cape Town branch. According to Will, DCL recorded increased import volumes last year, with FCLs (full container loads) making making particular inroads. This he believes is largely due to the competitive rates structure which DCL can offer through its strong volume-based contracts with shipping lines. "We remain the largest operator from the US to South Africa and believe that the experience of the new agency directors on the route will open up new opportunities for growth," he said. Nuttall believes that DCL has many competitive advantages to sell. "For example, its new online Track 'N Trace system offers customers valuable information about their shipments at the touch of a button, 24 hours a day. "By simply entering a booking number, all shipment details can be viewed on screen and even downloaded onto an Excel file for easy reference." Another recent innovation is the online sailing schedule. The user merely enters the origin port or bill of lading point and destination port and the on screen display provides information on all sailings up to three months in advance. DCL will offer volume incentives to select wholesale customers based on their volumes, Nuttall added.