Against a background of Covid-induced uncertainty related to capacity and reliability in the shipping industry, Hapag-Lloyd is set to introduce new measures this year to improve the stability of shipping processes.
With the launch of its “Volume Agreements Honored” guarantee, the line has set itself the goal of confirming bookings in at least 90% of the volumes agreed with its mid- and long-term customers.
“Going forward, Hapag-Lloyd and its customers will clearly commit themselves to volume agreements for a specific period of time linked to a specific geographical scope,” says Juan Carlos Duk, the line’s managing director global commercial development.
“Consequently, the carrier will be able to reduce the number of booking rejections, while customers need to fulfil their part of the agreement by placing bookings up to the agreed volume as scheduled beforehand.
“The mutual commitment on volume agreements will allow both parties to enjoy much more effective planning, which will result in significant cost savings,” says Duk.
Having agreed on regular volumes, both sides will be able to rely on the “loaded as booked” commitment already undertaken by the line, enabling it to significantly lower the number of containers being rolled to later departures.
“With the addition of its “Volume Agreements Honored” commitment, customers will now have a high degree of confidence in planned cargo flows that they need to generate reliable forecasts,” says Duk.
