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Oakland, California,
09 July 2002 – APL Ltd. has become the first global container carrier to offer
customers the option to pay for certain shipping charges on-line with a credit
card.
APL is initially offering this payment option for fees related to additional container
usage and storage of the customer's shipment. Called 'demurrage' fees in the industry,
these fees are charged by all ocean carriers for customers using the container
beyond the number of allotted days in the shipping contract. Demurrage fees are
often the last fee to be paid before releasing the customers' shipment from the
terminal and if they are not paid in a timely manner the shipment can be held
up.
For some time, APL customers have been able to calculate their demurrage charges
on-line via HomePort, APL's award winning web portal, on http://www.apl.com
. This service saved customers time as all the information was
at their fingertips and they did not need to make a phone call to find out what
charges they had incurred.
Phillip Chin, APL's vice president for e-Commerce said that enabling credit card
payments in a secure environment was the next logical step.
"It is as convenient as buying a book on-line," he said. "Plus a payment made
via the Internet is immediately recognized in the system, speeding up release
of the freight to the importer and streamlining pickup by the customer's trucker.
It saves time for everyone and is free for APL customers."
The on-line payment capability is now available for shipments arriving at virtually
all of the APL's facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the company
expects to expand the capability to other regions.
Faster Clearance for Importers or Truckers
Daniel Lezcano, logistics coordinator for Scope Imports, a Houston-based importer
of men's apparel is already making on-line payments to APL. "The greatest advantage
to us is the ability to speed up the process of clearing and picking up the containers.
All we have to do is go to the APL web site, use a credit card, and submit," said
Lezcano.
Julio Ruvalcaba, import manager for International Linen Inc., a Century City,
California-based importer is also a convert to the new payment method. "Having
to pay demurrage at a carrier's container terminal can take some time. Now there's
no wasting time, no red tape. It's a major help in getting our freight released
quickly and efficiently," said Ruvalcaba.
According to APL's Chin the ability to pay on-line further streamlines the customer's
business processes. "It eliminates the time and expense of issuing a cheque and
sending it by courier or overnight delivery to the trucker."
"In other cases, it eliminates the need for truckers to pay the demurrage on behalf
of importers or brokers and then wait for reimbursement. It also means truckers
can avoid waiting in demurrage queues at container facilities," said Chin.
Chin said APL is continually enhancing its e-commerce capabilities.
In addition to calculating and paying demurrage charges on-line, APL's website
enables customers to review accounts-payable and accounts-receivable on-line.
It also enables customers to schedule and book shipments; perform real-time, exception-based
tracking; and simplify their shipment documentation processes including printing
negotiable documents on-line in multiple locations.
APL provides customers around the world with container transportation services
through a network combining high-quality intermodal operations with state-of-the-art
information technology. APL is the container transportation arm of Singapore-based
NOL Group, a global transportation and logistics company engaged in shipping and
related businesses. Web site: http://www.apl.com
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Media inquiries:
In Asia, Paul Wilke, tel. +65 6371-5311 or email Paul Wilke at paul_wilke@apl.com
In Americas, John Pachtner, tel. +1-510-272-7208; or email john_pachtner@apl.com
In Europe, Michael Haig, tel. +44 1737 248300 or email michael@isiscomms.com
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