Although Maersk touts its plan as an environmental initiative, the carrier, like other ocean operators and carriers in other modes, is seeking operating efficiencies. Ship lines have been staggered by the first drop in global container volume in the industry’s history, and financial losses that could pile up to $20 billion this year.
Carriers are responding by slashing costs in ways they avoided when times were good. The push by many for rate hikes in recent weeks came with warnings that heavy financial losses would cause some carriers to cease operations.
With its parent company A.P. Moller-Maersk spread in various businesses around the world, Maersk isn’t going anywhere, but the ocean carrier clearly is looking for changes after losing $559 million in the first quarter.
The recession also has hurt trucking companies that use ocean carriers’ chassis to haul containers to and from marine terminals, and cargo interests that ultimately pay transportation bills. All this has added to the challenge Maersk faces in selling its plan to a skeptical industry.
“I don’t plan to sign this agreement the way it’s written now,” said Jeff Bader, president of Golden Carriers in Hillside, N. J., and the Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers,
which represents drayage companies at the Port of New York and New Jersey.
After introducing its Direct ChassisLink program at New York and New Jersey sites on Aug. 3, Maersk will push the pool out in phases across the country.
But Bader and other truckers complain Maersk’s new model is aimed not at operating efficiency but merely at offloading costs onto small businesses and independent drivers that are facing their own financial peril. Maersk insists truckers’ costs will be offset by increased flexibility that will allow truck-
ers to use a leased Maersk chassis any way they wish, and make as many trips as they can, until they return it.
“My experience with draymen is they know how to be creative,” said Andrew Chinigo, vice president of special projects at Maersk. “The truth is the draymen probably do a better job of managing those chassis and moving them around than any steamship line does, and I think this would give them a better chance to do that.”
Maersk will continue to provide free chassis for use in store-door deliveries to
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