Yusen Logistics says it significantly strengthened its logistics presence in Duisburg, Germany, in June by acquiring a new warehouse and expanding its storage capacity by nearly 94,000 square feet. The total storage capacity of the multi-warehouse site is now more than 667,000 square feet.

The expanded Duisburg storage complex is located in the largest inland port in Europe, with excellent access to major road networks and in close proximity to a container terminal with rail and inland waterway connections to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. 

Yusen says the warehouse expansion responds to growing demand within the region and that the company is expanding its B2C services and introducing more value-added options to provide customers with a wider range of solutions. Additionally, it has expanded the returns-logistics area and invested in a fully-automated sorting machine, which quickly and accurately sorts parcels according to customer, destination and article, improving efficiencies and minimizing opportunity for error, which is especially useful for B2C and Reverse Logistics.

ASF INTERMODAL OPENS BALTIMORE TERMINAL

ASF Intermodal announced in June its expansion into Baltimore with the opening of its 14th intermodal drayage terminal. The new location is the company’s first Maryland terminal and joins 13 other terminals throughout the South and Midwest.

“Baltimore is an area that we have been interested in for some time,” says ASF Intermodal President Michael Smith. “With its positioning on the Atlantic in proximity to the Midwest and just a day’s drive away from a third of the U.S. population, Baltimore is an ideal strategic fit for our regional network.”

Smith adds that the company is very enthusiastic about the expansion into Baltimore and says customers have been requesting a presence in the market. “We are also excited to provide a new option for the owner-operators in this market,” he says. “We are confident that they’ll find our pay structure and culture to be very appealing.”

The new location will begin with three employees and around 30 drivers, and the company expects to expand rapidly to 30 trucks operating from the location within the next 12 months as well as additional support employees.

MOL BENEFACTOR FIRST TO COMMERCIALLY TRANSIT EXPANDED PANAMA CANAL

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines’ Neo Panamax containership, MOL Benefactor, passed through the expanded Panama Canal on July 1, the first of its kind to make a commercial transit through the canal’s new expanded locks. The 10,000-TEU MOL Benefactor, newly built and delivered to MOL in March, is also the first Neo-Panamax vessel deployed on the G6 Alliance’s new NYX service.

“MOL is pleased to celebrate the inaugural commercial transit of a Neo-Panamax containership through the expanded locks of the Panama Canal,” says Akihiko Ono, MOL’s managing executive officer of Liner Business. “Increased deployment of our Neo-Panamax containerships will help MOL to encourage stronger ties with our customers and play a historic role in the expansion of global trade.”

MOL’s history with the Panama Canal dates back more than 100 years to 1915, when the Motor Vessel Kongosan Maru became the first MOL-operated vessel to transit the Panama Canal.

CAROTRANS ENHANCES ITALY-U.S. SERVICE NETWORK

CaroTrans, a global non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) and ocean freight consolidator, announced in July the addition of a second direct, weekly less-than-container load (LCL) service between Milan and New York, which the company says will provide greater scheduling flexibility for global supply chains.

The twice-weekly service began the first week of July. Both the new and previous services have 14-day transits, enabling consistent, fluid delivery of LCL freight to North American markets for timely local distribution.

CaroTrans offers the import products in cooperation with Euro Italian Freight Systems in Milan. Together the companies offer direct, twice-weekly services from Milan to New York and Milan to Chicago. In North America, CaroTrans has 13 local offices and 25 strategically positioned container freight stations (CFS) to serve the transportation needs of shippers in local markets.

“Direct services and frequent sailings provide the service alternatives logistics providers require to serve their customers’ time-focused supply chains,” says Greg Howard, CaroTrans CEO. “CaroTrans, in partnership with Euro Italian Freight Systems, provides the highest level of customer-focused services and reliable, secure freight delivery.”

“An additional weekly service is a significant service advantage,” says Carmen Ronzoni, director of Euro Italian Freight Systems. “It enhances the timely movement of cargo and delivery to final destination.”