Maersk to assess fee on U.S. manual bookings from September

The ocean carrier has implemented similar fees in other regions, and says the switch to electronic bookings is crucial for data accuracy and customer responsiveness.    Ocean carrier Maersk Line plans to begin assessing a $50 fee on all bookings made manually in the United States beginning Sept. 1.
   The moves follows similar actions the carrier has undertaken in Canada, Australia, and the European Union. Maersk began assessing a similar $50 fee for Canadian manual bookings Feb. 15.
   “We’ve recently enhanced our shipment processing e-tools to make the online booking process faster and easier for you,” Maersk said in a note to customers in June. “For our customers, we have unleashed the downstream benefits of long-lasting productivity improvements gained from conducting business digitally. For us, the efficiencies gained enable our customer service experts to focus their attention on exception handling and offering you the highest-level of service possible.”
   The fee applies to all bookings made via e-mail or phone. Manual bookings will also need to be submitted via a manual booking form provided by Maersk. Bookings made via Maersk Line’s website, via EDI, or through booking portals like INTTRA, will not incur the fee.
   Maersk said electronic booking enables it to respond faster to customer requests, with 99 percent of U.S. export bookings confirmed within two hours. Improved accuracy and a reduction in administrative costs are other benefits, according to Maersk.