Old Dominion expands China guaranteed service

Old Dominion expands China guaranteed service    OD-Global, a division of Old Dominion Freight Line, has expanded its 'Pacific Promise' service to include seven additional ports in China.
   Initially starting in April 2009 from Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen-Yantian, Pacific Promise is now also available from the Chinese ports of Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen and Xingang.
   The service provides businesses with standard guaranteed transit times and simplified rates from the 10 origin ports in China to nearly any domestic destination. The offering also includes port-to-door tracking of all shipments.
   'Pacific Promise is about velocity and predictability for our customers sourcing products in China,' said Greg Plemmons, vice president of OD-Global, in a statement. 'By using this faster, more efficient service, importers can shave 10 days or more from their standard LCL (less-than-containerload) transit times. And by removing days and dollars from their supply chain, our customers can place their products on domestic shelves sooner.'
   Rates are presented as a simple single rate per cubic meter. While it is slightly higher than standard LCL, the rate is up to 75 percent less than air freight. The service also offers a money back guarantee.
   'We were careful to create a rating and booking process that is very simple for the customer to use,' Plemmons said. 'In addition, we gave the customer the ability to track the progress of their shipment using their Old Dominion pro number.'
   The service is targeted at importers of high-value products, time-sensitive goods and seasonal or promotional items. The service is also geared to companies shipping from a single origin to multiple destinations or that are sending products they do not want to entrust to a traditional LCL service, the company said.