SINGAPORE - APL won the “Ship Operator Award” at the Seatrade Maritime Awards Asia 2018 here last evening. The Award acknowledges APL’s excellent performance in customer service innovation, ship operations, commercial development and environmental protection in 2017.

APL Chief Executive Officer, Nicolas Sartini said, “This is a momentous win as APL celebrates 170 years of global shipping. This Award reflects the confidence that shippers have in the APL brand. At the heart of our customer-first culture is APL’s innovative spirit which will live on for many more years to come.”

APL’s award win comes after a year of positive results. In 2017, APL carried more than 5 million TEUs of cargo and contributed USD340 million to the CMA CGM Group's operating income. The year saw APL introducing 28 new and enhanced services, and offering 38 services within the OCEAN ALLIANCE.

Maintaining its growth momentum, APL unveiled 10 new services in the first four months of 2018. Among them is the Eagle Express X (EXX) service, a weekly China – US West Coast ocean freight product that will commence sailing this July. The EXX service promises a hassle-free customer experience, an expeditious 11-day transit from Shanghai to Los Angeles, swift cargo discharge with next day availability at an off-dock facility, certainty of equipment and space at direct Asian load ports; as well as guaranteed chassis in Los Angeles.

The ocean carrier has also continued to advance with the varied demands of the market, providing solutions that differentiate APL in the increasingly commoditised business of shipping. An example is APL’s Eagle GO Guaranteed product that guarantees vessel space and equipment on board 22 North America-destined services from 29 Asian ports, six US-bound services from 17 European ports, and seven services destined for Australia and New Zealand from 15 Asian ports.

Eagle GO Guaranteed is part of APL’s suite of Eagle Guaranteed services comprising Eagle GET and Eagle REACH. APL’s Eagle GET Guaranteed service assures an expeditious discharge of cargo on board the EX1, SC1 and PE1 services at the Global Gateway South (GGS) terminal in Los Angeles.

APL’s Eagle REACH Guaranteed promises day-definite arrival of containers on the EX1 service from the GGS terminal to rail yards in Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, El Paso, Kansas City and Memphis.