Port Houston facilities, operations and efficiencies highlighted

HOUSTON – Universal Africa Lines (UAL), a conventional ocean transportation carrier that specializes in handling project cargo, breakbulk and containers, has announced that it will now call Port Houston’s City Docks as part of their U.S. Gulf/Mexico to West Africa liner service. The change was effective with the first regular vessel call of the MV MarMalaita July 10.

UAL offers two to three sailings per month direct from Houston to West Africa. The company specializes in servicing the oil and gas industry and tailoring logistics solutions for clients shipping to difficult areas. UAL also has a fleet of more than 4,000 containers including reefers, high cubes, open tops and flat racks with the ability to provide a multitude of shipping options including door-to-door service.

“Port Houston is excited about our new partnership with UAL and that they are entrusting us with their services here at the port’s city docks,” said Dominic Sun, Director of Trade Development for Port Houston. “We look forward to working with UAL in providing them, along with their ultimate customers, with the best customer experience possible here at Port Houston.”

UAL chose Port Houston due to the available dedicated laydown area for project cargoes and berth availability, both of which provided added flexibility to UAL’s multipurpose fleet, this is particularly important considering the multitude of UAL’s cargoes that range from helicopters to subsea trees.

“UAL is grateful for the partnership we have been able to establish with Port Houston and thank everyone involved for their efforts during this transition; we are looking forward to a long-lasting relationship that offers growth potential for UAL,” said Dianna Knight, President UAL America. “UAL America, on behalf of Universal Africa Lines, will continue to provide the paramount level of customer service that our clients have grown accustomed to; we are confident this move will help with our vessel turnaround time while operating in a safe environment.”