Supply Chain Managers Rank Ocean Cargo Carriers

The results of the AgTC’s 2013 Ocean Carrier Performance Survey were announced late last week at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition in San Francisco, with APL winning top ranking.

All Annual Survey responses are aggregated, and the individual responses discarded, to assure confidentiality of each shipper’s response.

This year’s Survey was expanded to gain more insight into agriculture and forest products shippers who completed the Survey. The Survey collected data on the shippers’:

-  Cargo origins in the US and Canada
-  Global cargo destinations
-  Volume of cargo/containers shipped each year
-  Special equipment and handling requirements
-  Mode of transport (truck, rail, barge) used to access the departure ports

The AgTC members were then asked to rate ocean carriers in eleven categories of service. Following are the categories and the two highest ranked carriers in each category. (The full results showing the entire rankings may be shared with individual carriers, upon request)

• Most consistent availability of correct sizes and types of container equipment needed
◦ APL
◦ OOCL

• Best representatives’ response time and ability to address problems
◦ OOCL
◦ U.S. Lines

Peter Friedmann, Executive Director Agriculture Transportation Coalition told SCMR last year that carriers were expected to be less tactical and more strategic in 2013:

“Instead of looking just to the next quarter, ocean carriers would do well to follow the railroads’ model of looking five years out to the future, to better understand the agriculture exporters’ business, the global demand for their products, global competition for their exports, and thus, have a better idea of the long term demand for capacity.”

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