Recognising an ‘underserved’ market from South America’s West Coast to the US and wider global markets, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics has established a new monthly service calling at Ecuador and Peru.
Calling at the ports of Guayaquil (Ecuador) and Callao (Peru), the service will ship automotive traffic, as well as high and heavy (H&H) agricultural, construction, mining and factory equipment.
"We see a market underserved, WWL’s Jonathan Spampinato told Automotive Logistics. “Carmakers and H&H manufacturers are making do in order to get to South America’s West Coast. Frankly, they've had to put square pegs into round holes. Up until now, they've been making do with less than ideal schedules, vessels or options, such as cars in containers or Lift-on Lift-off for heavy equipment; solutions that work but aren't ideal for rolling cargo.”
The new service will directly connect cargo from WWL’s ports on the US East Coast – Baltimore and Savannah – to both South American ports.
Transhipment cargo will also be accepted from the US Gulf Coast at the Port of Galveston, US West Coast (Long Beach and Tahoma), Mexico (Veracruz), Venezuela (Puerto Cabello), Colombia (Cartagena), Brazil (Rio Grande, Santos and Vitoria) and Argentina (Zarate). The transhipment service will also include ports in Asia, Australia and Europe.
Initially WWL will support the new service with the PCTC vessel M/V Fidelio (pictured) to Callao and the ro-ro carrier M/V Tamerlane to Guayaquil, though other vessels will be used from the company’s North America/Oceana trade.
One vessel per month will stop in the Port of Guayaquil prior to sailing to Oceanic destinations. Another vessel per month will stop in CAO prior to doing the same.
The Fidelio has a 7,500-car capacity while the Tamerlane carries 5,496 vehicles.
“With WWL's new service, automakers, heavy equipment makers and auto shippers will get reliable liner schedules and vessels that have been built just for this type of cargo, with the right ramps and decks, improving cargo handling, quality, safety, time and costs," concluded Spampinato.
