 |
Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) is a global container transportation company, transporting containers around the world by sea, road and rail. Their comprehensive service provides door-to-door delivery between Asia, North America, Europe, the Mediterranean, Russia and the Baltic States, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. With a strong belief in quality, this company strives to ensure cargo reaches its destination with fast transit times and a reliable service. As one of the world's first global container carriers, OOCL has built up an extensive network of services supported by over 150 offices and agents in 50 countries. In Asia, in particular, their extensive coverage of ports - large and small - is unmatched and they are one of the leading carriers for China. In response to customers' needs for fast and reliable refrigerated shipments, OOCL developed its refrigerated (reefer) containers with state-of-the-art technology and now has a large fleet of over 12,000 units including 20 foot and 40 foot-high cube containers. The company understands the importance of the cold chain in the flow of temperature sensitive commodities, moving under a controlled temperature environment, from the initial source to the end user/consumer. Without proper maintenance of the temperature-controlled environment the commodity can easily deteriorate, leading to a reduction or total loss of commercial value. Placing the commodity in a properly managed cold chain can extend its shelf life to allow longer storage and transit time. This allows the producer/ shipper/consignee/end-user to hold the commodity for a longer period and increases the market viability of the commodity. OOCL's link in a customer's cold chain is to maintain the temperature of the reefer at all times from the point of receipt to the point of release/delivery. All relevant departments in their global organization work together to ensure this cold chain is maintained. Care and attention is paid in capturing data at the booking stage and all bills of lading are cross-checked with these booking details. All reefers have a pre-trip inspection (PTI), as well as strict monitoring and inspection procedures at sea and on land, making use of microprocessors and mechanical Partlow recorders. Global dedicated reefer specialist teams ensure that cargo is handled with the utmost care and expertise to ensure a quality service worldwide. As already stated, OOCL uses state-of-the art technology when it comes to something as important as reefers and they are continually upgrading their fleet to incorporate the latest technological advancements. It was the first carrier to gain the ISO/IEC standard for its reefer units and has dedicated R&D teams continuously modifying the design to suit customers' requirements. Another investment was made in controlled atmosphere (CA) containers, which maintain the ideal atmosphere for sensitive produce. CA technology can prolong the shelf life of goods, thereby increasing profits. Last but certainly not least, to preserve the earth's environment, OOCL has installed new CFC-free refrigerants R134A and R404A in all of its reefer containers. So whether it is fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, diary products, seafood, fresh meat or chemicals/biological material, OOCL can become a vital link in your cold chain.
|
