Shippers securing guaranteed space on boxships via online booking systems looks to be a key battleground as 2019 hoves into view. CMA CGM, the world’s third largest containerline, yesterday became the first ocean carrier to sign up to box platform Freightos’s direct digital sales, booking, and shipment management system to cover the French line’s most important transpacific trade lanes.
Described as an “ambitious pilot agreement” CMA CGM has become the first ocean carrier listed on Freightos. Online bookings, guaranteed pricing, and secured capacity on CMA CGM China-US trade lanes are now available on the platform, with further extension to additional lanes planned in the near future.
CMA CGM rates can now be found free of charge on the Freightos website taking container shipping one step closer to the space where travel websites have become commonplace. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have in recent weeks attempted to introduce their own similar online booking systems.
“This development represents a real change for the industry because for the first time, global shipping on key trade lanes functions like passenger travel or ecommerce, where customers can obtain guaranteed prices within seconds,” Freightos claimed in a release on Wednesday.
