Horizon Lines launches US inland express network

The maiden FSX voyage is scheduled to depart Ningbo in China on December 14th, Shanghai on December 15th, and arrive in Los Angeles on December 26th.

Approximately 60% of the initial voyage is already subscribed, as the company continues to make steady progress toward its goal of 75% bookings for the first sailing.

Horizon Lines plans to offer some of the fastest inland transit times in the industry, including fifteen-day availability in Kansas City from Shanghai and sixteen-day availability in Dallas, using scheduled intermodal rail service from Los Angeles every week.

The carrier also will offer express inland service to Chicago, Memphis, Atlanta and Charlotte using on-dock rail connections to avoid drayage fees on the West Coast.

Horizon Lines plans to expand the inland express network to other locations throughout the US next year.

Horizon Lines is able to offer a cost-effective inland service because of operational synergies with the carrier’s domestic US shipping network serving export customers to Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii and Guam.  Delivering imports inland to these markets will provide a more stable supply of containers in locations where many shippers struggle to find available container capacity.

Five of Horizon Lines‘ vessels currently call at ports in China under its transportation services agreement with Maersk Line, and this transpacific service has been in place since December 1999. Once this agreement expires on December 10th, Horizon Lines will begin transporting general cargo from Ningbo and Shanghai on behalf of direct commercial customers.

In addition to offering customers a transpacific import alternative, the new Five Star Express service will allow Horizon Lines to better accommodate an expanding military presence in Guam, where trade is expected to grow significantly in coming years.