A new LTL division from Con-way Freight is designed to bring together disparate less-than-truckload (LTL) freight offerings that interline with everything from ocean to air express modes. The Global LTL division should help attract more business from shippers operating far-flung supply chains, said the company.

“We've already been providing a lot of LTL to global shippers, but it's an effort that's been screaming for some organization for some time,” Bill Wynne, Con-way Freight's vp-marketing, told Fleet Owner.

The carrier already offers “LCL” or “less than container load” service for ocean container shipments coming from Asia to the U.S. in partnership with APL Logistics as well as expedited LTL in partnership with TNT for air freight service to the U.S. from Europe, Wynne noted. Now the trick is to bundle Con-way Freight's part of those operations into one division to move shippers a step closer to “one-stop shopping” for global freight service.

The focus of Global LTL, Wynne said, is to split the difference between fast, time-definite, but expensive air express service and cheap, yet slow-moving ocean freight. For example, the Ocean Guaranteed service provided by Con-way Freight and APL Logistics from 11 Asian ports to the U.S., Canada and Mexico costs 60% less vs. air freight with a 15- to 19-day delivery window and simplified port-to-door pricing on a single invoice.

The same strategy is at work in Con-way Freight's alliance with TNT, said Wynne. The offering here consists of transit times of three to six days from continental Europe to the U.S.; door-to-door service; simplified pricing that includes customs services; and full visibility online for tracking and tracing of shipments.