The U-Freight Group is seeking to increase its presence in cross-border logistics between Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore and has confirmed the appointment of Ong Boon Seong (B.S. Ong) as a director of U-Freight Logistics Sdn Bhd to spearhead the expansion programme.
Based at U-Freight Logistics branch office in Johor Bahru in Malaysia, B.S. Ong will be responsible for the development of a comprehensive portfolio of bonded LTL and FTL trucking services between Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, including Customs clearance at the border between the three countries.
He will also be responsible for developing U-Freight’s e-commerce logistics services in Malaysia, a marketplace where the company launched e+Solutions, its logistics product designed for e-commerce start-ups, late last year, at its e-commerce fulfilment centre (EFC) in Penang.
B.S. Ong has extensive experience on both sides of the logistics supply having worked in senior logistics management roles for beneficial cargo owners such as Flextronics; Brother Industrial Technology and Vikay Technology. He joined U-Freight Logistics from Cel Logistics, where he was corporate executive director with overall responsibility for the company’s day-to-day operations.
Singapore-headquartered, U-Freight Logistics Pte Ltd, which is a part of the Hong Kong-based U-Freight Group, originally established a branch in Johor Bahru in 2010 to promote trans-border trucking across the Malay Peninsula, and also offers air and sea freight forwarding, trucking, customs brokerage, packing and relocation services.
Ong Teng Huat (T.H. Ong), managing director of U-Freight Logistics Pte Ltd, says that B.S. Ong has been given full responsibility for sales and marketing activities for U-Freight’s operations on the Malay Peninsula.
“He will be working closely with colleagues at U-Freight’s regional distribution centre located in Changi South International Logispark in Singapore, to promote cross-border transportation between Malaysia and Singapore especially, to meet the increasing demand for e-commerce logistics services in both countries, as well as the high volumes of freight being handled with U-Freight’s international network.”
Transpacific airfreight capacity now ahead of last year
Cargo capacity on the transpacific trade lane is now higher than it was a year ago.
Figures from Seabury Consulting show that metric tonne cargo capacity from Asia Pacific to North America was last week 18% higher than a year ago, while in the opposite direction space for the week is 9% up on 2019 levels.
This comes despite the collapse of passenger — and therefore bellyhold – operations following the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, rates on the trade continue to increase suggesting demand continues to outstrip supply.
Cargo capacity from Asia Pacific to Europe is also catching up on a year ago — in the both the westbound and eastbound directions capacity is only 4% behind the same week in 2019.
Seabury explained: “Belly capacity from China is recovering driven by passenger freighter flights and an increase of freighter capacity is compensating for lost belly cargo capacity; total cargo capacity increased 21,000 tonnes compared to the same week last year; The B777, B787 and A330 are the most popular aircraft for ‘passenger freighter’ flights.”
Meanwhile, airline freighter capacity is 28% higher compared to last year.
“After a consistent growth [at the start of the outbreak], [freighter capacity] now remains almost stable when compared with the two previous weeks,” Seabury said.
While the number of cargo carrying flights out of China appears to be increasing, globally capacity is still 25% down on a year ago.
Europe-South America is down by more than 80% in both directions, intra-Asia is 23% down, the transatlantic is 54% down eastbound and 61% behind in the westbound direction, Africa to Europe is 52% down while southbound the figure is 58% and South America-North America is 11% down northbound and 6% southbound.
