Con-way Freight on Monday, April 2, announced the launch of TropicalDirect – a service providing door-to-port shipping from the United States to ports throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean. The new less-than-truckload/less-than-containerload offering is a collaboration between Con-way Freight and Tropical Shipping, an ocean service provider to more than 30 ports in these markets.
U.S. shippers with products bound for the Bahamas and the Caribbean can start the export process with a single toll-free phone call to Tropical Shipping at 800-874-3848. With that call, Tropical Shipping’s customer service personnel can engage the Con-way Freight network of more than 440 service centers in the United States to execute U.S. ground delivery to Tropical’s warehouse receiving locations in New Jersey and South Florida.
Tropical Shipping oversees ocean carriage of the shipment to its final island destination. Leveraging each company’s expertise, TropicalDirect offers advantages including single-carrier accountability, shipment tracking, expert documentation support, all-inclusive door-to-port pricing and single-invoice billing for most shipments.
“Con-way Freight and Tropical Shipping have recognized the significant need to help U.S. shippers in the Bahamas and the Caribbean manage conflicting land and sea schedules, and move freight more efficiently and on time,” says David S. McClimon, president of Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Con-way Freight. “TropicalDirect puts an end to the frustration of dealing with multiple carriers, pricing structures and freight bills – delivering a more effective service and single-provider convenience.”
“We are always looking for new ways to meet the shipping needs of our customers, and this collaboration provides an excellent way to do just that,” says Rick Murrell, president of Riveria Beach, Fla.-based Tropical Shipping. “Working with Con-way Freight, we will continue to provide a superior customer experience that has been the foundation of our service for more than 40 years.”
The Con-way Freight/Tropical Shipping collaboration provides service to ports in the Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Dominican Republic. The new service offering launches just eight months after OceanGuaranteed, a similar service from Con-Way Freight and APL Logistics that provides day-definite delivery and fast transit times from seven ports in Asia to anywhere in the United States.
