Maersk Line, BNSF team for “Flagship Service”

Madison, N.J.-based Maersk Line announced on Monday its new "Flagship import service direct from Asia to five key markets in North America—Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Memphis, and northwest Ohio"—in conjunction with Class I railroad BNSF Railway.

The service advances an operational model Maersk unveiled last year entitled “Absolute Reliability,” introduced first into the container shipping line’s Asia-Europe service. “This model based on total transportation time and cargo arriving at a promised delivery date, every single time, effectively streamlines supply chains and improves time to market. Now, Maersk Line takes another step toward achieving ‘Absolute Reliability’ by offering this new Flagship service, powered by BNSF Railway, in North America,” Maersk said.

Maersk Line’s Flagship service offers five products: Chicago Flagship, Dallas Flagship, Houston Flagship, Memphis Flagship, and Northwest Ohio Flagship. Each features dedicated, non-stop rail service that arrives at an agreed time, every time in each key market location. Flagship trains bypass connecting points along the route, allowing for what Maersk calls “unmatched service velocity.”

Maersk said the inland North America investment by both companies “has the potential to create a healthier, more balanced U.S. import and export system. With regular non-stop inland rail service, greater reliability and equipment availability, this new intermodal offering will help increase and advance U.S. export growth. The five markets represent the initial implementation of this Flagship service with possible expansion to follow.”

“We are extremely excited to introduce this highly reliable and innovative new Transpacific Flagship service to our dry and reefer cargo customers. While we understand that having a competitive transit is important, speed is not the essence of this service, being on-time is. With Flagship service and intermodal leader BNSF, we’ll further support shippers in North America to optimize their supply chains,” said Timothy O’Connell, senior director, Trade and Marketing, Maersk Line North America. “Absolute Reliability is not about being faster. It’s about being absolutely reliable based on time.”

“BNSF is pleased to collaborate with Maersk Line, a long-term customer, to once again bring next generation intermodal solutions to customers around the world. We look forward to delivering the best on time performance levels and service reliability to help shippers achieve superior supply chain performance,” said Steve Branscum, BNSF group vice president, Consumer Products Marketing.