CCS Racking Up New Business

JOC Staff |

Fitting three cars into a container used to involve a long process of wooden supports and manpower. Today it is possible to fit up to six vehicles into one standard container using the innovative fitted metal racking service available from Consolidated Car Shipping.

Unsworth Global Logistics (UGL) and Consolidated Car Shipping (CCS) are the leading providers of this service in the UK offering the unique racking system for the benefit of freight forwarders and automotive shippers. They have been using this racking to and from the UK to fit out containers, transporting a variety of high-end luxury vehicles.

The CCS racking can be assembled inside any HC container by just two trained people. The entire process of loading four regular cars takes no more than 75 minutes. Several removal companies are already working in partnership with CCS and finding it allows extra storage space to be created by raising the vehicles up with the use of the racking.

Unsworth Global Logistics has been operating approved loading facilities with fully trained teams at Felixstowe and Southampton ports since 2012. They also operate a unique training facility at Felixstowe for the benefit of appropriate partners and plan to open a similar regional centre inSingapore soon.

Whilst the main thrust of the benefits are achieved from repeat movements of uniform vehicles in regular patterns in multiple containers, systems can be tailored to suit the needs of the client or partner.

Some of the more unusual movements have included Morgan sports cars for the prestigious Morgan Rally Championship and six Bugatti supercars valued at more than £16 million.

According to Charles Hogg, a director of Unsworth Global Logistics, containerised shipping of vehicles is now safer, using the service provided by Consolidated Car Shipping, than some of the traditional alternatives for many trade lanes. Hitherto impossible savings can be achieved through efficient use of space and economies of scale to many trade lanes.

“With training, this racking system is easy to use and offers users an endless combination of container transportation. It is more secure than using a RoRo vessel and other forwarders can offer it to their clients as a value added service. Significant savings can be achieved on many trade routes especially where RoRo carriers exercise a monopoly or where no through-RoRo option exists without transshipment.’’

Unsworth Global Logistics currently has just over 2,500 racking units accessible to use. With an estimated saving of more than two hours per container loading compared to wood, along with the added bonus that the racking can be returned from destination to the supplier as either FCL or LCL, it is easy to see why the service is becoming so popular.