Ocean Network Express aims to strengthen its end-to-end intermodal transportation services through a joint venture with LX Pantos, a global logistics provider based in South Korea, according to a Feb. 4 press release.
The venture, known as Boxlinks, is now in full effect and will leverage each parties’ partnerships with major rail carriers and trucking companies. Boxlinks has also secured direct agreements with rail operators such as Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern and BNSF, a ONE spokesperson told Supply Chain Dive.
A key aspect of the services offered by Boxlinks is its ability to leverage empty containers for intermodal operations.
Although the U.S. is heavily reliant on imports of containerized cargo shipped through major ports on both coasts, containers often return empty due to limited export cargo, according to LX Pantos.
Boxlinks aims to capitalize on the capacity these empty containers can provide, according to a press release from LX Pantos, which holds rights to manage ONE’s inland-to-coastal domestic transport.
The joint venture also will provide customized services for customers in the U.S. at competitive prices with an expanded equipment pool, per ONE. Furthermore, it will address inland-to-coastal transportation needs while optimizing efficiency across the supply chain, the carrier said.
ONE already offers a series of end-to-end solutions that include barge, rail and trucking services that cover a network of ports in more than 120 countries to inland locations.
“Through Boxlinks, we are transforming how we deliver value in the United States. We will build a more resilient and agile inland network that will benefit our customers in the domestic market,” Hiroki Tsujii, global chief officer and head of product and network at ONE, said in the carrier’s release.
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