DP World has launched a ground-breaking direct freight service connecting UAE and Iraq.
The service, named P&O Maritime Transports, focuses on transporting “unaccompanied trailers” between Jebel Ali Port in the UAE and Umm Qasr Port in southern Iraq.
By utilising roll-on, roll-off (RORO) freight vessels, the trailers are loaded onto ships at the UAE port, while the drivers and truck cabs remain behind.
Upon arrival at Umm Qasr Port, an Iraqi truck takes over and transports the trailers to their final destinations within Iraq.
This innovative approach significantly reduces transportation time, with the journey taking approximately 36 hours compared to the previous 14-day land transport option.
The introduction of this service eliminates the need for time-consuming transloading processes, mitigating risks such as cargo damage, contamination, and security threats.
It allows cargo owners and logistics companies to load a UAE-plated trailer in their local warehouse, ship it securely to Iraq, and receive the same trailer back.
This is particularly advantageous for transporting palletised or project cargo due to the enhanced payload capacity of road-going trailers, DP World said.
DP World’s new trade route
Jesper Kristensen, Group Chief Operating Officer of DP World Marine Services, expressed his excitement about the new route, emphasising its customer-centric approach and innovative solutions.
“Iraq’s economy is growing rapidly, but until now it relied on transit through its neighbours for its import and export needs. Our new direct service starts to address this, opening a new more efficient trade route for the country,” he said adding by shipping the trailer alone to Iraq, thousands of trucks will be removed from the roads every year, helping clients reduce their CO2 emissions.
ADSO Group, a UAE-based logistics firm, became the first customer to utilise this direct freight route. Riaz Karmali, General Manager at ADSO, praised the service for its logistical efficiencies, time and cost savings, and sustainability advantages.
“As one of the first P&O Maritime Transports customers to use the service, we are extremely pleased with such a transport solution for our freight industry. The new service is ground-breaking and delivers great logistical efficiencies across our operations. We benefit from cost-savings by reducing our time spent on the road and crossing borders. Plus, the service provides a more sustainable solution to us, and by extension to our customers. The reliability and expertise of DP World means we have full trust that our shipments are handled with the utmost care,” he said.
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