CEVA Logistics has further expanded its rapid less than truckload or LTL services from China to Southeast Asia as it adjusts to serve SMEs, large local companies and multinational corporations who may not have sufficient volumes for full truckload shipments.

The new service will operate twice a week on Tuesday and Friday and will allow an express lead time of seven days from Shanghai to Singapore through optimised routing.

The rapid LTL connects China’s regional hubs via Shenzhen to key cities in Southeast Asia, such as Hanoi, Bangkok, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. CEVA says all shipments are closely monitored by its control towers for real-time tracking.

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The company will accept lithium battery shipments (DG Class 9 Li-Battery) for this trucking route and assures customers that drivers on the service are specially trained and hold internationally recognised licenses for safe cross-border transport of dangerous goods.

It noted that the new service builds on the success of its China-Europe LTL service launched in December.

“The launch of our rapid LTL connection services in Asia is another testament to our commitment of continuously innovating with our services. We are confident that this new lead time-efficient and cost-effective solution will enable our customers to adapt to the increasingly evolving needs of their supply chains in a flexible and scalable way,” said Michael Leong, ground & rail leader product leader at CEVA Logistics SEAPAC.

In related news last month, UPS agreed to sell UPS Freight to Canadian transport and logistics firm TFI International for $800 million, which will include its LTL and dedicated truckload business. The move aligns with the company’s “better not bigger” strategy, and the transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2021.