Ceva Logistics has developed an innovative Truck-Rail-Truck (TRT) solution to keep customers’ freight moving across Asia during the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis.

The logistics supply chain company has introduced TRT as a practical transport solution to aid China and the Southeast Asian region, which are facing flight suspensions and reductions, space limits and operational restrictions in addition to long waits at border crossings due to the pandemic.

According to the company, several customers have already taken advantage of TRT to keep their cargo moving over the last month.

Export documentation requirements for the TRT service are the same as an all-trucked service and Customs clearance can be achieved within three hours.

Currently, the China-Vietnam road border crossing point between Pingxiang and Lang Son also suffers from backlogs of between two and four days. To avoid this, shipments are being picked up by Ceva across South and East China and loaded into 45’ hi-cube (HQ) containers. 

They are taken by truck to the cross-border train (which operates three times a day) and into Vietnam, where they are then unloaded onto trucks and delivered to the final destination.

Shipments bound for Thailand which were taking up to eight days are now arriving in three to four days. The new service is also being used by Ceva customers in Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore.

Ceva Logistics chief operating officer, Guillaume Col, comments: “With our TRT solution, serious traffic jams at the border crossings can be avoided. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it really is the best solution for customers wishing to move urgent shipments between China and Southeast Asia.

“As a pioneer in TRT service, we will keep exploring our Road & Rail network between China and Southeast Asia to further develop these services.”

Visit cevalogistics.com for more information.