Tank container operator Den Hartogh is taking advantage of China’s fast-paced chemical market growth through strategic acquisitions in trucking logistics, creating the furthest door-to-door service Den Hartogh will embark on in mainland China.
The company announced it had taken a majority stake in Shanghai Xintao Dangerous Cargo Transportation Co., Ltd (XT Logistics) on 29 September and will operate 13 trucks and 20 chassis initially.
Talking exclusively to Container News, Andy Ang, Den Hartogh’s Asia Pacific business development director said the company has no intention of slowing its expansion and expects to significantly increase its capability to provide end-to-end chemical logistics services in China.
“We are committed to expand our ISO tank container operations in Asia Pacific five-fold over the next five years,” emphasised Ang. The goal, through the majority acquisition of XT Logistics, is to provide safe and reliable multimodal transportation of bulk liquid, solid and gas products in this region.
The Dutch carrier evaluated various domestic trucking companies with a Dangerous Goods operating license, but selected XT Logistics due to its commitment to safety, quality and modern technology.
Long haul trucking orders can be planned using technology, ensuring sufficient rest times for drivers, with no more than eight hours daily driving, noted Ang. “We constantly monitor trucking speeds via GPS, maintain regular communications with drivers via software applications and also use modern technology to monitor driver fatigue.”
The very first laden tank was released on 12 September by a Chinese customer after arriving in Shanghai.
Shortly after the acquisition, Den Hartogh China assigned a long-distance ISO tank trucking order to XT Logistics (Shanghai to Mianyang, Sichuan), crossing Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shanxi and Sichuan covering 1,900km.
Loading in Chiba, Japan, XT Logistics’ network partner, Nissin, handled the pre-carriage and custom services in Japan. To ensure smooth shipments from East Japan to West China, a pre-operations discussion took place between Nissin, Den Hartogh Shanghai and XT Logistics.
“The tank container market in China has remained robust over the past years and it continues to grow despite Covid-19,” explained Ang.
Ang expects that China will remain the main engine of growth for Asia Pacific and one of the fastest-growing major chemical markets.
“As China’s market and industry shift towards specialty chemical growth, Den Hartogh China is well-positioned to serve this next stage of development with our ISO tank container fleet and domestic trucking capabilities,” commented Ang.
Katerina Kerr
Tank Container Reporter
