The service will be a fixed weekly schedule with end of the week sailings from Klaipeda and Gdynia and an arrival in Oslo on Monday morning, ready for unloading. The transit time on this route is shorter and more predictable than most other freight alternatives. The first departure from Klaipeda will take place 5th April 2018.
“Containerships has invested to a strong growth path with new LNG-vessels and trucks. The other focus has been to open new services in its main market area in the Baltics. Opening a new service in Norway with a strong player like Viasea enables us to offer competitive solution to our customers right from the beginning and speeds up our growth”, says Kari-Pekka Laaksonen, CEO of Containerships plc.
Containerships and Viasea are both dedicated shortsea operators focusing on door-door services in Europe, within each of its segments and areas. An ambition to develop their services in new regions, is the main reason for this cooperation. Containerships are strong in the Baltic sea, whilst Viasea are mainly connecting UK and continental Europe to Norway, and together they will complement each other well.
“We are delighted to start our cooperation with Viasea with whom we are very close in terms of approach and service ambition. We are very excited to add the Norwegian market to our traditional areas that Finland, Russia, the Baltic States and Poland have been for the last 50 years.” Says Kari-Pekka Laaksonen, CEO of Containerships.
"Although our companies are different in terms of size and age, we are quite similar in which services we offer. Both companies focus exclusively on the shortsea market – aiming for regularity and reliability. By combining our strengths and existing networks, we can offer a new alternative for our customers, as well as open up for new opportunities” states Morten Pettersen, Managing Director of Viasea.
There are many advantages of choosing shortsea. This form of transport has proven to be less expensive and more environmentally friendly as opposed to the traditional road freight.
An extensive amount of goods is moved from Poland and the Baltics to Norway. Companies choosing sea freight, show willingness to move towards becoming more environmentally friendly.
“Norway service strengthens Containerships position in the Baltics and Poland by adding even wider geographic coverage to our customers. The co-operation with a strong Norwegian player like Viasea ensures that we can offer reliable service, which our customers are used to, also from and to Norway”, says Kari-Pekka Laaksonen
About Containerships;
Containerships is a full service logistics company that provides safe, fast and environmentally-friendly door-door container transport in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Mediterranean. They offer both standard and customized containers and a complete coverage of logistics solutions by vessels, trucks, rail and river barges.
Their business focus is the Baltics, where they are one of the leading industry companies. At the beginning of the 2010s, their business expanded to the Mediterranean, which currently accounts for 15% of revenues. They are an international, yet local logistics company, with own offices in 14 countries.
About Viasea;
The shipping line Viasea was established in the autumn of 2016, they focus mainly on shortsea traffic between Western Europe and Norway, and has a fixed sailing schedule between Rotterdam - Moss and Oslo. Viasea is a Norwegian owned company with its own chartered tonnage ship, and is independent of other shipping lines.
The current situation with few players in the market and an opening for a predictable shipping line gave the idea for Viasea's establishment. Viasea wants to be an asset to the short sea market, and offers door-door services between Europe and Norway. Customers are forwarders, tank operators, direct customers and other shipping lines.
