Crowley Expands Puerto Rico Service with 5th Weekly Sailing

2001-09-20

(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.; September 24, 2001) To accommodate retailers preparing for the holiday shopping season and auto dealers introducing new 2002 models, Crowley Liner Services has added a fourth weekly sailing, between Jacksonville and San Juan, Puerto Rico. When combined with weekly service out of Pennsauken, N.J., Crowley now offers five southbound and five northbound voyages each week between the mainland and Puerto Rico.

From Jacksonville vessels depart every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and from Pennsauken they sail every Thursday. Northbound vessels depart San Juan every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday (2) and Friday.

With the additional weekly sailing, cargo carrying capacity will be increased by more than 33 percent, or 375 trailer spaces in the South Atlantic service.

Over the past several weeks, we have been running at, or near capacity out of Jacksonville, said John Douglass, Crowley Senior Vice President and General Manager. “As we enter the latter part of the year, cargo volumes will continue to build as retailers stock shelves for the upcoming holidays and as new 2002 model automobiles find their way to showroom floors.

Froilan Ansa, Crowley’s Director of Sales in Puerto Rico, said the service enhancements will be of great benefit to the many customers in Puerto Rico shipping cargo northbound to the U.S. mainland.

“We’ve just simplified the lives of shippers in Puerto Rico,” he said. “Manufacturers won’t have to structure their production around service gaps in other carriers’ schedules. We’ll be offering a sailing virtually every weekday to the U.S. mainland.”

In addition to offering increased frequency and capacity, retailers have access to Crowleys full complement of equipment, including 53-foot jumbo, 48-foot and 45-foot trailers. The use of high-cube trailer equipment eliminates the possibility of customers’ cargo being grounded at the port with no chassis to move it to destination during the busy holiday season.

Oakland-based Crowley, founded in 1892, is primarily a family- and employee-owned company engaged in worldwide logistics, liner services, contract towing and transportation, energy support services, ship assist and escort services, vessel management and petroleum and chemical marine transport. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found on the Internet at www.crowley.com.