Be sure to look for a company that offers all aspects of the supply chain: storage, warehousing, shipping, logistics and distribution.

No matter where your business is based—globally, in the U.S., on one of the Hawaiian Islands or Guam—DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express is here to offer multi-island storage, warehousing and distribution. Our state-of-the-art warehousing facilities help reduce expensive back-of-the-store storage, increase your retail store sales footage and restock shelves faster by storing “hot” inventory items in our safe and secure warehouses.

Our deeply experienced staff at asset-based locations on Oahu, Maui, Kona on the Big Island and Guam are here to customize a program to service your needs. Call toll free 800.488.4888, Ext. 1740 or email us for more information as well as for international and domestic ocean freight forwarding and airfreight services.

We offer:

• Pallet positions for warehousing available at all locations
• “Pick and Pull" service
• Same day and last mile shipping and delivery services
• Inventory management, e-commerce fulfillment
• State-of-the-art warehouse management software connecting Honolulu, Maui, Kona, Guam
• Kauai and Hilo service from Oahu weekly
• Inter-island ocean and air transfers
• Asset-based terminals, trucks and drivers
• Commercial, retail, hospitality deliveries
• Dedicated sales staff

Whatever your requirements are for your shipping and warehousing needs, our team of dedicated professionals at DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express is available to coordinate with you. We will work to make the processes easier for you.

To find out more about DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express and Dependable Supply Chain Services, please contact us today at 800.488.4888. We can certainly help you in navigating your needs to get the best value and services for your goods.

The law of “General Average" is a shipping term that matters when dealing with cargo insurance, bills of lading, and the legal issues of cargo.

• The law of general average is a principle of maritime law whereby all stakeholders in a sea venture proportionally share any losses resulting from a voluntary sacrifice of part of the ship or cargo to save the whole in an emergency.
  ~Wikipedia

It’s the shipping principle of maritime law. General Average occurs when a voluntary sacrifice is made to safeguard the vessel, cargo or crew from a common peril, for example, a fire. If the sacrifice is at issue, all parties shipping on the vessel contribute to the loss based on their cargo’s value whether their shipment was damaged or not. Appointed adjusters will assess the value of each shipment on board and apply a formula that determines the financial contribution of each cargo owner.

If you’re a cargo owner with shipments onboard a declared “general average” vessel, the likelihood of having your cargo released timely is dependent on how soon you can post a security. The security must be in the form of a cash deposit, bank guarantee or bond. If the cargo owner has cargo insurance, the “average guarantee” is posted by the insurance company. Having cargo insurance is beneficial to cargo owners as it not only provides coverage for damaged goods but it facilitates the release of their cargo.

The General Average and Salvage Adjusters will appoint collecting agents to prepare and collect securities from each of the parties concerned in the cargo on board. Cargo will only be released upon receipt of the required security.

The following forms will be required:

• A copy of the cargo commercial invoice
• An Average Bond form to be completed and signed by the owners of the cargo.
• An Average Guarantee form to be completed, signed or stamped by the insurance company (when insured).

The Average Bond and the Average Guarantee form should be sent to the cargo insurer along with the bill of lading and commercial invoice for any insured shipment.

If you are the NVOCC or freight forwarder like DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, you should pass along any General Average paperwork to the cargo owners and advise them to contact their cargo insurers to arrange the guarantee. Unfortunately, for uninsured shipments, a cash deposit will be required in place of an insurers’ Average Guarantee. Adjusters will advise the amount of the cash deposit required.

Please contact your local DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express representative should you have any questions or need additional information. Our team will be glad to further explain the benefits or securing cargo insurance.

At DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express we offer a unique package of shipping services. If you need assistance, please reach out to your local office or call toll free 1-800-488-4888 and we can help you. We specialize in international ocean and air freight shipping.

The key factors to keep in mind when shipping a container to Hawaii are:

• The zip code of origin
• The zip code of destination
• A concise description of what is being loaded in the container
• The total weight of the items
• Most importantly, will your shipment fill an entire container (Full Container Load or FCL) or can your cargo be consolidated with other shippers (Less than Container Load or LCL) to maximize the load and minimize the cost?

Unless your freight is utilizing more than 80% of the inside of the container, you should consider shipping as an LCL to Hawaii, saving you both time and money. Vital considerations that an experienced shipping company can help you with.

If you need help determining how to ship your cargo to Hawaii, please consider the experts at DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express. With 40+ years of experience getting cargo to and from Hawaii, our team of dedicated professionals are available to consult with to ensure your shipment is handled properly, getting it there intact and on time.

To find out more about how DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express and our sister company, Dependable Supply Chain Services, can help expedite your shipment to or from Hawaii, call us today at  800.488.4888, or contact your local office here.

We’d like to prove to you how we can help you navigate the waters to get the best value and service for your goods!

Many factors determine the cost of shipping to Guam. Similar to shipping to Hawaii, the key factors in determining the cost are:

• Where you are shipping from and where it is to be delivered
• A concise description of the items being shipped -- a commercial invoice used to determine Use Tax
• The weight and dimensions (length, width, and height) of the items or if combined on a pallet
• The dimensions of the pallet from the longest, widest and tallest points - very important in determining the actual cost of shipping freight to Guam.

Unlike Hawaii, a commercial invoice is required for all shipments to Guam. A commercial invoice, complete with shipment detail and the cost in US dollars of the items, is required either at the time of pick up or prior to sailing to Guam.

The commercial invoice is what Guam Customs will use in determining the amount of payable “Use Tax.” Prior to any shipment being released in Guam, a tax, called the Use Tax will need to be paid. The Guam Use Tax is 4% on all items shipped into Guam that are not intended for resale by a licensed Guam business. Conversely, licensed businesses in Guam are taxed 4% on all goods shipped in that are not to be resold. Their tax is based on the total landed costs of the shipment.

Whether you’re shipping a Full Container Load (FCL) to Guam or shipping a Less Than Container Load (LCL) shipment to Guam, our affiliate DGX-Dependable Global Express’ team of professionals in the US mainland or Guam are eager to help.

We specialize in international ocean and air freight shipping and offer complete supply chain shipping services including ocean freight, air freight, logistics, warehousing, and more. If you need assistance, please reach out to your local office or call toll free 1-800-488-4888 and we can help you.

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express is now offering same day or next day delivery service to new and existing warehousing customers. Our warehousing services are available in Oahu, Maui, the Kona side of the Big Island and Guam.

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express and our affiliate air shipping company, DGX-Dependable Global Express, are now providing local warehousing and same day/next day deliveries to customers on these islands.

Also new, customers who need multi-location warehousing with same day or next day delivery on the islands will now have access to tracking and inventory information. Thanks to a new software system, customers can now interface with their systems and our, allowing access to inventory records, inbound/outbound data histories, order processing via direct entry into our new system, among other information and features.

The new inventory coordination will provide the locations of all your items we’re storing as well as an inventory of all items on hand. The system interfaces with established e-commerce software to ensure if you order the goods to be pulled, packed and shipped; we are able to get the job done within the same or next day.

Deliveries are currently made during normal weekday business hours, Monday through Friday 7:30AM to 4:30 PM, local time.

Same/next day service to your Hawaii and Guam Customers is now a reality using DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express/DGX. Contact us today to get a rate quote or use our online rate quoter to get a quick rate quote for LCL to Hawaii or Guam.

A common question, when determining how much it costs to ship a container to Hawaii, most of the cost is based on the commodity item(s) being loaded and shipped. Ocean tariffs (import/export taxes) are predicated on content weight; the end use of the commodity: retail, wholesale, personal, or business; the potential of damage of the commodity; etc.

Other important cost-determining considerations are the origin and destination details. For example, if your shipment is originating from the US mainland anywhere at a distance from the west coast, typically your container is transported and loaded onto a rail line. There’s always the option of trucking your container from its origin to the west coast, but it’s usually more expensive. Most intermodal or rail moves get shipped into Los Angeles for subsequent sailings to Hawaii. Mode of transporting shipping containers moving eastbound out of the Hawaiian Islands are also subject to these cost considerations. The rail option vs. the trucking option acts in the reverse once the container lands on the west coast.

With these factors in mind, DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express has the experienced team to assist you and keep your costs to ship a container to or from Hawaii equitable while meeting your expected timeline. Get a quick rate quote for LCL to Hawaii, a rate quote for other shipments, Call us toll free at 800.488.4888, or email us today!

There are five major items to consider in determining your overall cost to ship Less than Container Load (LCL) freight shipments to either Hawaii or Guam.

• Packaging
• Commodity Being Shipped
• Measurement of the Freight
• Special Handling Considerations
• Shipping Company Dependability

More detail here:

1. Packaging. Always package your shipments/product to minimize the total space used. LCL shipments are billed based on the space (cubic feet) they use. Saving space with your packaging or wrapping/crating, will determine how much it costs. For example, if you have a small broom you’re shipping, unscrew the handle and save the space by shipping it alongside the broom itself, instead of connected to it.
   
   Once you’ve minimized your packaging, however, don’t lose sight of proper wrapping and palletizing to avoid potential damage issues as your shipment is traveling thousands of miles in (sometimes) very rough seas.


2. Commodity Being Shipped. Higher value goods will usually cost more than items of lower value. For instance, food products will cost less to ship than fine furniture based on the risk of damage. Items with a low damage factor will cost less than items that might normally get damaged easily.
   
   If you can find a freight forwarder to ship a fragile commodity (which usually means new, still in the packaging, not antique or glass, or other items of high value), factor in the cost of insurance. If the cargo is irreplaceable, you will want to pay more and have a crating expert package it. In the end, it’ll cost you less to get it there in one piece than in many.


3. Measurement of the Freight. Ensure the dimensions of your shipment are accurate and complete. If you obtain a quote based on inaccurate or wrong dimensions, then the actual freight charges could cost you more. Your dimensions should include the highest point, the widest point and longest point of your shipment if palletized or in individual boxes.
   
   Cubic feet are computed by multiplying the length of the freight in inches by the height of the freight in inches by the width of the freight in inches. Those total inches then get divided by 1,728 inches to determine the total cubic feet of what you’re measuring. If you have multiple pallets, boxes or crates, this process needs to be followed for each pallet, box or crate and then all the cubic feet totaled. This then determines the size of your shipment for pricing purposes. Visit our FAQ #11 for detailed information on how to measure your shipment.


4. Special Handling Considerations. Determine if your shipment will require special handling or delivery needs at the destination. Something requiring a residential delivery, or to a place of business with an inside delivery, will usually cost more than something delivered curbside. If you need trash taken away after your delivery, it’ll probably cost more if there’s a large volume.


5. Shipping Company Dependability. Ensure you are working with a company who is reliable and an expert at shipping to Hawaii or Guam. The cheapest quote isn’t always the least expensive by the time your cargo has arrived at its destination.

To find out more about DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express and Dependable Supply Chain Services, please contact us today. With nearly 40 years in the shipping business, we can certainly help you in navigating these waters to get the best value and service for your goods.

If you’re located on the outer islands of Hawaii, usually the shipping carrier you chose will move your product shipment to Oahu for consolidation with other similar shipments. Plan on this adding a week or more to the transit time of your eastbound shipment. Once your shipment is on the island of Oahu, the carrier normally will have a container moving back to the US mainland.

The question to ask is “How often does this happen?” With DHX–Dependable Hawaiian Express, freight is moved eastbound into Long Beach, California on a weekly basis, usually on the following Saturday sailing back into Long Beach. Eastbound shipping is slower—eight days on water vs. five days westbound from Long Beach to Honolulu. Some carriers, like DHX–Dependable Hawaiian Express, also offer a more economical bi-weekly option directly to the Pacific Northwest using a barge service. Plan on these ocean transportation times, using this barge service, to be from four-six weeks. See our Ocean Shipping Schedule.

Eastbound shipper rates are normally calculated based on a combination of factors:

• the type of product being shipped
• physical dimensions
• weight
• specific pick-up area (should you require one)
• destination delivery requirements
• whether the place of delivery is a business or residential address

Both pick-up and delivery services may entail use of a forklift and or specialized equipment which will increase your charges. Your shipment packaging may also increase the dimensions of the shipment and hence, the cost. But proper packaging is extremely important to provide additional safety for your valued product. We recommend not skimping on packing in order to save a few dollars on the freight charges. In the long run it will save you time, possible damage and subsequent aggravation. To request a rate quote from us, please use our convenient online rate quoter.

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express offers a unique package of shipping services. If you need assistance, please reach out to your local DHX–Dependable Hawaiian Express office or call toll free at (800) 488-4888 and we can help. We’re Dependable. From Start to Finish.

The cost of ocean freight to or from Guam can pose some complexity for a variety of reasons. The following are shipping factors to consider in determining ocean carriage costs. They include:

• A concise description of the commodity being shipped
• The weight of the cargo itself
• Its density (weight divided by cubic feet)
• The size of the shipment, in total cubic feet
• Whether or not the goods are considered “hazardous” and require a separate document declaring the hazardous characteristics
• If the shipment is a full container of freight (FCL) or less than a containerload (LCL)

One of the remaining factors that can affect the cost to ship to Guam is the selected ocean carrier. Only Matson Navigation services Guam directly with a USA stop-off from the Port of Long Beach, CA to Hawaii, providing the fastest transit time – 12 days port to port. DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express uses Matson for ocean shipping to Guam.

Transit times out of the Port of Oakland add an additional four days. American President Lines (APL) also provides ocean service to Guam, however, only from the Port of Long Beach. Its ocean transit time is longer, no less than 23 days, and perhaps longer depending on the vessel the Guam container gets loaded on and the foreign port where unloaded, before being transferred onto a feeder vessel into Guam. In addition, shipments must be tendered a week in advance, thus extending the transit time to at least 30 days.

The cost to ship to Guam also requires the payment of a Use Tax once the goods arrive on Guam. Guam Customs is not responsible for ensuring a Commercial Invoice, on which to base payment of the use tax. The Commercial Invoice is to be provided by the shipper or consignee. Guam Customs requires that all shipments have a complete Commercial Invoice in US$ to process the shipment in Guam. Guam Customs’ responsibility is to apply a 4% Use Tax on all goods entering into Guam that are not intended for resale by a licensed-on Guam business.

Businesses that operate on Guam with a Guam business license will be taxed 4% on all goods shipped into Guam that are not to be resold (not inventory). The 4% tax is calculated based on the cost of goods, insurance and freight cost together (total landed cost). No shipments arriving via ocean freight can be released until the Use Tax payment has been paid.

There are also eastbound services available from Guam to the USA mainland or Hawaii. We can provide additional information for shipping from non-USA origins into Guam.

Another advantage: DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express also offers container load and less than container load services from the Hawaiian Islands to Guam. Contact us today to discuss shipping your freight to Guam with us!

Last month we discussed key factors pertaining to shipping rates to Hawaii and what drives those costs. Now we’d like to help our customers with ideas on how to reduce the shipping cost to Hawaii.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Reduce damages
   When building your pallets keep freight inside the pallet dimensions, avoid overhang, shrink wrap well and keep the height to a manageable level. Freight travels many miles and handled by forklifts when loaded into trailers and ocean containers along with other freight. Well-built pallets help eliminate damages, the labor cost of filing claims and replacement. Time is money when considering the cost to ship to Hawaii.
2. Consolidate
   When possible consolidate your freight to eliminate extra pickup and delivery charges. The more freight you ship may also help reduce your costs.
3. Accurate Information
   When requesting pricing or getting quotes for your shipping to Hawaii, ensure your information is detailed and accurate. Quotes are only as good as the information you provide so make sure you measure and weigh your freight accurately. Nobody wants to go back and increase rates to their customer, so it’s important to do it right the first time when determining how much to ship.
4. Warehousing
   DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express has broken ground on our new state of the art warehouse in Honolulu with a completion date of April 2019. Warehousing freight for quicker distribution to your customer and avoiding the need for airfreight or lost business due to slow turnaround times, are other options to consider when determining your overall Hawaii shipping rates.

We pride ourselves on building long-term partnerships with our customers, serving as consultants in the spirit of “Ohana” – Hawaiian for family.

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express looks forward to being your shipping partner to the Hawaiian Islands. To get a rate quote today, please visit either our LCL Quick Rate Quoter online for shipments to Hawaii, use our more detailed online rate quote requestor for all shipments to or from Hawaii, or contact one of our qualified rate analysts today. Mahalo.

Here are some factors to consider when shipping your freight containers to Hawaii:

• Is this a single shipment or ongoing project?
• If a single shipment:
• DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express can pick up from the vendor/source direct.
• Or, shipments can be drop shipped to any of our terminal locations for consolidation:
• Rancho Dominguez, CA (Southern CA)
• San Leandro, CA (Northern CA)
• Seattle, WA
• Do you need to designate a specific sailing date that is most appropriate to your needs?
• Or, is your project ongoing and needs to designate a specific sailing date most appropriate to your needs? If you use DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, we utilize every available weekly sailing:
• We load and ship to every Hawaiian island direct. (By loading island-direct, transit time to the outer islands is reduced.)
• We have the experience to reduce handling and related expenses 
• We limit ocean costs
• We reduce transit time
• If an ongoing project, how is it to be managed and consolidated?
• How is the project to be reported or details to be communicated?
• What visibility is needed?
• What percentage of utilization makes it cost effective to ship an exclusive container versus shipping as LCL (Less than Container Load)?

The service team at DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express specializes in container shipping to Hawaii. If you’re looking for a cost efficient way to ship a Full Container Load (FCL) or Less than Container Load (LCL) to Hawaii, we provide efficient service throughout the U.S. and Canada.

To find out more about DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express and Dependable Supply Chain Services, please contact us today. We can certainly help you in navigating these waters for the best value and service.

What is an acceptable transit time for shipping from the U.S.A. to Guam?

There are two carriers that currently provide ocean service from the U.S.A. to Guam. One carrier has a transit time of two weeks with an arrival of Tuesday every week. The other carrier has a transit time of three weeks with an arrival of Thursday or Friday.

At DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, via our affiliate DGX, we pride ourselves in moving product for businesses as fast and problem free as possible. Thus we choose the quicker carrier to Guam – the one with the better on-time record. Our carrier has an on-time record of 78%, based on an ETA of 59 minutes or less. The alternate carrier has an on-time record of only 23%, less than one in four of their ships are on time.

DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express also offers the latest cut-off times in the industry to receive freight on the west coast, as well as we offer deliveries in Guam within 48 hours of container availability. This gives you a total transit time from the west coast of 17-18 days. The other carrier would provide a 30-day service from the west coast to Guam, due to earlier carrier cut offs and transshipment through a foreign port. Check out our ocean delivery schedule.

Five options and details to consider when thinking about longer transit times:

1. Your product availability is delayed meaning you’ll need to keep more inventory in stock. This costs your business more money.
2. Vendor payments are due just as product is being delivered on Guam, based on net 30 day terms.
3. Business competitors may receive their product earlier and are able to deliver and complete the sale sooner—thus you lose the sale.
4. Not having your product before the weekend can affect your total weekend sales.

Four benefits of faster transit times and later cut offs:

1. Last minute orders can make the same week sailing and arrive in 17-18 days.
2. Less inventory needed increases profitability.
3. Having inventory on hand to sell before payments are due to vendors.
4. More sales and better customer loyalty because you always have inventory in stock.

With slower transportation and lower transportation costs, is it worth the added expense of higher inventory levels and the risk of losing customers and sales waiting for product to arrive?

Call DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express today for a rate and sailing time quote to see how we can save you both time and money.

As you may be aware, we’re building a new warehousing facility in Honolulu. To make a long story short, we received the signed agreement to purchase the property, vacant land, on a Saturday during the period of the major league baseball playoff chase in 2017. On that Saturday in September, I decided, like so many LA Dodger players in their quest to win the World Series, to not shave again until the prize was won—in this case our new warehousing facility opening. I then flew over to Oahu when we had to arrange to finance both the land purchase and building construction. I told the bankers that I was growing my beard as a daily reminder of our commitment to getting the project done, so every morning when I stand in front of the mirror, I am reminded of my responsibility to complete our project.

During one of my visits to Honolulu, I became aware that the fence on the perimeter of the property served as a “lean-to” area that homeless folks had been using to support their temporary shelters. They were camping in certain areas around the outside of the fence. This visual sparked an idea for me to believe that something good could come out of this construction project and the beard!

I went out to our partners and vendors involved with the project and asked for volunteers to donate to a charity that helps the homeless. Upon reaching out to volunteers including Massdec (the developer) and DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, Inc. (both owned by us), six additional companies or individuals agreed to donate $250 an inch to charities assisting the homeless. That's $2,000 an inch. We then had two other companies join us, bringing the number of companies to ten as of this post, or $2,500 an inch. My beard is now four inches long, growing slowly, meaning we’ve already earmarked $10,000 for charity. The facility has another 11 months before completion, during which I hope the beard will grow an additional 5-7 inches (may I add much to my wife’s dismay– she really hates it)! But it’s for a great cause.

I would like to thank the following participants:

• American Savings Bank (Financier) and Dan Oshima, its Vice President
• Central Pacific Bank (Financier)
• Massdec LLC (Developer)
• DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, Inc. (Lessee)
• Honolulu Builders (Contractor)
• Anonymous Officer at Massdec’s Environmental Consultant
• Anonymous Officer at our Ocean Carrier to Hawaii
• Cades Schutte and the Cades Foundation
• MC Architects (Architect)
• Honolulu Freight Service- Mike Beidleman

Again, these participants have already raised $10,000 to be donated to charities!

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express has set up systems with The Salvation Army and Kahauiki Village, so that anyone can participate in this effort to help the homeless in Honolulu. Although our partners listed will send their checks directly to the charities, you can also aid this cause by donating to these charities either in a set dollar amount now or by pledging based on the final beard length, for example, $1 an inch. Ensure you indicate your donation is for the Beard For Buck$ campaign!

We will be posting monthly updates, with beard pictures to our Facebook page (Beard for Buck$ Photo Album). Just so you know, for a single donation of $25,000, I, the president of DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express would be willing to dye the beard “purple,” the official color of Dependable Supply Chain Services for a month!

For $50,000 and I’ll dye the beard and my hair, too! It’s all for a great cause, folks!

Dependable service in shipping and logistics for Hawaii doesn’t just happen.

You need to work at it with a long-term dedication. That’s why DHX–Dependable Hawaiian Express has committed so much in resources and investments in the Hawaii market. Not just on Oahu, but on the outer-islands, as well, where our transit times are as much as four days faster. Faster time means lower overall shipping costs to Hawaii as it will likely result in faster sales for you.

With company-owned terminals, equipment and staff; we have much more control over your shipments than competing freight shippers to or from Hawaii. It’s easier and more efficient. From the shipper’s door in shipping containers to Hawaii, to your facilities, you are dealing with one company. That’s us at DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express.

We have the flexibility to meet your specific needs every time because we deliver your freight within 48 hours of its availability an amazing 98% of the time!  If you don’t believe us, please feel free to track every shipment for yourself.

Whether you use us for ocean, air, trucking, storage and distribution, eastbound or for project cargo; when you call DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, you are talking to our experienced team of employees, eliminating the middleman for quicker answers and faster solutions to your shipping needs.

It’s not always about price. It’s usually about your needs. How have you researched your delivery service options as thoroughly as you need to?

Interestingly, the choice of shipper and delivery services is up to you. Always has been and always will be.

You may have questions and need information and answers to make the right choice on shipping. Ocean transportation shippers to Hawaii and Guam have many options on who to select as their carrier. Questions to ask:

• Do you want one carrier who can handle your freight door to door with its own trucks, employees and terminals?
• Should you go direct?
• Do you want a carrier who can provide complete transportation solutions and not just a rate?
• Do you want to make one phone call and know the job will get done with a personalized service that leaves you feeling your freight was the most important shipment of our day?

There are numerous options when moving full containers. If you select DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, we have the experience to ensure your freight moves intact, on-time, in the most cost-effective manner possible.

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express is an important component of a family-owned business that has been moving freight to Hawaii since 1980. We offer both Less than Container Load (LCL) and Full Container Load (FCL) ocean services. We’re part of Dependable Supply Chain Services, and as such can cover all your shipping needs with one-stop service to Hawaii and Guam.

Our core offerings to Hawaii and Guam for LCL/FCL: Pickup, ocean, air, warehousing, on island trucking, final mile, white glove, inside delivery, project cargo, consolidations, and hotel renovations.

To find out more about DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express and Dependable Supply Chain Services, feel free to contact us today or go to our website for a free rate quote.

When looking and reviewing you shipping needs, there are always alternatives and options.

With 38 years of ocean freight forwarding experience at DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, we provide options for your shipping needs.

Not all shippers try to find you the least expensive and fastest shipping solutions. Most have grown accustomed to the easy routine of using mainland small parcel solutions for their customer shipments to the Hawaiian islands. The result is sometimes varied, inconsistent, incomplete and expensive. Not just expensive in actual freight charges but also in the time it takes to track and trace your shipments.

Over the years, DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express has listened to our customers and worked with them to tailor service solutions that best meet their needs and expectations as well as that of their valued customers. Rather than shipping via a parcel carrier direct to the islands, you can ship with us by simply combining all of the pre-labeled parcel shipments on a pallet, shrink wrapped and labeled to the parcel carrier location in Hawaii.

Your pallet can either be dropped at one of our terminal facilities or we will pick it up along with any other larger shipments to the islands. DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express utilizes every available sailing to Hawaii and loads island-direct containers so your parcel shipments can be at the carrier’s facility in as little as six days of sailing.

This shipping solution provides a level of shipment integrity and consistency that helps to eliminate the chance of a multiple piece shipment being separated and delivered over the course of days. It also ensures the shipment is delivered complete and intact the same day. By utilizing every available sailing to Hawaii, we have the solution to fit the needs of your customers and at a cost that fits your transportation budget.

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express recognizes we are in an ever changing, ever evolving society, and we want to ensure we are right there with you.

We welcome your suggestions and continue to value your confidence in us and your business. Come see how Dependable Supply Chain Services can better support your business by visiting us today!

Smooth sailing is not always the case when shipping to Guam. Here are some safety tips to help ensure your shipments arrive safely in Guam.

There are 6,000 miles of ocean to cross for your cargo to arrive in Guam – the equivalent of going from Los Angeles to New York and back again. The ocean is not a smooth paved highway, but rather comprised of vast, turbulent seas with swells as big as four-story buildings through which sea faring vessels need to navigate. The vessels get knocked around quite a bit, causing cargo loaded inside containers to shift and move during transit.

In order to minimize any damage caused by the often rough trip, the shipping professionals at DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express always take extra care when loading your freight by adding dunnage and cardboard inside the containers to safely secure the loads from shifting and moving about inside your containers.

As a shipper or supplier shipping items to Guam, here are a few shipping tips to help ensure your products arrive safely and intact:

• Always load heavier items on the bottom of pallet, with lighter product on top.
• Use three to four layers of shrink wrap to help keep the load from falling off the pallet.
• If your boxes are soft cardboard, use corner protectors before wrapping, so boxes are not crushed when wrapping.
• Minimize the exposure of products that can be easily scratched by adding protective covering or have the item crated.
• On bagged freight, for example: flour, rice, concrete; use cardboard on the sides prior to wrapping with shrink wrap to prevent bags from being torn.
• When shipping 55 gallon drums, secure drums to a pallet with suitable banding material.

These are just a few safety tips for Guam shipping. By doing your part, you can help ensure your products will arrive safely to your destination and ultimately to your customer.

At DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express, we will always do our part as your Dependable partner!

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express specialize in ocean carriage in less than container load (LCL) shipments or full container loads (FCLs) and air freight service, throughout North America, to and from Hawaii.

Whether shipping weekly or monthly, organizing a special project or needing to ship an oversize piece of equipment, we provide the shipping support and the logistical solutions to enable execution with ease.

We are the largest asset-based LCL shipping company servicing and located in Hawaii. With more than 100 tractors and trailers as well as the ownership of four trucking terminals, we can give you flexibility with pricing and service offerings that can positively impact your complex supply chain.

In addition to our biweekly distribution of LCL and/or FCL shipments, our enterprise solutions include trucking services in Hawaii and inter-island shipments and consolidation. We offer specialized shipping services that may require “Final Mile” and/or “White Glove” delivery, as well as project consolidation or assembly-based on purchase order, timeline, project area or project phase for retail, construction and hospitality.

Our Project Cargo department provides simple solutions for complex shipments that require the handling of non-standard freight. Your shipment may not conform to standard shipping containers, such as oversized, over height/too tall, over length, over width/wide, unusually shaped, heavyweight, which may require permitted escort vehicles, roll-on roll-off, low boy transport or requires other unusual cargo transportation. Our oversize cargo experts have extensive experience in this specialized shipping service for both ocean and air.

To find out more about Dependable Supply Chain Services, contact us today.

When shipping to Guam, finding the lowest shipping rates and prices to Guam do not always add up to savings. Other facets that should be considered in rate savings include:

• How long your shipment will take to arrive to Guam
• How quickly the shipment will clear Customs
• How soon the shipment will deliver on Guam

Though you might not suffer direct out-of-pocket costs when figuring out shipping rates to Guam, consider how much money may be lost by not having the shipment in your customer’s hands in the shortest amount of time possible. If it’s not in your warehouse, you can’t deliver it. If it’s not on the shelf they cannot sell it.

The possible loss of time can cause delays on a job with workers standing by idle or machinery down waiting for parts and not making money. Or worse, your customer elects to buy from another vendor because the product is taking too long to get there.

Another consideration is cash flow. The sooner the customer receives the product, the sooner you will be paid, reducing the time between when you are paid for the product and when you received you’re reimbursed.

By using our sister company to ship to and from Guam, DGX – Dependable Global Express, you get the latest shipping cut offs for weekly sailings to Guam, with expedited Customs clearance and delivery of shipments within 48 hours of container availability at the port.

When thinking of shipping to Guam, contact us for an affordable rate quote!

Do shipping costs into Hawaii seem high? Ever wonder why?

Moving freight from the mainland into the Hawaiian Islands is a detailed and complex venture and unlike moving ground freight within the continental United States. It doesn't have to be difficult if you understand the cost to ship into Hawaii and use a trusted, experienced and quality freight forwarder like DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express.

DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express has been moving freight into the Hawaiian Islands since 1980, and does handle both LCL (Less than Container Load) and FCL (Full Container Load) ocean and air freight. The cost to ship into Hawaii is driven by several key factors. One would be the distance as well as the majority of freight moves via ocean vessel or the more expensive option of air. Currently, there are only two ocean carriers that move freight from the mainland into Hawaii. Think supply and demand.

Consider the steps and labor cost of picking up freight, handling and reloading into ocean containers, trucking to port, handling at the port to reload onto ocean vessels, then departing with a minimum of four to five days over water in transit to Hawaii, off-loading of containers onto chassis at the port, trucking back to a terminal for unloading of freight. Then reloaded on to box trucks or flatbeds for delivery. Your shipment finally ends up at your customer’s door which may or may not have a dock, forklift or even a pallet jack so additional labor could be required at time of delivery. Sound expensive?

Let's review a few more items that drive the cost of shipping into Hawaii. The amount of fuel required to move these large vessels and cost of fuel. There’s limited land space in Hawaii along with the cost of warehouse buildings and labor in Hawaii. Intra-island movement of freight and all the logistical support of making sure your freight arrives on time. Then, last, but not least, there's the Jones Act which ensures American built and crewed vessels call on Hawaii.

Additional points to consider when evaluating the cost of shipping into Hawaii are the key parts that make up pricing. The Hawaii tariff is expansive and detailed with many items to consider that could impact the cost of the type of commodities you want to ship and the pricing. Where is the freight originating from? Is it picked up locally near the ports or does it originate back east therefore incurring additional cost? What is the cube, weight, and density of your freight along with exact and specific commodities? Yes, it makes a difference in your pricing.

The more data and information shared during pricing discussions with your carrier will vastly improve your ability to obtain better rates so be open to communicating when you're asked numerous questions concerning freight characteristics. You may want and receive options and help in reducing your costs on shipping.

Other items to consider that drive up the cost of shipping to Hawaii are hazardous materials, over length freight, out of gauge, and any special pickup, handling, or delivery requirements.

There are many factors and things to consider when working on the cost to ship to Hawaii so make sure you work with an asset based, well qualified ocean and air provider like DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express when making your transportation decisions.

We specialize in Hawaii and make shipping easy and cost efficient! Contact us today for a free rate quote.

DHX – Dependable Hawaiian Express’ affiliate, DGX - Dependable Global Express, is your best option for shipping to Guam. We use the most experienced and knowledgeable personnel and partners in the shipping industry to ensure your transportation is easy and less stressful from start to finish.

Our services to help run your business more efficiently and save you money include:

• air freight
• ocean shipping
• local trucking moves on Guam
• short-term or long-term storage (with our affiliate DDC)

Some of the benefits that differentiate us from our competitors:

• DGX is the only forwarder that offers the latest West Coast port cut-offs to ship to Guam
• We are committed to a 48-hour delivery to your door, starting when your shipment is available in the port
• You have a wide range of electronic notification choices such as an arrival notice two weeks before your freight arrives in Guam
• Conveniently, we also offer website tracking and tracing

Always looking after your best interest, we work to find the most cost-effective way to move your freight from point A to point B. So next time you think about shipping to Guam, contact us for assistance with quotes, shipment routing, local trucking, etc.

DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express and DGX - Dependable Global Express.
We are Dependable. From start to finish!

DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express, located in Honolulu on Oahu has been shipping eastbound from Hawaii to the US mainland for over 20 years. We have gained the expertise necessary to ensure our customers are happy with the type of eastbound service offerings as well as the quality of our services offered.

Our eastbound shipments represent a microcosm of the Hawaiian Islands: our ocean containers are loaded with “Made in Hawaii” products such as beer, barbecue sauces, coffee, clothes, water, etc. Shipping these products to the USA mainland allows the Hawaiian islands to spread Aloha throughout the Continental United States. Additionally, we also relocate the property of those moving to the mainland as well as the returning of retail merchandise being rejected or/and returned to the seller or a third party.

We offer twice weekly service from the outer Hawaiian islands to Oahu, where the goods/merchandise are transshipped to Oahu and then combined with those items starting the journey in Oahu to the mainland. The containers in Oahu are loaded weekly to come back to the continental United States. Our weekly service for Long Beach and Oakland (and if necessary Seattle) sails to the Port of Long Beach. Our Seattle barge service sails every other week. Freight shipped into Los Angeles and Seattle gets trucked to its ultimate consignee or picked up at our Rancho Dominguez facility, near Long Beach, by the consignee or their agent. The carrier used is dependent on the type of facility and equipment available to handle the goods that the consignee requires.

Because the goods are starting their trip within a state of the USA, there are no customs requirements for these goods to enter the continent.

We realize some customers are not in a rush for goods so we offer a slower, less expensive barge service to the Pacific Northwest. We also use this service to receive freight destined to Alaska as most customers’ shipping to Alaska are not in a rush, and generally choose this routing to Seattle ultimately for Alaska.

However, when a customer is really in a rush to get goods to the mainland, we offer to expedite a portion of their order via DGX Air and load the remaining part of the shipment into one of our weekly ocean containers.

We have dedicated eastbound coordinators on Oahu, Maui and in Kona whose customer service is second to none. DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express is constantly finding solutions for both first-time shippers and our consistent, long-term customers.

We take pride in what we do, and we try to do it better than anyone else!

Dependable. From start to finish.

Shipping ocean freight to or from Guam can be a complex situation for a variety of reasons. Only one carrier services Guam directly with a USA stop-off from the USA mainland – Matson Navigation Company (Matson). Matson’s transit time from Long Beach (SoCA), which includes a stop off in Hawaii, is 12 days from Long Beach to Guam, four days longer from Oakland and five days longer from Seattle.

American President Lines (APL) also ships containers to Guam but their transit time is not less than 23 days from Los Angeles, and perhaps longer depending on the vessel the Guam container gets loaded on and the foreign port where unloaded before being loaded onto a feeder vessel into Guam. APL does not offer any alternative transit times for container shipping to Guam from Oakland or Seattle, but modern day trucking services will allow them to service those areas, although less timely than the Matson direct service.

APL and Matson both have fully developed and integrated rail services to complement those container loads shipping to Guam from origins other than the West Coast. They are both well-respected carriers, and have a lot to offer shippers or consignees. Ask yourself how important the transit time is for the container load move to Guam and can you afford a delay in your goods arriving? If these conditions are ok, then a less expensive container load rate to ship to Guam available via APL transshipment is probably your best value. But if you need speedier transit time due to shipment arrival expectations or container content damage, are worried about humidity while on the vessel, need additional handling of the container during the transshipment process, price/value is not the sole focal point, and/or a delay might hurt business profits, then Matson is a better alternative.

A shipper to Guam also needs to be aware that Guam has its own Customs offices, officers, and laws, in addition to USA Customs offices, officers, regulations and laws. Guam Customs is responsible for, among other things, ensuring the goods arriving from the USA have submitted a commercial invoice, and consignees pay a Guam Use Tax or Gross Receipts Tax, as appropriate. The tax is 4% of the cost of the goods shipped into Guam if the merchandise is not held for resale and is used in the business. If you are working with a freight forwarder such as DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express, the law requires the forwarder to collect taxes on taxable goods and remit it to Guam authorities. The rule of thumb is that if it’s sold as part of your normal business, no use tax is due; but if the goods are supplies and overhead items to be used in your business rather than sold, then a 4% Use Tax applies.

Another complex issue when using APL is that due to the vessel arriving at a foreign port prior to transshipping to Guam, an Automated Manifest System (AMS) has to be filed, meaning the shipper must provide the Harmonized Code tariff number for what they are shipping. DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express can help you with that should you decide you’d like to move your containers to Guam through us.

There are also eastbound services available from Guam to the USA mainland or Hawaii, and additional information we can provide for shipping from non-USA origins into Guam. DHX also offers container load and less than container load services from the Hawaiian Islands to Guam. We look forward to responding to your requests for further information: call us at (888) 488-4888, Ext. 2017 (U.S. only)!

There are a variety of items to consider when determining how to ship a container to Hawaii. The first couple of items are the transit time and deadlines you may have to meet.

From our experience on timing and deadlines, no one is faster than Matson Navigation Company, a primary mode of ocean transportation for DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express. Matson’s transit times are shorter than the other ocean carrier by a day from Long Beach, and out of Oakland and Seattle. The other carrier, Pasha Hawaii, does not compete time-wise. Barge services offering Hawaiian Island connections also do not compete time-wise to or from Hawaii. So, if you are under a deadline or transit time is important, your first option will be Matson.

Another important factor is the origin of your container being shipped to Hawaii. From most origins within the US other than the West Coast, the rail transit times and rail service between the two are very similar. Pasha’s overall rail/inland may be a little less expensive, usually within $100 of Matson’s. Most intermodal or rail moves get shipped into Los Angeles for the subsequent sailing to Hawaii.

You’ll also want to look into the pricing of your container shipment to Hawaii. Depending on whether your shipment to Hawaii is recurring in nature or not, and depending if you are a business or an individual, your pricing will normally be at published tariff rates. If you are not a business and if your shipment of containers to Hawaii is not recurring in frequency, the ocean carriers have tariff rates allowing them to charge everyone uniformly.

Matson tariffs have evolved over a 100+ years, and they are based on a combination of the service offerings Matson has, the value of the goods in the container, the likelihood that what's in the container can be damaged, the weight of the container’s contents, etc. The competitor to Matson is Pasha and they normally have a tariff that is quite similar to Matson’s tariff, so the pricing is similar except if one of the carriers can be negotiated with to price their shipments differently.

DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express has people who are experts in the carriers’ tariffs and have the knowledge to help you ensure your shipment arrives on time, intact, and competitively priced.

We represent a very healthy option for a business interested in reducing their rate basis as well as for those looking for answers to questions with respect to shipping containers to Hawaii.

In June 2017, we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of opening our own trucking terminal and delivery operation in Honolulu on Oahu.

A huge gamble and large investment at the time, DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express opened in Honolulu, Oahu. Like all other freight forwarders then, we were using trucking agents to deliver freight across the island. Because we used third-party agents, the quality of the service was not reliable and the scope of services we could offer was limited such as short or long term storage and warehousing, assembly and distribution, or local trucking. We were a freight forwarder to Hawaii, like many others, but opening on Oahu made us distinct among the forwarding community.

Although we had started a trucking operation in Guam in 1989, the Honolulu operation helped us define future strategies in the islands. Once we had quality under control with freight handling being done through a single group of companies with the same management, we evolved into an outstanding service from the beginning of the shipment move to the end.

We started using credos like “on time, intact, every time” because we controlled all aspects of the move. Excuses like, "we'll have to check with our agent to see if they can do that and if there will be additional charges," went away because we were the agent and could easily make these business decisions. For customers, that meant less waiting, more seamless operations and a better quality shipping service to Honolulu. Because Oahu worked out so well, over time we expanded our delivery operations to include the destination ports Kawaihae on the Big Island and Kahului in Maui.

DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express Honolulu has earned a big 25th anniversary congratulations! We wish to thank the management and staff for contributing to making us the biggest and best among all our competition there.

Thank you, DHX – Dependable Hawaiian Express, Oahu and Happy Anniversary! You help make us DEPENDABLE. From Start to Finish!

Shipping costs to Guam vary, depending on your needs. If you’re interested in ocean transport, here are the areas to consider:

• Do you have a Less-than-Container Load  (LCL) shipment?
• Do you have a Full-Container Load (FCL)? Different rates apply for LCL vs. FCL.
• What is your point of origin?
• What is your ultimate destination?
• Do you want to use a reliable carrier with newer vessels who sails directly into Guam from the West Coast via Hawaii – or – a carrier with a barge service who sails into an Asian port and then barges the goods out of Asia to Guam (adding a week to the transit)?
• Are you using a motorized carriage vs. a barge service (much slower)?

All these variables will make a difference in the cost of shipping to Guam.

Air freight pricing differences can vary too. Again, consider the origin and destination as well as the expected time frame of the service.

So the answer is, shipping to Guam costs depending on the variable factors involved.

To simplify your quest for a rate, we offer online quotes via our Online Rate Quoter, also you can email us, or you can call and ask for the Rate Department at 888.488.4888. Our friendly folks can quickly and more precisely help you determine the cost of shipping to Guam!

DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express started shipping to Guam from the continental USA in 1981, when Founder, Ron Massman, bought a company that shipped to Guam for a grocery distributor. When current president Brad Dechter joined DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express in 1982, the Guam trade lane became the first trade lane for which he was responsible.

Since DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express was shipping from California to Guam at that time, Guam helped with the future direction of the company: helping to refine their mainland trucking network to cover more inland points. Also, it helped them to replace their delivery agent on the Island and realize they needed to begin shipping from Guam to California.

Lessons learned in the microcosm of the Guam trade were eventually used across all services. As DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express listened to the needs of their Guam customers, they changed their name to help the local customers feel their specific needs were being addressed. In 1989, the company opened their trucking operation on Guam, which was so successful it became the impetus behind opening future trucking operations in Hawaii. DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express also opened shipping from Guam to California and the rest of the USA, an eastbound service similar to their operation in Hawaii. Eventually Mr. Dechter became president of the Forwarding Group of the Dependable Companies and was thankful for his Guam experience that helped to launch his subsequent career.

DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express wants to thank their many friends in Guam that helped them develop their business on the island and meet the many, diverse needs of the local businesses there.

“Thank you to the people of Guam for the opportunity to handle your shipping to Guam (and Saipan) as well as being good people and helping us in our quest to be the best at shipping to Guam!” -- Brad Dechter, President, DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express.

In our last blog post, we discussed the contributions of Ralph Merolla, our previous Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express, one of The Dependable Companies. With Ralph’s retirement, we say Mahalo and Aloha for his service, even though we will still be working with Ralph in a Sales Guru Emeritus position.

David Bartelt has been promoted to move into Ralph’s position and we feel great about his taking over! David has been with DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express over 18 years. Prior to joining us, David spent roughly nine years in the trucking industry in Sales. For the first three years with DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express, David was the Director of Sales in the Los Angeles area. He spent the next five years managing both the Los Angeles and Hawaii Sales efforts.

In 2006, David was promoted to Vice President of National Accounts. We are thrilled that in August this year he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales, managing the Hawaii and Guam sales efforts for us.

We want to wish David the very best in his new position and good luck with the challenges it will bring!

DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express has always prided ourselves on being the best of Hawaii shipping and logistics companies. It’s because of our “can-do” attitude as well as our expertise in shipping to Hawaii from the mainland (and shipping from Hawaii to the mainland) and our knowledge of the Hawaiian Islands. Those characteristics separate us from our shipping competition.

After all, it’s where we got our start in 1980, 36 years ago, before our foray into the international and global shipping arena as DGX - Dependable Global Express. DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express is still our heartbeat.

Whether you ship to Hawaii or you ship to Guam, we’re all about shipping it right!

We’re Dependable. From Start to Finish.

If you are deciding which vendor to use for shipping to Hawaii or for your shipping to Guam, you are probably already aware of who DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express is and what we do. As a leader in Hawaii shipping and Guam shipping, we did not start as the largest or best freight company, but from our incorporation in 1980 until today, we've earned those platitudes.

A large part of the reason is our people. One of our best, Ralph Merolla, who is and has been an integral part of how we got to where we are today, is semi-retiring in a couple of months.

We’ll all miss him!

Ralph Merolla came to DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express when we acquired the company he was working for in 1981. His role at that point was with the Northern California Sales department. He eventually worked his way up including roles as as Oakland Terminal Manager, Regional Terminal and Sales Manager, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and today, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

But here’s the important point: it didn't matter what type of customer you were. If you were shipping a container to Hawaii, delivering a smaller shipment or needing a “shipping to Hawaii cost,” Ralph always stepped in to help, looking for creative ways to help you minimize shipping and logistics costs. All this with an eye to helping you grow your business.

He eventually helped build the DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express infrastructure and special culture that provides the same excellent service with the same positive attitude today.

Ralph is one of the top members of our management team. To those that work with him or for him, Ralph is a great mentor, coach, and friend.

In 34 years we have never heard him raise his voice. We have only heard him make positive remarks unless he was requested to give his opinion on something. At which point he was honest.

He never seemed to have any ulterior motives; the actions he took were taken with the company’s best interest at heart. He’s DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express through and through. His responses to questions over the years, plus training, coaching and mentoring, have left a permanent imprint on our culture and who we are.

Ralph will still be working with us, but in a reduced role in his semi-retirement. We are thrilled that he will still assist our customers and us.

That being said, these are huge shoes he leaves to fill, and Ralph’s successor has some catching up to do! After all, his replacement has only been with us 18+ years and is still wet behind the ears.

We’ll miss you Ralph!

Thank you for all your years of service and for making us the winner we are today!

We at DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express and Dependable Global Express try to be “apolitical.”

Someone asked me why we sponsored the radio coverage in Hawaii of the Republican Debates leading up to their national convention. The debates and related primary process are healthy for America. Plus I believed it was the best use of our advertising dollars.

Given the manner in which the candidates were bashing each other, complete with name-calling, derogatory remarks and other “misbehavior,” it was incredibly astonishing, humorous and sad entertainment. We were surprised by the bitterness of the rhetoric, but found the various scenarios enlightening and the unfolding thoroughly entertaining. For our advertising dollar, I felt it was good use of our monies with great exposure.

We’re getting ready to sponsor the Democratic Convention, too. This time we’re sponsoring the Democratic Convention so our Democrat Party constituency out there among our customers does not feel we’re playing favorites. We’re not. We’re balanced.

I have two main thoughts about what I have been listening to in the past few months:

• The Office of the Presidency is one of the most powerful positions in the world. It should not be disrespected. Those running for office should act the part, so as to not reduce the office in stature or reputation.
• Being president of both DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express and DGX (Dependable Global Express) I have traveled the world. A conclusion reached, and I know I am biased: America is the greatest country of all the countries I have been to. Others are good, but honestly, our freedoms, rights, and processes of civilization including the flow of foods, medicines and trade are unparalleled in the rest of the world. AMERICA IS GREAT. (That does not mean we couldn’t do better.)

Thanks for listening to my explanation and thank you for your business!

Pasha Hawaii (Pasha) recently took over the ocean carriage and shipping from Horizon Lines (RIP) to/from the US Mainland and Hawaii. Pasha announced numerous changes to the ship to Hawaii sailing schedules and attempted to hit the ground running while reducing staff previously employed by Horizon Lines (Horizon) and not taking on all of Horizons systems.

We like Pasha and we like what they stand for – the American dream of a family-owned business making it big. We know they need to be successful in shipping. But thus far the sound of their boots hitting the ground are a distinctive thud.

Because of service interruptions and schedule changes made by Pasha, Matson Navigation Co. (Matson) has been plotting its own changing course in Hawaii delivery.

Matson has taken over the Alaska trade from Horizon, but Alaska is not known for many trade route shipping issues, and it’s not our core business like Hawaii. What DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express does know is that Matson has increased the number of vessels serving Hawaii, from nine to eleven, a 22% gain in capacity.

Matson now suffers from space issues in their Hawaii terminal, and chassis shortages in Hawaii. The two problems combined have limited Matson’s ability to get vessels into Hawaii because of too little space for their equipment. They are so cramped they have started giving Young Brothers outer island container loads so Matson is not using their terminal space to store outer island containers. Matson also did this so Matson could then get the chassis back to reuse in Matson’s own “container mounting on chassis” efforts.

This is lots of extra work to keep the propellers turning in a clogged sea of containers. It has turned into quite a quagmire for Pasha and for Matson. Matson certainly isn’t running like the Swiss railroad; they’re congested and their on-time performance is suffering. That said, Matson remains fluid and is taking a lot of steps to improve their timeliness.

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express knows Pasha has also made numerous positive moves to shore up their service. The results are starting to show in a positive way.

For those of you watching the shipping and logistics industry, the issues should be short-lived. The folks at Matson will react and take necessary measures to keep merchandise flowing to Hawaii, albeit in the short term, with minor delays. Pasha too will rise to the occasion with the necessary corrections to ensure their new systems and operations function as they should.

We have lots of smart people in the ocean shipping business to Hawaii who are facing challenges in the next couple of months. We remain confident that all will be better by then.

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express just wants to say “Welcome aboard” to the new container shipping services that Pasha Group is bringing to the Hawaiian Islands.

It’s our perspective that Horizon Lines as a publicly-held company was desperately trying to increase their market share, however they did not understand the importance of making a profit for shareholders. It’s our genuine hope that Pasha Group will help stabilize and bring sensibility to the shipping trade to Hawaii regarding pricing and long-term survival.

Our fingers are crossed that Pasha Group did not pick up the “bad apples” Horizon Lines had accumulated in management along the way. With that management group in place and sales and pricing suspect, Horizon Lines could not make a profit and eventually went out of business. No one should subject themselves to an unstable, unprofitable model with the potential to afflict themselves with the same infection.

That being said, best of luck to you, Pasha Group!

We believe that you coming to Hawaii is a very positive development for all!

Some customers and employees have asked what our plan is with respect to the current West Coast Owner/Longshoreman Contract dispute. Honestly the plan is not to panic. There is currently a slow down by labor and a reduction in working hours by the owners  who are represented by a group called the PMA. Between the PMA and Longshoremen, there is a good chance there will either be a lockout or a strike within the next few weeks. This is actually good for the West Coast ports and their constituents like us because it will cause the government to invoke the Taft Hartley Act. This will then enforce a 90 day cooling off period, forcing both labor and owners back to work in earnest without all the public manipulation and bad faith bargaining that is making it feel to those negotiating like salt being rubbed into a wound.

Given constraints, we have done our best to minimize delays in every possible way (at great cost and expense) while trying to maintain the service our customers have grown to expect and deserve from us. Our normal two-hour turnarounds at the harbor have become 7-8 hour turns, sometimes with no results.

Communication of sailing schedules, which under current circumstances changes multiple times, has resulted in customers receiving 6-7 emails regarding the actual sailing of a single shipment – the time we have invested in trying to communicate these changes is huge. We have pondered moving our International Operations to the East Coast but until a couple weeks ago, the delays had not been insurmountable so as of now, we have not proceeded in that manner. The PMA understands that these types of delays make no sense, and hence have now ratcheted up the heat with the public, forcing a lockout or strike soon and inevitably the invocation of Taft Hartley.

Our plan:

1. Continue business as usual, do not panic.


2. Continue to communicate with our Customers any delays affecting their shipments.


3. Continue to offer airfreight through DGX-Dependable Global Express for those who must have deadlines met.


4. At the current moment, because so many have tried to move their product off the East Coast or to the East Coast (with a longer transit time) those ports are buried. We are not currently looking at that as a viable alternative. If the Taft Hartley cooling off period does not allow the situation, be it a lock out or strike, to end prior to a month before the cooling off period is over, then we will consider moving to East Coast operations for International shipments.

Yesterday, September 5th, Horizon Lines named a new “permanent” president. A good chuckle. This might be one of the shortest term “permanent”  presidents for a public company in years. Why make such a statement? Here’s the logic.

Prior to the rumors throughout our industry and in public about Horizon Lines selling its Puerto Rico line of business this year, Horizon Lines is, and remains, the largest Jones Act Carrier in the country. Click here for a recent article discussing Horizon’s current state. In the past 10 years, they have been sold at least twice, and have had to restructure their debt once at least, maybe twice. Net result, current shareholders are now debt holders. Subject to a fact check, we believe they haven't had a profitable year in about 5 years. To Hawaii, their ships are old and use really old technology which means they cannot compete cost-wise with the newer vessels that Matson and, to a lesser extent, Pasha now have.

There is plenty speculation among those active in the Jones Act shipping trade as to what the rumors about them selling their Puerto Rico properties and/or line of business means to other trade lanes, Alaska and Hawaii. When we polled our shipping company contacts, we could not get any responses to our questions concerning this. Nothing, not a word. Stonewalled. Someone had to know something!

Then a light bulb went off. Our experience buying other companies came in handy. The only reason we didn’t discover anything on the “coconut wire” was because every ocean carrier with Jones Act business was probably talking to them, and Horizon has good investment bankers who most likely put together Non-Disclosure Agreements with penalties if word were to get out. They must be worried that if it became public knowledge they are selling any of their remaining trade lanes, existing customers would start making deals with other carriers with whom they already have relationships. Neither the buyer or seller want that, so nobody is talking at all, except to say things like “Yes, it will be interesting to see what they do” or “I don't have time to speculate about these things, I'm focused on keeping our business and going after theirs”.

In Hawaii we have suspected for years that Horizon has some sweetheart deals with other forwarders. We’re quite certain those forwarders are watching in angst and may be in discussions now with either Matson or Pasha to try and minimize the impact of a change in carriers. The good news is, this potential change does not impact DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express at all negatively. We pride ourselves in our outstanding quality of service and had eliminated Horizon as one of our service providers years ago due to the age of their ships among other things.

We speculate these deals are in the making and may be announced soon. Their new “permanent” president’s job may become one of deconstructing Horizon Lines and then liquidating what's left.

How permanent is that?

The following is an update to our blog published July 21, 2014. We’ve highlighted in red a passage pointing out that Horizon Lines, at some point, has plans to leave the Hawaii market. Our Managers don’t believe they’ll last long enough to sell it, unless it’s soon.

Debt-ridden Horizon Lines in talks to sell Puerto Rican assets to Crowley
Horizon Lines is reportedly in talks to sell off its facilities at the port of San Juan, as well as its ships and routes to and from Puerto Rico, to Jacksonville-based competitor Crowley Maritime.

Industry sources told Caribbean Business that Goldman Sachs is brokering an $80 million deal between Crowley and Horizon.

The talks for the San Juan port facilities and lines are reportedly part of Horizon’s plans to sell all three of its Jones Act routes — San Juan, Alaska and Hawaii — to different buyers for each of these markets.

Last year, Horizon posted more than $100 million in losses and the company has $700 million in debt, the company reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Crowley is currently conflicting with the Puerto Rico Ports Authority over tax credits it wants to cover the estimated $100 million the company will need to invest in port facilities to receive two new ships, El Coquí and El Taíno, scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2017.

If Horizon does sell to Crowley, then Crowley could use Horizon’s docks without having to improve their own.

“If Crowley buys Horizon’s ports facilities, Crowley wouldn’t have to make the improvements. All they would have to do is move over to Horizon’s facilities at the dock,” one industry source said. “Crowley was expecting to get tax credits from Ports to make the improvements, but since the government is broke, the authority doesn't want to give Crowley tax credits for this investment.”

We have said for at least five years that Horizon Lines current business plan is a recipe for investor disaster. The older management at Horizon Lines could care less about their investors; this has become an issue of “every man for himself,” particularly in Hawaii where management ego and having a job to go to has become more important than longer term profit and survivability. This leads to the investors eventually losing out if/when the business folds.

The following article was written in and is found in the Journal Of Commerce:

Analyst: Horizon Lines faces debt crisis
Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor | Jul 14, 2014 11:35AM EDT

Horizon Lines will have difficulty refinancing its heavy debt during the next two years and may be forced to shed assets, a move that would shake up the Jones Act domestic trade, analysts from BB&T Capital Markets said.

“If Horizon Lines cannot refinance its debt obligations, which come due in 2016, we believe the balance of supply and demand will tip in favor of the remaining vessel operators” in the Jones Act trade, BB&T said in a research note.

“Our sense is Horizon will no longer be able to kick the can down the road because the company’s debt obligations keep growing, increasing at double-digit interest expense, and that Horizon will have to shed assets,” BB&T said.

Horizon skirted bankruptcy in 2011 with a refinancing that left the company with a heavy load of high-interest debt. BBT noted that the company has more than $100 million in interest debt obligations due in each of the next two years and more than $600 million due in 2016.

The company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were $95.3 million in 2013, and are expected to be only $85 million to $95 million this year, BBT said.

Horizon posted a GAAP operating loss of $8.6 million in the first quarter, compared with a loss of $4.3 million a year earlier.

“The company continues to incur debt to help fund operations, and as it struggles to turn a profit, we expect the debt load will rise and with an aging fleet in need of repair and overhaul and significant capex requirements, the ability to successfully turnaround the company is a challenge to say the least,” BB&T said.

Horizon’s ships have an average age of 37 years, making its fleet among the oldest of any liner company in the world. They compete in Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska markets where competition is increasing and rivals are introducing modern ships.

Horizon’s future has been the subject of industry speculation since Sam Woodward, the company’s CEO, resigned June 27 with a year left on his contract. Board member Steve Rubin, principal of intermodal consulting firm InterPro Advisory LLC, was named interim CEO.

Rubin could not be reached for comment today.

Six former executives of Horizon and Sea Star Line were sentenced to prison in connection with a price-fixing scheme that began after Navieras exited the Puerto Rico market in 2002 and continued until federal agents raided company offices in 2008. Horizon, Sea Star and Crowley pleaded guilty to antitrust violations.

The market for carriers serving Puerto Rico’s depressed economy is “oversaturated,” BB&T said. Sea Star and Crowley have announced LNG-powered vessels that will compete with Horizon’s aging ships.
Horizon also faces challenges in the Hawaii market, where Pasha is introducing a second ship, and Alaska, where TOTE soon will have LNG-powered ships that unlike Horizon’s will comply with new emissions requirements.

The aging ships in Horizon’s fleet don’t comply with environmental rules that will require Jones Act domestic vessels to use LNG or low-sulfur diesel by 2020.

“Any way you slice it, Horizon Lines is looking at a significant capex spend the next couple of years just to bring all of the company’s vessels into compliance with current environmental laws,” BBT said.

BB&T said that with the carrier&rsquos competitive and capital investment challenges and $500 million in debt as of the first quarter, “it is hard for us to envision how Horizon turns things around.”

Although we’ve been DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express (DHX) since 1982, in 1999 we joined the international freight forwarding industry as DGX with the assumption of the company was going under. With DHX we had historically focused on selling to shippers, however the beneficial cargo owners (BCO’s), for DGX were primarily other freight forwarders. We felt with time, our DGX customer base would eventually change and be made up of a few loyal forwarder partners, with more emphasis on customers who were shippers/BCO's.

Our study of the international forwarding community revealed that serving other forwarders as an NVOCC was a fruitless business. Many NVO’s had failed and been acquired by others, with their business folded into the business of the acquirer. So, our thrust was to build on the base forwarder business with BCO business. 15 years later we see we have failed in certain trade lanes, but made progress in others.

The question is how to turn those failures into successes.

In the meantime, We have learned valuable lessons:

1. You cannot teach a domestic transportation salesperson the international business easily and rarely successfully. When you attempt to train, the salespeople want to sell what they feel comfortable with, and lots of what they sell in the domestic trade is based on value, that is how you differentiate yourself in the market plus a competitive price. When dealing with other forwarders, such as our international business was, selling is primarily focused on one thing - price, given that service between most NVO’s to the forwarders is relatively the same. So, when selling value to BCO’s and price to other forwarders, not only do the salespeople have to have an extended knowledge of the product to be able to sell to both forwarders and BCO’s, but their salaries and talents are minimized when selling to forwarders because their focus is based on delivering a cheaper price, as opposed to product differentiation and value.
2. Selling to BCO’s for international import and export business requires not only product knowledge and differentiation, but also an infrastructure and expertise to support it. Where freight forwarders know the import /export rules and regulations, a BCO, depending on size, may not. So all the sales associates in your office need an in depth knowledge of your service. Basically, the BCO needs to rely on your expertise to protect and serve them. Add to this a domestic sales force that’s really not familiar with international freight and you do not get warm, fuzzy feelings of confidence if they go to an associate in the international business with a BCO question, and then get a response they do not believe is a knowledgeable, professional response. They feel exposed that they are placing their existing accounts at risk, and soon stop selling a service they don’t know and/or feel uncomfortable with.
3. If management feels changing to a different customer base will hurt their area on the surface they may support the change on the surface only because leadership is pushing for it, but they probably are not expending energy to make it happen. During the time the change is being made, they will look lesser to themselves and the boss, so it is against their human nature to support something that may hurt them.

Many will talk the talk, but will not walk the walk. Possibly this group of managers does not have the expertise needed to teach their team because they have grown up serving other forwarders, and cannot figure out how to serve BCO’s.

A manager not wanting to look lesser, coupled with a lack of appropriate knowledge and/or abilities to teach what they have learned from years of experience, can potentially stop upper management’s thrust to a different type of customer base in its tracks.

So where do we go from here? We are always, hopefully, learning, changing and evolving. More to come on these challenges.

In our various offices and freight facilities, our standards have always included having/keeping a clean house, and ensuring it’s kept as clean as possible on a continuing basis. It’s an issue of pride in what we do, how we do it and our image in doing so. We want to be the best in everything we touch or are involved with. That’s why we were so happy with the results of a recent audit we had performed on us as part of our ongoing commitment to meet our food shipping customers’ needs.

The audit, called “Distribution Center Food Safety and Quality Systems Audit” received a 96.7 score out of a possible 100 points, indicating an outstanding outcome. Our operations management and systems management really have pulled together to ensure, on a consistent, continuous basis, we are taking appropriate measures to keep our facility clean and are surpassing current food shipping standards. This audit is performed annually at the request of certain customers, using an independent, outside third party with expertise in food handling and warehousing, and we are delighted with the results. To all of our Associates reading this - way to go! Thank you.

The audit was performed by Silliker, Inc., a Merieux NutriSciences Company, who works as a third party consultant in the food industry performing audits like the one performed for DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express. A copy of the audit is available upon request by email: [email protected].

This is another way we like to point out the “Dependable Difference” to our Customers. Thank you for your support and your business!

A historical review of the Hawaii and Guam shipping lanes will show you there have never been three large ocean carriers shipping from the mainland to the Hawaiian Islands and Guam. Historically, there is Matson, and then there is Brand X - whoever it may be. Brand X is usually someone Matson “lets” into the trade because they see them as being a threat, but a manageable threat.

The last time Matson had a real competitor was in 1974 - I believe a company called Seatrain Lines. Seatrain Lines ran a Hawaii service from 1969 until 1974. They actually competed against Matson service-wise - so, when Seatrain Lines (which had a roughly 20% market share of the Hawaii Trade after being in the business five years) ran into financial difficulties, Matson acquired certain property improvements and rolling stock (keeping anyone else from getting them) and the competitor (Brand X) left in the trade was a weaker, more “manageable” ocean carrier, US Lines.

The winds of change are among us, and right now, nobody is talking. We do know that Pasha Group, the newest Hawaii ocean vessel operating carrier, did not renew their intra-island shipping permit, so they can no longer compete with Young Brothers on intra-island freight moves. Plus when their new vessel comes, they will not have the equipment available to service all the islands themselves in a timely manner.

We also know that Horizon Lines who evolved from US Lines into Sealand into CSX Lines and then into Horizon Lines has old, unreliable vessels which have a tough time staying on schedule given all the mechanical issues their old vessels have.

Pasha, after their new vessel (their second vessel) is operating, will only have one vessel that can take more than a small amount of containers. Between Pasha and Horizon Lines, I believe that sooner or later their managements will realize the benefits of working together, and try to solidify both of their strengths in one “not publicly offered” combined service when they are bidding for the business of steady, weekly or twice weekly shippers/consignees.

Matson will continue to maintain a roughly 70% market share (100% for Guam) until a serious competitor with lots of $$$ gets involved.

Frankly, I do not believe anyone else wants to/can take on Matson given the investment as well as the stiff competition.

Having a group of companies shipping cargo to Hawaii, Guam and worldwide involves people from many cultures. This may seem like a statement of fact, but when you think of DGX (Dependable Global Express), DAX (Dependable AirCargo Express) or DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express, do you think of many different people, in all different shapes and sizes, with differing personal attitudes? We hope not!

What we hope to convey is the quality services we provide, no matter who you speak with, and how that manner of conducting business is consistently how we approach our business globally.

It isn’t easy to manage differences. The holidays are a cultural “mixed bag,” because different people within cultures, in different areas of the world, may or may not believe in Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas. What is important is the spirit of kindness and warmth and caring the time of the year brings. I am one individual who wishes all business were conducted with the same spirit all year long — what a better world we’d have! How less stressful would your daily duties/responsibilities be?

This year, we will be sending out ecards — digital Holiday greeting cards — to remind our customers and vendors how focused we are on the environment and the future. Most importantly, we remind those we care about of the true spirit of the Holidays, and hope they catch the spirit and enjoy the season. Happy Holidays to all of you!

As always, thank you for your business during the past year - we appreciate it! Ho Ho Ho!

If you live in the USA, you could be driving down the road and see that sign that states “Adopt -A-Highway.” Haven't you wondered how you do this, what it takes, what civic responsibilities you have to perform when you adopt?  Having just lived through this experience, we feel great about it and want to share our experience!

Our “Highway” adoption was coordinated by “Adopt-A-Highway” and recommended by the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce - both a pleasure to work with. The street we adopted gets cleaned once a month.

We have adopted a very busy section of Pacific Coast Highway in a very popular/populated area.  We feel a sense of ownership and civic pride. Just like the wonderful feeling my wife and I have had adopting plenty of pets over the years. You may know that Long Beach is a great port city, the center of a whirlwind of ocean shipping and freight forwarding companies. It’s where we live and work. Hundreds of millions have been invested in renovating the downtown area of Long Beach.  It is clean, beautiful, and a wonderful place to live.

We are bubbling over and proud of the fact that one of our companies, Dependable Global Express (DGX) is doing its civic duty by "Adopting -A-Highway," in Southern California. Hopefully some of you will see our sign, and the cleaner highway ahead! Now if we can only make it through those teenage years...

Recently, I realized that one of our past ocean carrier partners had taken my name off of their “Notifications” email address listings. This surprised me.

Normally I must unsubscribe to the email “spam” I don’t want (if the filter hasn’t caught them), the sender just doesn’t delete me. I was truly surprised, until I realized why.

The sender of these “Notifications” emails is an ocean carrier that has vessels with an average age of somewhere around 30 years old.

In the shipping industry, that’s old. As vessels age, similar to an automobile, they start developing mechanical issues, and sailing schedules become harder to maintain, due to “mechanical” problems. Schedule delays mean shipping delays and problems.

Because of the delays in their service, and our policy of offering a “Best in Class” service, we at DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express no longer use them and have switched to a competitor. What’s worse, in my opinion, is that their competitive disadvantage will continue – there is no end to the issue in sight for them; they don’t have the funds to replace the vessels.

Occasionally, in sales calls our sales professionals will say “We use xxxx, because Brand Y has unreliable, older vessels and we promise the best quality of service. Best in Class is a mission for us.” Apparently, this information got back to Brand Y, and their reaction was to remove me from their email listing.

Funny thing is, others in our company forwarded their last message to me, because they were surprised by the message content.

Where in the past “Brand Y” had always given an explanation as to why a vessel is late, now they do not. A lack of information is not good in the shipping business, particularly when you are a Customer trying to ascertain your supply chain weaknesses and risks. The last notification just stated “the vessel will be late” and discussed how it impacted their transfer cargo at destination. We wonder why there's no explanation.

We use the promotion line “Dependable from Start to Finish”, and we at DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, DGX and DAX are here to help. Visit us. Call on us. Depend on us. We’re the supply chain partner you can Depend on!

My advice to you: Caveat Emptor.

• Odd sizes?
• Proper dimensions and weight?
• Pallets
• Shrink wrap?
• Handicapping the freight forwarder; the space is already occupied.

When you are shipping less than containerload ocean or air  cargo to any destination, ensure the Freight Forwarder you are using has the proper dimensions and weight. This is extremely important as your charges will be based on one of those items or a combination of them. It's always good to consider  the following:

1. If your freight is initially shipped on pallets, will it be stripped off of the pallet when loaded into a container or put into an airplane? If your response is yes, then do not include the pallet  weight or dimensions in your totals for ocean or air freight charges purposes.


2. If your freight is shrink wrapped with a sign that states “Do not break shrink wrap” then include the pallet weight and measurements in your calculations.


3. If your ocean freight weighs over a certain amount per cubic foot (Hawaii and Guam cargo) or meter (International freight), then you may get charged with a “density charge” because the freight is disproportionately heavy, and it may mean the freight company cannot completely fill a container because it then would be too heavy to transport legally. Similarly, if the freight is odd sized or longer than a certain length you may be charged an extra charge for the Forwarder having to take extra time to block in the pieces or load around them.


4. Remember that on odd sized pieces that you take the highest, widest and longest point to determine your overall measurement. So, if something in your shipment juts out past the edge of a pallet, even if only in one spot, you will be charged as if the entire shipment juts out over the pallet. The argument for this practice is that that space is lost in the container, because the Forwarder cannot load anything with a flat surface up against it because the space is already occupied.


5. For airfreight, whether Hawaii or Guam or International cargo, there are also dimensional calculations based on the density of the freight. However, the end result is the opposite of the ocean shipment. For airfreight, similar calculations take place, but you are charged for dimensional weight used for the lighter freight, not the heavier freight. The reason for this is that there is limited space in an aircraft, and, unlike ocean freight, where charges are based on cubic feet (Hawaii and Guam ) or cubic meters (International), airfreight charges are based on weight.


6. More information on the whys? With the limited space in an airplane, as well as its ability to put only so much freight weight-wise into the plane, if the plane was only filled with light freight then the total revenue charged by the airline would be less than they theoretically could charge with a mix of light and heavier freight. Thus, the calculation computes a dimensional weight, and you may be charged additional weight for your shipment if too light.

If you need more information, in the FAQ or Conversion chart sections of our websites — DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express, DGX - Dependable Global Express, and DAX - Dependable AirCargo Express — there is a more complete explanation and examples of the computations.

On June 25, 2013 – Horizon Lines, Inc. (“Horizon”) announced that it plans to convert the power plants on two of its steam turbine cargo vessels to modern diesel engines capable of burning conventional liquid fuels or liquefied natural gas (LNG). One of these vessels is supposedly going to be used in the Hawaii Ocean Freight Trade Lane.

Can we say congratulations? First let’s see if we understand correctly. Horizon Lines, which have some of the oldest Jones Act vessels still seaworthy but barely under 40 years of age, announced plans to reconfigure 2 of these older ships into vessels containing “modern diesel engines”.

Our question is how are they going to pay for them? Horizon has recently undergone an arrangement for the benefit of creditors, and are paying an interest rate of between 13% and 15% on their current debt load, if we’re reading this correctly on their current Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (If we read it wrong, we apologize, but it is a lengthy and verbose document that appears to have been designed to put the reader asleep.)

Horizon doesn’t have much operating profit, and now that Matson Navigation Company, who has newer and more fuel efficient vessels, has reduced their fuel surcharges four percentage points in the last three months, that little financial “windfall” will disappear, impacting Horizon’s profit outlook in a negative way.

All we want to know is how they are going to pay for it, and how they'll be able to keep the rest of their old fleet operating as the fleet ages.

The key question to ask is “Are they looking for a White Knight?” Someone willing to inject a billion dollars into them for new equipment? Or is there someone with newer, better equipment waiting to step in someone with more than two Ro Ro (roll on, roll off) vessels. Someone who may have a barge system already available and in place?

When DGX (Dependable Global Express) got into the Central and South America ocean freight business in 2009, we were really surprised by the competitive landscape. There were literally hundreds of Freight Forwarders, thousands maybe, all doing the same basic thing – shipping your LCL (Less-than-ContainerLoad) product into Miami and then moving it from Miami down to the applicable port/country.

We started planning, looking around, and then realized that maybe we were looking at the markets the wrong way. The alternative, as presented to us, was that we should be shipping ocean freight off the West Coast into the West Coast of Central and South America – and using Panama as “our Miami” for East Coast Latin America destined shipments.

We wish we could claim this as our idea, but we cannot. Another freight company used to do this but unfortunately unsuccessfully after a good ten year run, for a multitude of reasons.

The two men that had operated that company, and were in the process of winding it down, came to speak with us. Their ideas made sense, and DGX/DAX/DHX – Dependable Hawaiian Express has always believed in experimentation to grow our business. So, after mulling it over, we decided to offer the two principals positions at our company setting up and starting a Latin America division.

How has it worked out? Fabulously! We are unique – others may offer one destination off the West Coast to a port somewhere in Latin America, but nobody does it like we do. We have a very unique product in the way that we ship to Latin America – we ship West Coast (Southern California) USA to West Coast Latin America for multiple destinations. We do it for all LCL and FCL (Full Container Load) business.

Our shipping advantages, based on our West Coast service, includes:

• We have an all water service – West Coast to West Coast – this means much less handling of the product, and probably less claims than ocean shipping through Miami
• We have better frequency in sailings
• We have much better transit times than the option via Miami
• Coupling the above two items with less handling involved than trucking to Miami, and you have much lower costs because the trucking and rehandling to Miami is eliminated, as well as superior routing

Even those manufacturing in Mexico are finding it easier to ship their product to Los Angeles and move their ocean freight off the West Coast. Simpler, cleaner, less expensive.

Our streamlined shipping process should be enough without even discussing the additional fine qualities DGX brings into the mix in shipping to Central and South America: the Dependable Companies have been in business for 60+ years, DGX is ISO 9008-2001 Certified, and a member of CT-PAT and Smartway. Our culture is one of quality and integrity. Check our website for sailing schedules. We cover eight different destinations directly, plus a host of others via Panama.

We are Dependable. From Start to Finish.

Most companies have business models and strategies these days. There are different avenues a company can take insofar as pricing, the quality of the product or service they offer, how they position themselves in the marketplace for their industry, etc. Here at DHX – Dependable Hawaiian Express, we have always believed that communicating with our Customers is as important as moving freight. We want to make our Customer’s logistics challenges and product transportation simple- which is why our business purpose has been defined as “To make shipping and logistics EASY for our Customers, while solving any challenges.”

To do this, we have defined the parameters within which we offer value to our shipping Customers. We believe that there is a combination of shipping service levels to Hawaii and Guam plus rates which will equal the best value for each individual Customer. That’s what we sell to our Customers - that combination of our premium quality service plus competitive rates which equals their best value.

How do we do this? First we listen. That may sound like a cliché, but we have more “boots on the ground” constantly visiting and communicating with our Customers. We also realize that we have in excess of 50 different points of contact with our Customers – every point being a unique experience for the shipper, consignee or third party involved. At each point, our goal is simple – to ensure the Customer leaves that point of contact believing they are dealing with an outstanding company who has their act together, and is professional, knowledgeable, efficient and effective.

The second thing we do is establish multiple methods of communications with our Customers. Whether it’s communicating through EDI, email, fax, via our website by Live Chat, Newsflashes, or “What’s New” Letters, all ears are open constantly, consistently saying “We’re here, we’re listening – how can we help?” You now have 24/7 access to rate quoting for Less-than-Container Load (LCL) shipments through “Quick Quote” on our website because you asked for a quick way to receive a quote on your LCL shipments, even after normal business hours. Communication is one of our key strengths and has evolved into a major focal point for everyone in our company.

Communications is a major product service feature for our shipping and logistics business. Another service value is operational excellence. Communications is great, but if your shipment gets to its destination but not on time, we have failed in providing a key value we hold dearly for Customers.

How do we ensure success? One facet: internal communications. Owning our own trucking operations in the major port cities in both Hawaii and Guam, allows us to obtain what we need to analyze our loading ability and any issues which may arise with your shipment. We receive constant feedback from destination locations and analyze this with photos taken both at origin and destination, video cameras that line our docks at our origins, and meetings to discuss any potential problems.

We focus on eliminating damages. Knowing part of our value offering is based on moving shipments as damage free as possible – it makes shipping to either Hawaii or Guam easier for everyone involved. Because of the longer transport times to Hawaii and Guam, this is critical. We believe operational excellence is also a core competency that has helped us establish a reputation over the years that is unparalleled in the freight forwarding industry to Hawaii and Guam. We make shipping easy!

So, ask yourself – what’s your value proposition? If you know it, and you’re not a Customer, call us. We’ll listen and try to match up. We call it a win/win. So will you.

When shipping freight to Hawaii and/or Guam, as a business owner or professional you always think about the long term repercussions of who you select as your shipping company. Your considerations should include asking certain questions, depending on your needs as a company and you as an individual.

Questions like:

• Do you want a partner who cares about your business, or do you want a vendor? 
• Do you want a company that services all three West Coast ports to Hawaii and Guam, or could you/would you want to use two service providers depending on what port the shipping service provider does service? 
• Would you like a company that offers both ocean and airfreight shipping and logistical services in case you're in a pinch and need something rushed? 
• How about a company that controls the quality of its service by owning the delivery service in all major ports in Hawaii and Guam, to ensure the quality of its service?  
• What other items do you think you should look for? 
• How about an ISO Certification, which gives you assurance that when shipping your cargo to either Hawaii or Guam, you can be certain that specific International Quality standards will be met? 
• Speaking of International shipping, shouldn't your shipping company have the ability to ship from any point in the world to Hawaii or Guam? 
• If that's not important, then is shipping eastbound from Hawaii, intra-island within Hawaii or moving your freight/shipment to Guam from Hawaii important? If you have a social conscience, what "green" actions has the freight company you deal with participated in? 
• Do they regularly participate in charitable giving within your business community?

Lastly, on a personal note, how much time do you want to spend "babysitting" a freight forwarder? Can you book a pickup or arrange a shipment on line? Does the freight forwarder have inexpensive overland rates with great service? Can you track and trace your shipment from its inception through delivery on line?

Can you obtain a Shipping Rate Quote for Hawaii and Guam on line? In what time span? Does that forwarders website look professional; in case your Boss (if you're not an entrepreneur) wants to take a look?

There's only one company that does all the above. Guess who?