“Our product knowledge, experience, integrity and dedication to customer satisfaction have helped us grow into one of the trusted 3PL providers, with solutions for our customers across the globe.”
This week, we interview Thomas Lee, President of United Cargo Management Inc, CQR member in Los Angeles, USA. In this interview, he talks about the history and experience of his company and also sheds light on the impact of COVID-19 on the freight forwarding industry in the USA.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about the history of United Cargo Management?
A. After graduating with Maritime Degree from National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, I entered into the container shipping industry. I was a part of the management team which set up Hanjin Shipping in Taiwan. Once I started a family, I decided to immigrate to the United States where with my shipping knowledge and experiences, I established the United Cargo Management, Inc. in April 1987 in Los Angeles, California.
Q. Which objectives have you have met during these 33 years?
A. We have a simple mission statement- we are a team our customers can rely on. Our product knowledge, experience, integrity and dedication to customer satisfaction have helped us grow into one of the most trusted 3PL providers, with solutions for our customers in all geographies across the globe.
| Q. What distinguishes United Cargo Management from other freight forwarders in your city?
A. To meet our simple mission statement we take the time to listen and understand our customers’ business so we can offer solutions custom-tailored to their needs. We strive for client satisfaction with a highly experienced and dedicated multilingual team who are ready to focus on all shipping needs. We are constantly investing in our information technology system so we can provide the best possible customer service experience. |
‘‘We all share the same challenge this year with the Covid-19 global pandemic. However, this has also created opportunities. With extra planning and coordination, we have ensured minimal delays and overall there haven’t been any issues. |
Q. What are the main challenges facing freight forwarders in USA at the moment?
A. We all share the same challenge this year with the Covid-19 global pandemic. New York and Los Angeles have the highest cases in the US. With logistics and transportation considered essential, we have been working from home with half of our staff working in the office on a rotational basis for the past three months for the past three months until 15th June, when all our staff has returned to the office.
Importers are struggling to cope with the effects of the global pandemic. There is a high sense of uncertainty for the market which makes it difficult for our customers to forecast their import requirement with many facing warehouse congestion. China and US trade war has added additional uncertainty to the mix. However, this also created opportunities for other countries.
Moreover, as a result of the protests in so many cities across USA, our truckers are constantly checking on the traffic. With extra planning and coordination, we ensured minimal delays and overall there haven’t been any issues.
Q. How are you tackling these challenges?
A. We provide our customers with a variety of logistical options. We review inventory flow and volume requirements- using our expertise, we are able to provide the most efficient routing that will also result in lower cost for our valued customers.