Case study

Service upgrade eliminates delays & saves thousands in annual spend

The challenge

An automotive manufacturer needed to reduce transport risk and unpredictable logistics costs. Its ocean shipments originating from East Asia through the Port of Manzanillo, Mexico’s primary Pacific gateway, had become inconsistent, with a 43-day lead time driven by congestion, inland delays and frequent rollovers. Reliability had fallen to roughly 60%, forcing the company to rely on expedited airfreight and carry additional inventory to avoid production interruptions. These conditions increased total landed cost and created exposure to line-stop risk. The customer needed clear alternatives that could provide shorter transit, stronger reliability and more predictable costs, while supporting operational and sustainability goals.

The solution

Ascent analyzed the customer’s total landed costs and recommended launching a single trial lane, shifting the customer’s imports to U.S. ports through our Fast Boat solution, then moving freight in-bond to Laredo for final delivery into Mexico. This upgrade replaced the inconsistent Manzanillo routing with a faster, more structured service that offered scheduled departures with no blank sailings or rollovers, supported by priority offload and 24-hour transloading on arrival.

This solution also allowed flexible mode-shifts on delivery, including team-driver ground expedite in-bond service to the border and cross-border delivery options, creating a controlled, time-focused alternative tailored for production-critical parts.

The result

This mode shift delivered immediate gains. Transit time was cut in half, from 43 days to 25, while service reliability increased by at least 25%. Annual logistics spend on the single lane immediately dropped by over $500K, driven by reduced dependence on expedite air freight and lower inventory requirements, both of which supported the customer’s sustainability goals.

This shift gave the customer a more stable, predictable supply chain, reducing risk and aligning logistics with production. In a period of rising congestion and intermodal delays, the trial showed how choosing the right routing strategy can strengthen performance and maintain efficiency and reliability.

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