ART Logistics ups LTL capacity, frequency from Europe to Mongolia

ART LOGISTICS, focusing on Central Asia, CIS, Mongolia and Asia, has tripled frequency and capacity of its less-than-truckload (LTL) service from Lithuania with Ulan Bator to thrice monthly with three trucks.

Mining operations in Mongolia and the supply of equipment as well as general supplies are driving demand for transport services from Europe, the Hong Kong-based company said.

"After looking at alternatives of shipping goods by sea from Europe to China then trucking to Mongolia, the mining companies and suppliers can see the cost and time benefit of our direct LTL service connecting Europe directly to the Mongolian mine sites," said ART Logistics director Tatiana Serova.

Mongolian mines produce coal, gold and copper. The vast Oyu Tolgoi mine, for example, is forecast to produce 450,000 tonnes of copper and 330,000 ounces of gold when it reaches full production in 2020.

ART Logistics established its operational hub in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2008. Twenty-five European countries are connected with multiple destinations in Central Asia on existing lanes and now with Ulan Bator in Mongolia on the new service through the Vilnius warehouse.

The hub at Vilnius provides a range of value-added services including sorting, marking, packing, order collection and weighing. ART Logistics also organises cross docking of shipments in line with the customs requirements of the EU, Russia and Mongolia.

The trucks cover the 7,000-kilometre journey between 11 and 13 days across very harsh terrain, using a team of local drivers.

Future plans are to extend the Mongolia service to the North American market and eventually to Australia and South East Asia.