SeaLand Maersk

SeaLand, originally part of the CSX group, is an American intra-regional container shipping company that serves North, South, and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. Offering intermodal services between container ships, trucks, and railways, the company is represented in 29 different countries. In 1999, A.P. Moller Maersk acquired the international container shipping business from CSX.

In 2000, Maersk line officially changed its name to Maersk SeaLand as a result of the acquisition the previous year.

A Brief (But Important) History of SeaLand Maersk

Founded by American trucking Entrepreneur, Malcom McLean, SeaLand holds a very important place in the history of containerized shipping. SeaLand, formerly known as Pan Atlantic, was the home of the world’s first container ships. The world’s first container ship, Ideal-X, sailed on April 26, 1956. Carrying 58 aluminum containers from Newark, New Jersey to Houston, Texas. In 1960, Pan Atlantic changed its name to Sea-Land.

McLean, dubbed “the Father of Containerization” is credited as the creator of the shipping container which has revolutionized ocean freight shipping. In 1956, McLean developed the world’s first metal shipping container, replacing the traditional break bulk method of transporting and handling dry goods.

It was Mclean’s conversion of the older Pan Atlantic tankers that paved the way for the modern container ships we know today.

SeaLand Briefly Disappeared

Maersk SeaLand operated for six years until, in 2006, when Maersk acquired Royal P&O Nedlloyd, in which the shipping line reverted its name back to the Maersk Line. The SeaLand brand had disappeared for almost a decade until strong brand recognition through the Intra-Americas caused the Maersk Group to announce the revival of SeaLand in January 2014.

A year later, the SeaLand line has become a specialized intra-regional carrier, replacing the Maersk Line for North, South, and Central America routes.

SeaLand has been an important part of building the ocean freight supply chain as we know it today. In 2017, parent company, A.P. Moller-Maersk commissioned a historical archive of the SeaLand service. The archives contain much of companies rich history, dating back to the days of McLean Trucking. These archives also include McLean’s diagrams for loading containers onto vessels, which was refined into the process that is used today. The archives have been donated to United States Merchant Marine Academy Museum in Kings Point, New York.

Maersk’s regional carriers go to market under one brand – Sealand – A Maersk Company

Effective October 1^st, customers of Seago Line, MCC and Sealand – the three intra-regional carriers of A.P. Moller-Maersk – will see the brands united under a single name of Sealand – A Maersk Company.

The rebranding will reduce the complexity towards customers thanks to a simpler brand identity, while raising the visibility of product offering and focusing marketing efforts and investments on one brand name, with one digital platform.

3 brands united under one name

Sealand – A Maersk Company, will continue to operate independently from Maersk. Its current structure of three teams, in three locations, reporting to their regional CEO’s remains unchanged.

“Our customers will continue doing business with the same dedicated, experienced and passionate people in our local offices, as we continue with our current regional setup. We will further build tailored local solutions for customers while leveraging the scale and stability of the wider Maersk business”, shares Søren Castbak, Seago Line CEO and future CEO of Sealand Europe and Med – A Maersk Company.

Speed, Agility, and Care

In Asia, the Americas and Europe, the three regional brands have many similarities. Operating in different parts of the world, MCC, Sealand and Seago Line have built a similar value proposition and close relationships with customers. They are all standing for speed, agility, and care – values that have proven to be core drivers for the customers of all three brands.

“Customers have rewarded us with consistent growth at three times the pace of the market, and now we have an opportunity to build upon the successes while defining a clearer and stronger regional value proposition”, adds Søren Castbak.

Source: Seago Line

SeaLand Maersk Hamburg – Container Tracking

While it is wholly owned by A.P. Moller, SeaLand operates independently and still maintains its own fleet as a subsidiary arm of Maersk. Shippers can follow SeaLand vessels and receive real-time information about their containers during transit. Learn more about project44’s container track and trace program and how you can effortlessly incorporate high visibility into your supply chain.

*Brand logos are used for representation purpose only and belong to their respective Companies.