Shenzhen to Vietnam DAP Trucking
When a client’s urgent timeline demands a switch from sea or air freight to overland trucking, execution must be flawless, immediate, and secure. This case details how GWT Shipping managed a last-minute DAP (Delivered at Place) shipment of high-value industrial racks from Shenzhen to Vietnam.
By implementing a high-security, team-driver approach and proactive multi-country coordination, we navigated severe border congestion to deliver on a critical timeline, solidifying our partner’s trust.
Situation & Client Context
| Client | A long-term Shenzhen technology partner. |
| Contract | First-time DAP overland trucking service. The client had previously only used GWT for sea and air freight. |
| Shipment | 1 x 45HQ and 1 x 20GP (truckload equivalents) of high-value industrial racks. |
| Weight | 9,000 KGS. |
| Route | Shenzhen, China → Youyiguan/Huu Nghi Border → Vietnam (DAP Factory Delivery). |
| Objective | Meet an extremely urgent delivery timeline that sea/air freight could not. Prove GWT’s capability in managing a secure, seamless, and timely overland shipment. |
| Prior Pain Points | The client’s existing sea/air options were too slow for this order. They were unfamiliar with and concerned about the security risks and potential border delays of overland trucking. |
The Challenges
GWT Shipping was commissioned for this shipment with virtually no lead time, facing several immediate and critical challenges:
Extreme Urgency: The order was placed late at night for an immediate next-morning loading. This left zero margin for planning, booking, or documentation errors.
High-Value Security Risk: The cargo was high-value and traveling a long distance overland, exposing it to greater risks than a standard ocean container. The client’s standard insurance was insufficient.
Cross-Border Complexity: To meet the timeline, the shipment required a special, fully certified driver and truck capable of direct “no-change” transit straight into Vietnam, bypassing the common (and slow) border trans-loading process.
Severe Border Congestion: The Youyiguan (Friendship Pass) crossing, the primary route, was experiencing severe, multi-day traffic jams, posing a massive threat to the entire delivery schedule.
GWT Shipping's Solution & Actions
Our team implemented a five-step, end-to-end plan to take immediate control of the high-risk, high-urgency shipment.
Step 1: Immediate Resource Deployment (Night Operation)
Action: GWT’s team received the urgent request late in the evening and worked overnight.
Decision: We immediately sourced and confirmed a fully certified, compliant truck and driver team, scheduling them for 7 AM loading the next morning.
Outcome: A seamless “no-change” vehicle was secured. This was critical, as it prevented the need to switch drivers or trans-load cargo at the border, a common source of significant delays.
Step 2: Enhanced Security & Insurance Protocol
Action: We identified that the high-value cargo (9,000 KG) exceeded standard vehicle liability.
Innovative Solution: We urgently contacted our insurance partner to purchase supplemental cargo insurance for the journey. Crucially, we dispatched two drivers (a team), allowing for continuous, secure driving while ensuring driver safety and mutual support on the long haul.
Execution: The truck was securely sealed upon loading, and the team-driver approach ensured the cargo was never left unattended.
Step 3: Proactive Customs & Congestion Monitoring
Action: As the truck departed, our customs team confirmed all declaration data with the shipper.
Coordination: We completed the China export declaration before the truck arrived at the border, saving critical processing time. We then actively monitored the severe congestion, staying in constant contact with the drivers and providing the client with real-time status updates.
Outcome: Pre-declaration allowed the truck to enter the queue immediately. The client was kept fully informed, reducing their anxiety about the known border delays.
Step 4: Seamless In-Transit Coordination (Vietnam)
Action: While the truck was waiting in the border queue, our Vietnam-based GWT colleagues took proactive steps.
Coordination: They contacted the consignee (the end-receiver) in Vietnam, verified all import customs data, and pre-processed all necessary trans-shipment and import formalities.
Outcome: All Vietnamese import paperwork was completed and ready before the truck was released from the congested crossing. This turned a waiting period into an efficiency gain, ensuring zero delay on the destination side.
Step 5: Final DAP Delivery & Timeline Success
Action: The moment the truck cleared Vietnamese customs, our drivers contacted the consignee directly.
Execution: They scheduled and executed an immediate delivery to the consignee’s factory, fulfilling the client’s original urgent time requirement and completing the DAP service flawlessly.
Results & Benefits
Our proactive, multi-layered solution transformed a high-risk, last-minute request into a benchmark of success.
Successful Service Expansion: GWT flawlessly executed the client’s first-ever, high-urgency overland truck shipment, meeting the critical timeline despite severe external congestion.
Enhanced Security & Peace of Mind: The supplemental insurance, team-driver model, and proactive communication gave the client total confidence in their high-value cargo’s safety.
Proactive Problem Solving: By leveraging our Vietnam team to pre-clear customs during the border wait, we demonstrated end-to-end network control and turned a potential delay into an efficiency.
Deepened Partnership: The client was extremely satisfied. This successful trial immediately solidified their trust in GWT’s ground freight capabilities, validating their decision to consolidate services and leading to an increase in new business.
Conclusion
This project demonstrates GWT Shipping’s agility and deep commitment to client success, even under extreme pressure.
Our ability to blend rapid overnight deployment (securing a “no-change” truck), enhanced security protocols (team drivers, supplemental insurance), and seamless cross-border coordination (China-Vietnam team synergy) proves our “client-first” mentality.
We don’t just offer a service; we deliver integrated, secure solutions, safeguarding our clients’ cargo and timelines across any mode of transport.
Client Review
We’ve trusted GWT with our air and sea freight for years, but this was our first urgent truck shipment.
They arranged everything overnight, added extra security, and managed the border congestion perfectly. Their proactive communication and problem-solving gave us complete peace of mind. GWT is a true partner.
— Our Technology Partner in Shenzhen
Founded in 2004, Shenzhen Guanwutong International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd. (GWT) is a WCA- and AEO-certified global logistics provider offering end-to-end air, ocean, rail, express, and DDP solutions.
With bonded warehouses in Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Fuzhou, plus 24/7 customs brokerage and real-time tracking, we deliver reliable, compliant, and tailored freight services to 3000+ clients across 190+ countries.
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