American President Lines

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American President Lines Ltd. (now simply referred to as APL) is the world's sixth largest container transportation and shipping company, providing services to more than 140 countries through a network combining intermodal freight transport operations with IT and e-commerce. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), based in Singapore - a global transportation and logistics company engaged in shipping and related businesses. APL has offices in approximately 80 countries worldwide.

APL container ship APL Turquoise in Bremerhaven, Germany

APL once was engaged in passenger service serving the Asia-Pacific route. Liners include the SS President Wilson and the SS President Roosevelt.

In 1938 the U.S. Government took over the management of the Dollar Steamship Co. which was in financial difficulties and transferred their assets to the newly formed American President Line.

The company operated trans-Pacific and round-the-world services, but the war in Europe disrupted services and after the entry of the United States into the war, all the company's ships were taken over for war duties.

1 History
2 References
3 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Pre-Civil War

After the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, the U.S. Pacific coastline is extended from Pudget Sound to San Diego. When the 29th Congress passed the Mail Steamer Bill (1847) mail delivery was routed by ship from the East Coast to the West Coast via the Isthmus of Panama. William Henry Aspinwall secured a contract with the New York Senate with the incorporation of Pacific Mail Steamship Company and was the elected the first president. On October 6, 1848 the Pacific Mail’s first steamer, California, departed from New York City to run service through Panama to Oregon. By 1850 Pacific Mail maintained a monopoly over the Panama-Oregon trade with the purchase of two steamers from Empire City Line.

During the Civil war (1861-1865), Pacific Mail used their steamers to transport gold to the East Coast to support the Northern cause. By the end of the war (1865), Pacific Mail purchased their rival competitor Atlantic Mail Steamship Company and secured the trade route from New York to San Francisco. This leads to the U.S. government awarding the first mail contract between San Francisco and the East Coast to Pacific Mail. By 1866, Pacific Mail uses the Colorado, with a reinforced hull and extra mast, for the first use on a new route from China to Japan.

[edit] Post Civil War

With the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, the passenger traffic on the Panama route declines. Soon the U.S. government doubles the subsidy for Pacific Mail to support their trans-Pacific service and mandates the modernization of the company’s fleet. In 1875, William Henry Aspinwall died on January 18 and Pacific Mail then began service to Australia and New Zealand.

During the 1880’s Pacific Mail line modernized their ships with steel hulls replacing the old iron vessels and electric lights are installed by Thomas Edison on the Columbia, making it the first ship with electricity. In 1893, the Southern Pacific Railroad acquired control over the interest of Pacific Mail and Captain Robert Dollar purchased his first ship Newsboy to transport lumber from mill to market. By 1896, Pacific Mail extends service to Honolulu, Kobe, Nagasaki, and Shanghai.

In 1900 the Dollar Steamship Company, also known as Dollar Line, is incorporated into Pacific Mail. Later in 1912, the Panama Canal Act prohibits the use of the canal to any shipping company owned by a railroad. Since Pacific Mail is controlled by the Southern Pacific Railroad, the company is not allowed use to the Panama Canal.

It became custom for the naming of ships to honor U.S. presidents. By 1929, the U.S. stock market crashed on October 29, leading to the Great Depression. With the increasing amount of restrictions and requirements from the U.S. government, Dollar Line fleet accumulated debt at the rate of $80,000 per month. The U.S. Maritime Commission Judged Dollar Line to be unsafe and the government gaind control in August 1938, renaming the company American President Lines (APL). ^[1]

[edit] World War II

With World War II, American President Line’s ships were used for transportation of cargo for the war effort. By the end of the war, APL acquired assets estimated at about $40 million. In the 1950’s, American President Lines, began the transformation of containerization and ships and ports were upgraded to meet the new standards. The completion of all ships to the container process of shipping commenced in the 1970s.

By 1979, APL is the first shipping company to establish a train service connecting port cities with the interior of the U.S. In the 1980’s APL’s team was the first to develop “stacktrain” technology in order to stack containers on top of each other. APL merged with Neptune Orient Lines (NOL)in 1997, making them the world’s largest companies in global transportation and related services.