At the Transpacific Maritime (TPM) Conference in Long Beach, California, on March 4, 2025, Lars Mikael Jensen, Global Head of Hubs at APM Terminals, joined Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen and shipping analyst Lars Jensen to discuss the Gemini Cooperation, a collaboration between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd aimed at transforming container shipping, according to APM Terminals's release.
The session, titled How Gemini Is Shaking Up the Schedule Reliability Game, highlighted the shift to a hub-and-spoke network model, moving away from the industry’s traditional direct-service approach with numerous port calls.
While industry-wide schedule reliability has remained in or below the mid-50% range for years, Gemini aims to achieve above 90% reliability, a level unseen since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The model reduces port calls per service, relies on strategic hub terminals, deploys dedicated shuttle services, and adds buffer time to absorb disruptions.
APM Terminals has invested $3 billion in terminal infrastructure upgrades, expanding hub terminal capacity by 40% once fully implemented, and doubling container processing speed compared to 2016.
Jensen noted early success, citing the Maersk Antares arriving at Pier 400 in Los Angeles 54 minutes ahead of schedule, with Gemini calls generally on or ahead of schedule and departures from Asia on time.
APM Terminals, a subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk based in The Hague, Netherlands, operates 60 ports and terminals worldwide.
Maersk, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a global leader in container shipping with a fleet of over 700 vessels.
Hapag-Lloyd, based in Hamburg, Germany, operates a fleet of 287 container ships with a capacity of 2.2 million TEU.