Operator glossary
Fast boats (Matson / ZIM expedited)
The premium ocean lanes — Matson's CLX and ZIM's expedited services — trans-Pacific in 11–13 sailing days, off the vessel fast, and the workhorse compromise of China-to-Amazon logistics.
Fast boats are expedited trans-Pacific services with structural speed: Matson CLX (Shanghai to Long Beach, ~11–12 days on water, own terminal with day-one discharge), ZIM's e-commerce expresses, and peers. Door-to-door lands around 18–25 days — halving standard ocean — at a per-kg premium that still embarrasses air.
They are the replenishment backbone for most established China-origin sellers: fast enough for four-to-five-week planning cycles, cheap enough for margin. Caveats: premium space sells out ahead of peaks (book early or pay spot), the speed advantage compresses when the bottleneck is drayage and FC appointments rather than sailing, and Golden Week blank sailings deserve calendar respect.
The numbers
- Benchmarks: Matson CLX ~11–12 sailing days Shanghai→Long Beach with priority discharge; ~18–25 days door-to-door.
- Books out before peaks (Golden Week, Q4); landside legs — drayage + appointments — often set the real total.