Wondering when a shipment will turn up in New Zealand may hopefully be a thing of the past

A collaboration has been announced between two of the world's largest shipping companies - Hapag Lloyd and Maersk .

Port of Auckland Chief Executive Roger Gray says the initiative may mean delivery takes longer across multiple ships, but it will also see cargo moved more reliably on a better schedule.

He says importers and exporters will benefit from the schedule reliability, adding not knowing when cargo will arrive has been one of their biggest complaints.

It's also expected to drive down freight prices.