Client case study: Freight forwarder, John on a challenge in air transporting fashion

23 June 2017

Through our air freight colleagues at Schiphol, emergency orders are handled as part of the daily routine. These include shipments of all types and sizes. Switching quickly and staying on top of things are essential to completing successful delivery. In this client case study, you will read about exporter John and how he organizes the emergency air transport for some exceptionally large cargo.

From Hoofddorp to shops in Hong Kong within 4 days

Monday afternoon at 15:51pm. At our office in Schiphol, John receives a query from our agent in Hong Kong. In Hoofddorp a large delivery is ready for transport. It comprises 220 kilos worth of a well-known Dutch brand. This must be in shops in Hong Kong on Friday.

This means that transport from door to door must be completed in less than 4 days. With the related customs formalities and transport to the stores, there is no room for delay.

Certainty above all

Generally speaking, urgent air transport is booked through a so-called “equation speed tariff”. With this there comes one restriction: the maximum weight is 32 kilos. With 220 kilos worth of goods, John must come up with another solution:

1. Divide the cargo into lots of 32 kilos maximum
2. Organise “Equation heavy transport”: where other cargo is removed to make room on board.

John: “Dividing the shipment was the most obvious solution. The shipment could then be transported. There still lay the risk however, that a box could unintentionally get left behind, a risk that could not be taken with this emergency job.

Organizing equation heavy transport was therefore the only safe solution. This is however more expensive than the equation speed tariff, but it offers security. Having completed the export declaration, John could send a pre-alert to the client on Monday afternoon at 17:28pm: the shipment is on the way.

Just in time

On Wednesday morning at 10:20am local time. The shipment had arrived safely at the airport in Hong Kong. Following this, some further transport had to be organized. This was covered by our local agent.

The shops in Hong Kong were supplied the following day with the newest collection from the Dutch brand. Clothing that was sitting in Hoofddorp on Monday, was by Friday afternoon in the shops in Hong Kong.

John: “Air freight must often be organized, from door to door, in an extremely short time. Here there is a lot more to consider. Luckily, we have good connections at Schiphol and with our agents abroad. As a result, I can easily organize speedy transportation to the end destination. Assignments such as the one to Hong Kong, I receive regularly.”