Matt Heinzman, Asia Trade Lane Manager for Logistics Plus, completed an urgent hand-carry delivery to Shanghai, China for one of our global customers. The customer, needing the parts delivered urgently, called Logistics Plus to schedule the pickup and delivery of goods from Chicago to Shanghai. The challenge for this delivery was that, due to the holiday season, all cargo airlines were completely booked until after the new year.
Once we were informed that the goods were ready to be picked up the Thursday before Christmas, there was no way of catching a same-day international air flight. The only option to deliver this shipment on-time was to complete an in-person, hand-carry delivery. Since a Visa is required to enter China, that limited our employee options for the trip. Matt Heinzman, located in Columbus, Ohio, was the man for this mission. Matt promptly booked a flight from Columbus to Chicago to pick-up the goods late Thursday night and then departed from Chicago to Shanghai the next day with the box of parts in-hand. After roughly 24-hours of traveling, Matt arrived at the Shanghai airport on Saturday afternoon where he met our customer and handed over the parts that were urgently needed.
This urgent delivery is just another example of how Logistics Plus is willing to go above and beyond our customers’ expectations – it’s how we put the “plus” in “logistics.” No matter how difficult the task may seem, Logistics Plus will find a solution. You can read through our online testimonials for more great examples of how we demonstrate our passion for excellence!
Yossava Trans Logistics recently nominated Logistics Plus Dubai to handle one of their critical air shipments for a project called “Sambu II Expansion Project PT JGC INDONESIA.”
Project Scope: On short notice, two units of firefighting foam skids and accessories (6 units total) were required to be shipped together to the client. In order to complete the project, the foam skids were needed urgently at the project site. Yossava Trans Logistics and Logistics Plus Dubai teamed up in order to meet the clients needs. The total chargeable weight for the shipment was just over 15,000 pounds.
Project Challenges: Due to the detainment faced from the manufacturing center in Dubai, the project client took matters into their own hands by deciding to visit the factory. Along with the client, the Logistics Plus Dubai team accompanied them to push for the readiness of the cargo. Without a completed product, the factory was unable to provide the cargo dimensions and weight, meaning that no airline could secure or confirm a booking for this over-dimensional consignment.
Project Outcome: The situation quickly became strained when the factory was expected to begin their yearly stock tick the same day, increasing the chance that the two skids needed would not be released in time. Logistics Plus communicated with several department heads at the factory to ultimately get the cargo released. It was then partially packed by noon, but the documents needed to ship it weren’t ready. With Thursday being the last working day of the week in Dubai, the cargo had to be loaded in a timely manner. Finally, by 6:15 pm, Logistics Plus managed to complete the clearance and custom inspections just before the airline cutoff time. The cargo was loaded on board and headed to Luxemburg, before reaching it’s final destination in Jakarta.
From start to finish, the Logistics Plus and Yossava Trans teams were constantly in contact with each other to make sure that this shipment was a success. This project is just one more example of the true teamwork and dedication it takes to meet our clients’ needs.
Logistics Plus is a leading worldwide provider of transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, business intelligence, technology, and supply chain solutions. As depicted in the circle image of the Logistics Plus (LP) logo, we have the experience and expertise to help shippers move their goods by any transportation mode, including ground, air, ocean, and rail. If you need something shipped, don’t worry about trying to see who will win the “Game of Modes” … we find a way to make it happen; just ask one of our more than 2,000 diversified customers. After all, we know that transportation is coming (and going, and coming ,and going) all the time – and we’re here to help you become King of your Supply Chain!
Ground Freight Transportation
Ground transportation is the most common type of shipping and has many advantages for companies that rely on fast delivery. If goods need transported immediately and cost-effectively, ground transportation is your best bet. The Logistics Plus North American Division (NAD) is recognized by Transport Topics magazine as a Top 50 freight brokerage firm in North America. Our non-asset based ground services includes complete less-than-truckload (LTL) capabilities along with a wide range of truckload solutions. Our network of specialized carriers, paired with our state-of-the-art transportation management system (TMS) ensures that you receive the best rate and transit option with each shipment booked. Additionally, with our National Truckload (NTL) division, we offer select clients the option for a dedicated fleet of trucks and equipment.
Air Freight Transportation
Air freight transportation is the most convenient and fast mode of transportation. Air shipments are growing in popularity due to the increased use of one and two day shipping options. For air freight transportation, Logistics Plus can handle both domestic and import/export shipment types. Our services include airport-to-airport, door-to-door, and even air charters. We are also a certified IATA cargo agent in both the U.S. and Mexico, meaning we get exclusive access to the top air freight and cargo carriers in the industry. When customers ship internationally with Logistics Plus, they can also tap our full-service Customs Broker Solutions division to help them with all aspects of global trade compliance.
Ocean Freight Transportation
Ocean, or marine transportation is known for being the slowest mode of shipping. The best time to ship via ocean is when a product has a long lead time since ocean shipping is often the most cost-effective. Similar to air freight, our ocean freight transportation services are available for both domestic and import/export shipments. As a Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC), we have long-standing relationships with reputable ocean carriers that provide competitive rates and frequent sailings for our customers. Logistics Plus handles both full-container-load (FCL) and less-than-container-load (LCL) ocean shipments. For imports, our remote location filing (RLF) status with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) allows us to clear shipments at any and all U.S. ports of entry.
Rail Freight Transportation
If you’re looking to reduce your transportation costs, rail and intermodal freight transportation are often good options. Not only can we help you manage your rail logistics, we can also help you arrange the necessary drayage services to get your shipments to and from the rail yards. Because of our skills in this area, some of our customers have even asked us to provide dedicated, rail freight logistics management solutions for them (see our Hero BX case study for a great example).
If you’d like to request a free quote on your next ground, air, ocean, or rail shipment, simply click the button below to get started. Our team of experts is ready to help you with your single-mode or multi-mode transportation needs.
The air freight industry has experienced some radical shifts throughout the years, and 2018 will be no exception. Headwinds are in store for international air freight transporters as they manage available air capacity, especially during peaking season. Capacity is likely to become harder to find. If large shippers acquire a larger slice of the available capacity, small and medium-sized shippers will find it more problematic to secure air space for their freight. Peak season will also add more pressure on available capacity. At certain times of the year, there is more freight flowing than capacity putting even more pressure on supply chains.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) confirmed full-year 2017 data for global air cargo markets reporting that demand grew by 9.0%, which was double the annual growth recorded in 2016. This outperformed the industry-wide growth in both cargo capacity and in passenger demand. There were improvements in load factors, yields and revenues. Air cargo is still a very hard-hitting and competitive business, but the developments seen in 2017 far exceeded expectations.
Regional Performance Airlines in all regions reported an increase in demand in 2017:
Asia-Pacific carriers saw demand in freight volumes grow 5.6% in December 2017 compared to the same period in 2016 and capacity grow by 2.2%.
North American airlines saw freight demand increase by 5.4% in December 2017 year-on-year and capacity increase of 2.2%.
European airlines posted a 5.0% year-on-year increase in freight demand in December and a capacity rise of 3.2%.
Middle Eastern carriers’ freight volumes increased 6.3% year-on-year in December and capacity increased 4.7%.
Latin American airlines experienced a growth in demand of 4.9% in December and a capacity increase of 11.6%.
African carriers’ posted the fastest growth in year-on-year freight volumes, up 15.6% in December 2017 and a capacity increase of 7.9%.
Total air freight traffic market shares by region in terms of freight ton kilometers (FTKs) were: Asia-Pacific 37%, Europe 24.2%, North America 20.5%, Middle East 13.7%, Latin America 2.7%, Africa 1.9%.
Over the last few years, the evolution of digitization within the air industry has steadily increased. As in most businesses, big data obtained in real time, from real events, combined with flexible management, is better serving air carriers to take a more competent approach to traffic preparation and infrastructure.
Top 5 air freight logistics tech trends for 2018 It’s March of 2018 and the e-commerce-driven demand for airfreight show few signs of reduction. While the overall position for the year is generally positive, there are still various holdups in the supply chain that need to be addressed, including amplified safety and transparency, enhanced product quality and quicker processing of cross-border deliveries. Fortunately, there are numerous technology firms willing to help forwarders, carrier and shippers resolve these issues and strengthen the overall efficiency of air cargo transport.
According to Air Cargo World, here are the top 5 tech trends to look out for in 2018:
Flexible warehousing. Today’s warehouses have been altered into dynamic avenues of logistics activity. It’s no longer about just one big building, but a network of large and small facilities tactically placed to serve the changing needs of customers. The warehouses of tomorrow are more and more dependent upon robotic vehicles and are intended to be customizable to meet today’s on-demand desires, serving as both retail channels and e-commerce distribution centers.
Interest in blockchain technology. Blockchain is the air freight catchword that refuses to go away – primarily because there is so much potential for it to drive and secure the mechanics of the supply chain. By creating a shared, automated record of all the dealings that occur in a network, blockchain technology allows trusted parties limited admission to data in real time. The companies that hope to present the technology as a way of digitizing global cross-border trade say it’s one of the best methods to reach transparency without compromising security or privacy.
The Internet of things. The IoT is still acquiring enough traction in the logistics field that we may begin to see some extensive implementation this year, using fixed technology such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) and GPS tracking systems. Since air freight involves the movement of so many concrete items – from ULDs to trucks to 777s – it is complementary to IoT technology.
Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs). Small drones designed to deliver minor, high-value merchandise, such as pharmaceuticals to remote hospitals, have been around for years. All of them are hindered by the same restrictions from most world regulatory agencies that ban their use beyond line-of-sight piloting and above a few hundred feet, out of concern for public safety. This is a major issue, and finding a sensible accommodation will be crucial to development. The types of drone aircraft being conversed this year are not the same as the little quad- or hex-copters favored by hobbyists. For 2018 the discussion will shift to much larger machines, capable of carrying larger payload several kilometers away.
Artificial Intelligence. There is great potential for Artificial intelligence (A.I.), which integrates the collected “big data” from the supply chain and uses machine learning to recognize unseen patterns of daily e-commerce. With the overwhelming capabilities of the newest data-driven analytical software, shippers and forwarders may soon be able to predict bottlenecks like weather events, traffic slowdowns and other unforeseen variables that can hinders the supply chain. A.I. can also be used for anticipating not just possible problems, but future buying patterns, so shippers can better evaluate when certain goods will be most prevalent and can respond rapidly to move these commodities to distribution center closer to their clients.
Looking Ahead Understanding the trends and opportunities will be the key to maintaining stability in 2018. Start by evaluating your current transit times and deliver dates, and assessing how they influence your ability to implement an effective air freight strategy. Many businesses discover that broadening transit times alone can often save between 15% and 20%.
You can also choose to do business with a large, stable freight forwarder, who can help you navigate the challenges of finding space availability, especially during peak shipping season. Let Logistics Plus be your trusted partner in navigating the ever changing and increasingly complex air freight and cargo environment!
The Thunderbirds soared into the sky over North Texas at this weekend’s Fort Worth Alliance Air Show where, reportedly, more than 120,000 people were in attendance. Logistics Plus employees at the Dallas-Fort Worth Warehouse got a firsthand glimpse – and some amazing photos (see below) – as U.S. Air Force’s aerobatics squadron screamed across the overhead skies.
More than 120 enlisted personnel, representing nearly 30 career fields, form the backbone of the Thunderbirds. Enlisted team members are selected from units across the Air Force in a highly competitive hiring process. While each position has its various selection requirements, all eligible candidates must show a proven record of success and extensive job proficiency. The last time the Thunderbirds flew, in an extremely rare incident, one of their jets crashed minutes after finishing up an air show over the Air Force Academy graduation in Colorado Springs. The pilot ejected and was unhurt, and no one one the ground was injured because he crash-landed in a field.
Shown below is a video slideshow of the USAF Thunderbirds performance at the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show.
, Asia Trade Lane Manager for Logistics Plus, completed an urgent hand-carry delivery to Shanghai, China for one of our global customers. The customer, needing the parts delivered urgently, called Logistics Plus to schedule the pickup and delivery of goods from Chicago to Shanghai. The challenge for this delivery was that, due to the holiday season, all cargo airlines were completely booked until after the new year.
Ground Freight Transportation
Air Freight Transportation
Ocean Freight Transportation
Rail Freight Transportation
