Logistics Plus Creates New Group Focused on Air Charter Solutions
The new, dedicated LP Air Charter Group is being headed up by two industry veterans.
ERIE, PA (October 27, 2020) – Logistics Plus Inc. (LP), a leading worldwide provider of transportation, logistics, and supply chain solutions, has created a new, dedicated “LP Air Charter Group” within the company to focus on expanding its air cargo capacity and developing new air charter business opportunities around the world. The new group, based in Houston, TX, is being headed up by industry veterans Russell Means and Axel Kaldschmidt.
“We’ve always been very proficient at sourcing and managing air charters,” said Yuriy Ostapyak, COO & Director of Global Operations for Logistics Plus. “Due to pandemic-related air capacity challenges, the need for PPE supplies for our LP Medical division in the U.S. and abroad, and our overall growth trajectory, we felt the timing was right to give this service its own, dedicated resources to manage the operations and drive additional growth. Adding Russell and Axel to our award-winning team was a perfect fit.”
Mr. Means brings over 25 years of Fortune 100 supply chain global logistics experience, and technical air charter, heavy-lift, and air freight expertise, from his time working for companies such as Geodis, Volga-Dnepr Unique Air Cargo, GE Oil & Gas, and Halliburton.
Mr. Kaldschmidt has over 25 years of commercial and operations experience developing supply chain and logistics relationships with C-suite contacts at Fortune 100+ companies. His experience includes time at Volga-Dnepr Unique Air Cargo, Hellman Beverage Logistics, Expeditors, and Pentagon Freight Services. Mr. Kaldschmidt holds multiple supply chain management and IATA/FIATA certifications.
Airfreight capacity remains tight, as large passenger airlines, which normally carry 50% of all cargo, remain grounded making air charters increasingly important to critical supply chains. Already this year, the LP Air Charter Group has coordinated numerous critical air charter shipments around the world, including multiple PPE air charters from China to the U.S.; PPE air charters from China to South America; and, most recently, critical hazmat air charter cargo from the U.S. to North Africa.
Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, business intelligence technology, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. The company was founded over 24 years ago in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur, Jim Berlin. Today, Logistics Plus is a highly regarded, fast-growing, and, award-winning transportation and logistics company. With a strong passion for excellence, its 450 global employees put the “plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, plus the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices, warehouses, and agents located in Erie, PA; Akron, OH; Buffalo, NY; Chicago, IL; Chino, CA; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Des Moines, IA; Detroit, MI; Fort Worth, TX; Haslet TX; Houston, TX; Laredo, TX; Lexington, NC; Los Angeles, CA; Melbourne, FL; Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Olean, NY; San Francisco, CA; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Canada; China; Colombia; Czech Republic; Egypt; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Libya; Mexico; Netherlands; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Taiwan; Turkey; UAE; Ukraine; Uganda; and United Kingdom; with additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
With Logistics Plus as your global import and export partner, it’s easy to manage all aspects of your international supply chain. Whether you need air or ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, inland ground and rail distribution, project cargo, or global trade compliance – the Logistics Plus International (LPI) team has you covered.
Listed below (and highlighted in the video) are only some of the international services offered by our team of experts. By working with us, you will have no commitments, no hidden fees, market-competitive rates, and 24/7 logistics support.
Logistics Plus Offers FAST-BOAT™ Shipping Services as Airfreight Alternative
Service provides reliable, cost-effective alternative to airfreight for critical imports from China.
ERIE, PA (March 30, 2020) – Logistics Plus Inc., a leading worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, is offering a new FAST-BOAT shipping service as a viable alternative for importers needing to get their critical shipments from China.
Logistics Plus has LOFO (last on, first off) contracts providing importers with expedited customs clearance, full transloading at its Los Angeles, California facility, and then final delivery to any location in the United States.
Listen to Brief Comments
“We are encouraging importers needing full container quantities to use our FAST-BOAT shipping services from China to the Port of Los Angeles where LP can then provide transloading and direct trucking throughout the U.S.,” said Kelly Dempsey, International Manager of Imports for Logistics Plus. “For customers with smaller shipments that are still time-sensitive, LP can also set up a standard consolidation service from Shanghai to LA with 10-day FAST-BOAT service, transloading in LA port, and LTL, truckload or dedicated delivery to final destination.”
Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, business intelligence technology, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. The company was founded over 23 years ago in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur, Jim Berlin. Today, Logistics Plus is a highly-regarded fast-growing and award-winning transportation and logistics company. With a strong passion for excellence, its 450 global employees put the “plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, and the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices located in Erie, PA; Akron, OH; Baltimore, MD; Birmingham, AL; Buffalo, NY; Charleston, SC; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Des Moines, IA; Detroit, MI; Fort Worth, TX; Haslet TX; Houston, TX; Laredo, TX; Lexington, NC; Los Angeles, CA; Melbourne, FL; Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Olean, NY; Ontario, CA; San Bernardino, CA; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Tampa Bay, FL; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Canada; China; Colombia; Czech Republic; Egypt; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Libya; Mexico; Netherlands; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Taiwan; Turkey; UAE; Ukraine; Uganda; and United Kingdom; with additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
Adam Mook, Compliance Department Manager for Logistics Plus, recently completed an Introduction to Incoterms® 2020 Webinar. Approximately every 10 years, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) releases an updated version of Incoterms®. This year, the new Incoterms® 2020 rules went into effect on January 1, 2020.
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) just released its annual “The Year in Trade” report for 2018. This detailed report features all of the global trade trends from 2018. Some of the key elements to this report are exchange rate trends, administration of U.S. trade laws, global trade agreements, new trade relations, and global economic trends, among others. Highlighted below are a few of the trade trends we saw in 2018.
Trade Activities With Major Trading Partners
The European Union as a single entity continued to be the United States’ largest trading partner in 2018. The EU member countries accounted for 6 of the top 15 U.S. trading partners. Leading U.S. exports to the EU included civilian aircraft, engines, and crude petroleum. After the EU, China remained the United States’ largest single-country trading partner, accounting for 15.7% of total U.S. merchandise trade. Leading U.S. imports from China in 2018 were cellphones, computers and tablets, and computer parts. Canada remained third on the list and accounted for 14.7% of total U.S. merchandise trade.
In 2018, Canada was the United States’ second-largest single-country trading partner after China for the fourth consecutive year. The value of U.S. two-way merchandise trade with Canada rose 6.1 percent to $617.1 billion in 2018, accounting for 14.7 percent of total U.S. merchandise trade with the world. Both U.S. merchandise exports and imports with Canada increased in 2018 from the previous year, but imports outpaced exports, resulting in a $2.6 billion increase (15.8 percent) in the U.S. merchandise trade deficit with Canada to $19.7 billion. Leading U.S. exports to Canada included crude petroleum; civilian aircraft, engines, and parts; motor vehicles—both for passengers and for goods transport—as well as their parts and accessories; and light oils. Top U.S. imports from Canada included crude petroleum; passenger motor vehicles and their parts and accessories; refined petroleum products; natural gas; and coniferous wood and products.
In 2018, Mexico was the United States’ third-largest single-country merchandise trading partner. U.S. two-way merchandise trade with Mexico amounted to $611.5 billion in 2018, an increase of 9.7 percent from 2017. Mexico accounted for 14.5 percent of U.S. trade with the world. U.S. merchandise exports to Mexico totaled $265.0 billion in 2018, and U.S. merchandise imports from Mexico amounted to $346.5 billion. Both U.S. merchandise imports and exports with Mexico increased in 2018 from the previous year. Leading U.S. exports to Mexico included light oils; refined petroleum products; computer parts and accessories; diesel engines; semiconductors; parts and accessories of bodies (including cabs) for motor vehicles; and civilian aircraft, engines, and parts. Leading U.S. imports from Mexico included passenger motor vehicles, motor vehicles for goods transport, telecommunications equipment, road tractors for semi-trailers, color TV reception apparatus, and insulated ignition wiring sets.
Global Economic Trends
Overall, the global economic growth rate fell slightly from 3.8% in 2017 to 3.6% in 2018. The slow global growth seen in 2018 is attributed to short-term uncertainty in economies due to trade tensions and financial pressures in emerging markets. The United States was the only economy to show improvement in it’s growth rate from 2017 to 2018.
U.S. Dollar Exchange Rate Trends
The U.S. dollar appreciated in comparison to other currencies, rising 5.5% between January and December 2018. The previous year, the U.S. dollar depreciated by 6.3%. The upwards trend in 2018 was driven partly by the Federal Open Market Committee’s four interest rate hikes, along with a lower than expected unemployment rate.
To read the full report, The Year in Trade 2018, published by the United States International Trade Commission, click here.
If your company has import or export needs, you should consider working with Logistics Plus. Global trade compliance management is as important as it has ever been. In the U.S. Logistics Plus more than a dozen locations that can help you with your transportation and logistics needs; and our Customs Brokerage staff can also help you clear customs for imports at any port in the United States. Additionally, Logistics Plus now has locations at 50 offices in over 20 countries. As always, you can find any of our worldwide employees in our online global directory.
ERIE, PA (October 27, 2020) – Logistics Plus Inc. (LP), a leading worldwide provider of transportation, logistics, and supply chain solutions, has created a new, dedicated “LP Air Charter Group” within the company to focus on expanding its air cargo capacity and developing new air charter business opportunities around the world. The new group, based in Houston, TX, is being headed up by industry veterans Russell Means and Axel Kaldschmidt.
Mr. Kaldschmidt has over 25 years of commercial and operations experience developing supply chain and logistics relationships with C-suite contacts at Fortune 100+ companies. His experience includes time at Volga-Dnepr Unique Air Cargo, Hellman Beverage Logistics, Expeditors, and Pentagon Freight Services. Mr. Kaldschmidt holds multiple supply chain management and IATA/FIATA certifications.
With Logistics Plus as your global 
The United States International Trade Commission (
