Due to the sheer size and weight of the machinery, the Priority Freight team knew that the consignment could only be transported via a freighter aircraft. Reacting within their industry-leading time of 15 minutes, they then liaised with their Chinese agents to source a 747-800F freighter aircraft, booked over multiple flights, flying to London Heathrow via Amsterdam. With the aircraft agreed and booked, an airline transfer was also organised to deliver the equipment to the production site over the weekend after it had landed.
However, this shipment was not without its challenges. Firstly, the supplier’s packaging of the moulds did not meet the necessary guidelines laid out by the airline and secondly, all commercial uplift was delayed by the airport authorities for three to five days. The Priority Freight team needed to implement an innovative contingency solution, and quickly!
As always, keeping the client’s deadline front of mind, the Priority Freight team reacted swiftly to these challenges. Each crate was soon modified to ensure the necessary additional support, protecting the equipment from dislodging and preventing any shift in weight distribution.
The team were in constant communication with the client and soon identified the opportunity to speed up the vital part of the delivery, terminating more than half of the cargo at London Stansted airport instead of Heathrow airport.
With the airway bill modified, the Priority Freight team took over the cargo at the airport and transferred it to the final destination, ahead of the rest of the cargo.
Despite the crate modifications and unavoidable flight delays, Priority Freight had the experience and adaptability to alter the consignment arrangements to ensure the time-critical shipment met the agreed deadline. The automotive manufacturer was extremely pleased with the service excellence they received, allowing the consignment to be delivered on time and in perfect condition.
Working around the clock, the team:
- Once again, demonstrated specialist knowledge and experience of moving heavy loads to swiftly provide the fastest, most cost-effective and secure solution
- Showed great flexibility and adaptability when faced with unpreventable delays
- Rapidly implemented contingency plans to speed up critical delivery
- Provided high levels of service excellence and visibility throughout the shipment to ensure the deadline was met on time
