Shorts SD 360

Weekend Expedited Shipments

​Unexpected emergencies can happen at the worst times, and what could be worse than trying to arrange an expedited shipment on a Saturday afternoon that has to be at your client’s site on Monday at 9am? AirFreight.com offers proven solutions for last-minute shipments you hadn’t planned on or were out of your control. By coordinating logistics, AirFreight.com can ensure your shipment arrives on schedule, even if you have to schedule it over the weekend.

The Challenge

Late on a Saturday afternoon, a new customer, having heard of Airfreight.com’s 24/7/365 availability, contacted AirFreight.com with a desperate request and was immediately connected with an experienced Expeditor. They needed four palletized crates of hand-shaped motorcycle parts delivered to a custom shop a thousand miles away by Monday morning at 9am. If the crates failed to make that deadline, it would likely result in the custom shop’s loss of trust and any future business. 

The parts had been sent out to be electroplated and powder coated two weeks ago with assurances that they would be completed in just six business days, which was last Saturday. They were only completed and delivered on Friday morning, six days late. Three full days were needed to inspect and test fit all of the parts to ensure they had been properly plated and coated, and that process would have to continue through to Sunday, so repacking and pickup of the parts could not occur until Sunday evening. Given the need for an unplanned, last-minute shipment, the customer needed a plan that could guarantee on-time delivery.

The Expeditor assessed the customer’s requirements and outlined a few options. Shorts SD 360s regularly traveled on that route and one could be chartered in the time available. The best option was to pickup the crates at the customer’s place of business late Sunday night and truck them to the nearest airport, the exclusive use of an entire aircraft to make certain the cargo was the sole freight on the flight and the fastest possible delivery without any intermediate stops, and truck transportation from the airport to the custom shop by 9am Monday. 

How We Solve It

On Sunday evening, the truck arranged by the Expeditor arrived at the customer’s place of business to load the palletized crates and transport them to the airport. The pallets were loaded onto the aircraft using a forklift, and the aircraft took off on the four-hour flight to the receiving airport. Along the way, the Expeditor provided continuous in-flight tracking and updates, so the customer was fully aware of the status of the shipment. At the receiving airport, the pallets were offloaded onto the waiting truck, which continued the journey to the custom shop. 

With the morning commute, the drive was expected to take forty-five minutes to an hour, which would put the truck in front of the shop before it opened at 8am. An hour later, the Expeditor informed the customer that the truck had arrived early, and the driver was waiting for employees to open the shop. Thirty minutes later, the Expeditor confirmed that the pallets had been offloaded, completing the delivery successfully.  

The seamless planning and attention to detail of this expedited shipment confirmed the sender’s reliability and business reputation. AirFreight.com’s expertise in time-sensitive logistics proved invaluable and provided the perfect transportation solution. Whether for critical cargo, planned shipments, or urgent last-minute deliveries, AirFreight.com sets the industry standard in expedited freight services.