Thanks to breaking news like, “Cargo ship stuck in Suez Canal,” the average Joe has learned more about supply chain logistics than ever before. Before the canal incident, most of the world didn’t know where a hospital’s PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) came from, much less what PPE meant. Now that the door to supply chains and logistics has been opened, it’s quite an eye-opener. It seems that everything in the world is connected to cargo.
Cargo has moved around the world by air, sea and land for ages, but working with an experienced air cargo charter broker has some distinct advantages. From turboprops to widebodies, it is by far the safest and fastest way to transport goods. An expert broker can arrange the right aircraft capable of carrying any payload. If it’s small (under 500 pounds), a Beechcraft Bonanza would be a good fit. If it’s heavy machinery for a new manufacturing plant, it might be multiple AN-124 aircraft carrying over 100 tons each.
Air cargo can reach almost anywhere in the world within hours. The inherent flexibility of using an air charter broker makes arranging a charter easier. It’s also highly predictable and reliable because it does not have to contend with the physical barriers that are found with trucks or railroads. Air cargo charter brokers work with an extensive network to locate the aircraft with right capacity, match all of the shippers requirements and deliver at a competitive rate. A quick overview of the top aircraft categories in that network:
- Wide-Body – For domestic and long haul international routes. Both upper and lower decks handle containers and pallets and typically operate at airports in major metropolitan areas. Embedded rollers help slide the freight into position and locking mechanisms secure the freight.
- Bulk-load aircraft – Huge capacity, some with front and rear loading doors. Most have an internal hoist system built-in and ramps to help load extremely heavy cargo.
- Expedited domestic aircraft: Ranging from piston aircraft to small jets. Readily available, they are used to expedite shipments point-to-point. Their ability to land at large and small airports make this range of aircraft the most versatile in the network.
- Narrow-Body – Used primarily for commercial air freight on short-haul routes in the U.S. and smaller metropolitan areas around the world. They handle containerized and palletized freight on the upper decks and loose load cargo on the lower decks. Like wide-bodies, they have an embedded roller system to help load the freight and lock it into position.
- Passenger aircraft – Cargo moves from airport to airport and is loaded into the forward and aft (back) compartments in the belly of the plane.
Air cargo charter brokers work around the clock to help keep the world moving. Ben Hampton, Cargo Sales Director for Chapman Freeborn, explains, “As a global company, we coordinate international shipments but our local presence and region specific knowledge is an advantage when we handle smaller expedited shipments.”
There is an aircraft to suit every possible need. Whether domestic or international, extremely heavy loads or small and compact, an expert broker can arrange to deliver it right where it’s needed.