Notes From The Backyard
 “Imagination
is funny, it makes a cloudy day sunny, makes a bee think of honey, just
as I think of you,” sings Tommy Dorsey, but it could just as
well be me speaking to dear air cargo . . .
Lying in the hammock, looking at
the sky whilst that song played on the radio this past July 4th weekend,
supplied a momentary flight of fancy. I fell deep into a dream and without
ever leaving my own backyard.
By now everyone in air cargo has
heard about the “new idea” presented in 2014 (that actually
dates back to the 1970s) about cutting some hours off of the transit time
of air cargo.
But why not just reimagine the
air cargo business?
Imagine a brave new world, where
the electronic air waybill and electronic security declaration are sent
prior to shipment delivery.
The warehouse check-in desks would
be opened 24 hours before the flight’s departure and closed six
hours prior.
The cargo is delivered during this
time and is sent to the relevant build-up area, where it is loaded into
ULDs.
The import customs entry is done
in advance of the goods travelling and the shipment is selected either
for inspection, or pre-cleared prior to arrival.
The ULDs are loaded and the flight
departs. The consignee is notified that the goods are cleared and requested
to make arrangements to collect them within 24 hours of flight arrival.
Goods pre-cleared are delivered
directly to an off-airport, non-customs, bonded delivery warehouse and
are available for collection within 12 hours of the flight landing.
Goods for inspection will be sent
to a designated area and once cleared, sent to the delivery warehouse.
Delivery and Build Up 24 hours
Flight 16 hours
Collection 24 Hours
Total Time 64 Hours (2.66 Days)
Just as some more thoughts bubbled
up from the subconscious, the automatic lawn sprinkler was triggered,
and I was awake in a mist.
The dream, or what I can remember
of it, probably oversimplifies too much. To make such a thing a reality
will take a lot of effort and probably a fair amount of investment in
infrastructure and IT.
But how far is the jump from dreamer
to doer?
Steve Jobs, whose products have
made air cargo rich beyond imagination, once said:
“The ones who are crazy enough
to think that they can change the world are the ones who do.”
I think it’s worth remembering
that the integrators do this day in and day out.
I must try the hammock again, as
it has revealed itself as a stellar thinking place.
Might make do with a bit less water
next time.
Geoffrey
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