Air Cargo Shipping Company

An air cargo shipping company arranges the movement of freight by air from the shipper to the consignee. Depending on the company, that can include quoting, booking space on a flight or chartering an aircraft, arranging truck pickup and delivery, preparing the air waybill and other paperwork, tendering the cargo for screening, tracking the flight and handling recovery at the destination airport. Some companies fly their own aircraft, while brokers and forwarders arrange flights with airlines and operators. The best fit depends on the cargo, the route and the deadline.

Belly cargo is freight carried in the lower holds of passenger aircraft, beneath the cabin. Because passenger flights are frequent, belly cargo offers many departures and connections, which helps urgent shipments. The trade-offs are size and security limits: pieces must fit the hold doors and space, and cargo must be screened and come from a known shipper. Larger pieces and some dangerous goods need a freighter instead. A large share of the world's air cargo travels as belly cargo on passenger flights.

A cargo gateway airport is a major airport that handles large volumes of freight and connects many cargo routes. Gateways serve as hubs for express networks and freighter airlines, with dedicated cargo terminals, sorting facilities and handling equipment. In North America, airports such as Anchorage, Louisville, Miami and Memphis handle millions of metric tons a year. Shippers do not always need a gateway, though. Smaller airports close to a plant or job site can shorten the truck leg for urgent freight, especially on charter flights.

Next flight out is a service that books cargo on the first scheduled flight with available space between two airports. A truck collects the cargo and delivers it to the airline before the cutoff, and another truck recovers and delivers it at the destination. It is one of the fastest scheduled options and costs far less than a charter. It depends on airline schedules, cutoffs and space, so when flights are full or none meets the deadline, a charter or hand carrier may be the better choice.

A dangerous goods declaration is a document the shipper completes to describe hazardous materials in an air shipment. It lists the proper shipping name, class, identification number, packing group, quantity and packaging, and it confirms the shipment has been prepared according to the rules. Airlines require it before accepting dangerous goods, and the person completing it must be trained. In the United States, the hazardous materials regulations apply, and most airlines also follow IATA rules. Errors on the declaration are a common reason cargo is held or refused.

A known shipper is a business whose identity has been verified under the Transportation Security Administration's air cargo security program. Cargo from a known shipper can be accepted on passenger aircraft, subject to screening, while cargo from an unknown shipper is generally limited to all-cargo aircraft. Known shipper status is managed by the airlines and the companies that tender cargo to them. It matters because passenger flights offer many more departures than freighters, which can mean faster delivery for urgent cargo.

An air waybill is the main shipping document for air cargo. It acts as the contract between the shipper and the airline and as a receipt for the goods. It lists the shipper and consignee, the airports, the number of pieces, weight, dimensions and contents, along with any special handling instructions. Each air waybill has a unique number used to track the shipment. Unlike some ocean bills of lading, it is not a document of title and cannot be used to transfer ownership of the cargo.

Express air freight gets priority booking and loading on the first suitable flight, with fewer handling steps and tighter cutoffs. Standard air freight takes space as it becomes available, which can add a day or more. Express costs more per pound, while standard air freight suits shipments with some slack in the schedule. For parcels, express usually means a parcel network's fastest service. For larger freight, express options include next flight out and same day air, which use the first flights that fit the deadline.

Air cargo screening is the security inspection of freight before it is loaded onto an aircraft. In the United States, all cargo carried on passenger aircraft must be screened under Transportation Security Administration rules. Screening can use X-ray, explosives trace detection, physical inspection or other approved methods. It may happen at the airline, at a certified screening facility before the cargo reaches the airport, or at the shipper's own certified facility. Accurate descriptions and packaging that can be inspected help screening go quickly.

Limits depend on the aircraft and the route. Passenger aircraft holds take pieces up to a modest height and size that fit their doors. Main-deck freighters take full pallets and large crates through wide side doors, and some freighters have nose doors for long items. The largest freighters carry very heavy loads and outsize pieces. Floor loading limits also cap how much weight one piece can put on the aircraft floor. Sharing every piece's dimensions and weight lets the right aircraft be chosen before booking.

A cargo charter makes sense when no scheduled flight meets the deadline, when the cargo is too large or heavy for scheduled aircraft, or when it needs to reach an airport that scheduled freighters do not serve. Charters are also used when a late arrival would cost more than the aircraft, such as a stopped production line or a grounded airliner. The shipper gets the whole aircraft, which departs when the cargo is ready and flies direct. Matching the aircraft size to the cargo keeps the cost in line with the need.