Aircraft, automotive parts and animals: looking back over the past year at ACS Time Critical

Ten tonnes to halt a fault

Route: Frankfurt > Atlanta 

Service: Trucking, next flight out 

An automotive manufacturer needed 10 tonnes of parts flown from Germany to the United States before their assembly line ground to a halt. Securing freight space for so much heavy cargo is no easy feat, but our time-critical experts quickly pulled it off, leveraging their local contacts to get the parts on the next departure of the only regular service to Atlanta.

We sent over a quote within 30 minutes of receiving the request and soon had a truck waiting onsite in Frankfurt to drive the boxes to the airport. By providing a seamless end-to-end solution from manufacturer to production line, we ensured the consignment was delivered promptly, keeping production moving and avoiding a costly shutdown.

Jetting off to a deeper sleep

Route: London > Greece

Service: Onboard courier

ACS Time Critical sprung into action to enhance a private jet charter. A Greek aircraft operator needed a custom-made Harrods mattress topper delivered to their Gulfstream jet before it flew a VIP customer to the Bahamas, in order to ensure maximum comfort and cosiness during the long flight.

We designed a bespoke hand-carry solution, scanning our network of onboard couriers to arrange for the mattress topper to be collected in London and flown to Greece. The package arrived with enough time to be fitted to the mattress before the customer boarded, seamlessly integrating the delivery into their itinerary without any disruption to their plans.

Trucking through a storm

Route: Chicago > Atlanta

Service: Trucking

ACS Time Critical stepped in when a fierce storm caused road closures in the United States, jeopardising the route of a perishable shipment that was being trucked from Chicago to Atlanta. Any delays could cause the goods to spoil, incurring significant financial losses for the client, so our logistics experts got straight to work on a contingency plan.

We soon got the shipment back on the move, using an alternative route unaffected by road closures and deploying extra personnel to unload the cargo as quickly as possible on arrival in Atlanta. Our dedicated support team tracked the shipment throughout, ensuring it was delivered in optimal condition within the agreed timeframe.

Rescuing a grounded jet

Route: Georgia > Port Moresby

Service: Onboard courier, road transfer

When a manufacturer’s private jet became grounded during a technical stop in Papua New Guinea, ACS Time Critical was tasked with delivering the spare parts needed to repair it. With schedules hanging in the balance, a swift solution was needed to keep the client’s operations on track and avoid costly delays.

Our experts dispatched a hand-carry agent to fly the parts over from the United States, utilising our government contacts to fast-track a visa. Upon landing, we had a local ground agent waiting to drive the courier to the immobilised jet. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service faster than expected, minimising disruption to the client.

Urgent blood plasma delivery

Route: Manchester > San Francisco

Service: Onboard courier, private jet charter

ACS Time Critical made fast work of rushing sensitive blood plasma between hospitals in England and the United States. Needed for life-saving treatment, the plasma’s short shelf life meant it needed to reach San Francisco within 15 hours of being donated.

We sourced a hand-carry agent with specialist training for medical cargo, who jumped on the next flight to collect the urgent consignment – however the surgery overran, meaning it could no longer be delivered in time via scheduled services. Undeterred, we arranged the last-minute charter of a Bombardier Global Express. Customs clearance took place on the aircraft to ensure a swift take-off, with the plasma arriving in San Francisco in good time.

Flying semiconductors across continents

Route: Frankfurt > Lisbon > Sao Paulo > Manaus > Honolulu > Hong Kong > Beijing

Service: Onboard courier

Time was of the essence when an electronics company mistakenly sent high-value semiconductors from Germany to Brazil instead of Beijing. The essential materials needed to be swiftly redirected to avoid production delays, but with no scheduled cargo flights to China at such short notice, a specialist solution was the only way of getting them there in time.

We put a plan in place within just 15 minutes, dispatching an onboard courier to collect the cargo and board the next flight from Brazil to Hong Kong, where we had a second courier with visa-free entry to mainland China waiting to fly it the rest of the way to Beijing. Despite the last-minute reroute through several time zones, the rapid response of our experts ensured the semiconductors were delivered within three days.

Getting heating equipment to a show

Route: Hamburg > Bremen > Copenhagen > Tromso > Svalbard

Service: Onboard courier

The organisers of a VIP show in Svalbard needed essential heating equipment in Germany delivered to the Norwegian archipelago as soon as possible. With only one daily flight there from the mainland, it was a race against the clock to get it there in time, so our logistics experts at ACS Time Critical stepped up to the challenge.

We sent an onboard courier to collect the cargo and drive it to Hamburg for a flight to Norway, but the flight was cancelled whilst the equipment was on the road. Utilising our in-depth knowledge of airports and flight routes, we quickly adapted the plan, diverting the courier to Copenhagen to catch a different flight to Tromso for the connection to Svalbard. Thanks to our quick thinking, the heating equipment made it in time for the show.

Transporting rare pigs across borders

Route: Canada > Mexico

Service: Trucking

ACS Time Critical’s expertise is invaluable when navigating the complex process of transporting high-value livestock across international borders, as demonstrated when we were tasked with trucking six rare Mangalitsa pigs from Canada to Mexico as swiftly and comfortably as possible.

Our knowledgeable team sourced a specialist livestock trailer, which allowed the pigs to travel in separate compartments with the appropriate ventilation, bedding, and constant access to food and water. We also took care of all the necessary paperwork to allow the animals to be transported by road across North America. The pigs were closely monitored throughout the journey and made it to their new home in good time.

From car parts to livestock, ACS Time Critical can arrange the urgent delivery of a wide range of cargo. Available 24/7 and offering over 30 years’ experience and a global network of more than 30 offices, our logistics experts will tailor-make the ideal solution for your consignment in double-quick time. Contact ACS Time Critical today to discuss your cargo charter requirements and find out how we can help.