It's not often that
you dispatch two 53’ trailers for an air export shipment, let alone as your
first move for a new customer. But that's exactly what Pilot Los Angeles did
with its first consignment for a LA-based leading
personal care manufacturer. It all started when the
local Pilot account executive capitalized on a connection to get a meeting with manufacturer's CEO and logistics team to discuss the company's international moves. The account
executive, joined by a Pilot international sales director, listened to the requirements,
which included a keen
understanding of the product’s packaging, advanced communication with the
manufacturer’s Singapore-based distributor and the desire for competitive
pricing. Confident that Pilot could meet the company’s needs, the two
immediately started researching service and pricing options. The resulting
proposal and SOP for air exports to Singapore was met with a confirmation that
the next shipment was Pilot’s!
The first move was originally
estimated to be approximately 8,000 kilos and consist of 55-gallon drums of
high-end body lotions. As the pickup date approached, the shipment literally
doubled in size to over 15,000 kilos. This is when Pilot’s local gateway
manager went to work securing the required space in what was developing as a
tight air freight market from Los Angeles to Singapore. In fact, space was so
limited that some carriers were reporting up to a five-day backlog. Not only
did the gateway team secure the needed space, they even obtained a direct
flight!
Pilot was even able to deliver in a quicker
time frame than the manufacturer was accustomed to. As a result of the
experience on this initial shipment, Pilot has since handled additional air
export and imports for the company. Congrats to all involved for utilizing
all available resources to land this impressive new international customer for
Pilot!
