Frankfurt studies speedier cargo

Frankfurt is streamlining and digitising the registration process for truck drivers at the airport to speed up operations.
Germany’s largest air cargo gateway said that trucks generally have to wait to be loaded or unloaded but a study of the freight area by Kai-Oliver Schocke, Professor at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences found that digitisation of check-in could save ten minutes per truck. With more than 1,000 trucks arriving daily, the total time saving could be very significant, it added.
A group of 70 students from the department of logistics and production management examined how to match legal requirements with the information required required by the six different handling agents at the airport.
Unified paper forms will be introduced shortly, followed by implementation of a digital form through a cargo community system.
Air Cargo Community Frankfurt executive Patrik Tschirch, said: “This will help to improve cooperation between all companies along the supply chain within CargoCity.”
The Frankfurt air cargo community is also developing a combined IT solution to improve transparency and processes in pharmaceutical logistics.
It follows a study by the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences which identified potential areas for optimisation, which are now being implemented by community members including airlines, handlers, forwarders and IT providers.
Fraport ground handling services (BVD) and the handlers Swissport, Celebi, LUG and FCS are currently being audited according to CEIV pharma on behalf of IATA.
Vice chairwoman of Air Cargo Community Frankfurt, Anke Giesen: explained: “With this new concept, we are able to decrease the complexity of ordering processes and increase reliability and speed at the same time by steering the flow of information of all participants digitally.”
Community executive director, Joachim von Winning, added: “The approval of an independent authority will emphasize our competence as Europe’s leading gateway for pharmaceutical products.”
More than half of the airlines that belong to the Community already have CEIV pharma certification, along with the Perishable Center and forwarders including Bolloré Logistics.