When consignments have to be shipped from Berlin to New York in record time, genuine logistics feats are required. A day with an employee of the special service desk (SSD) from time:matters gives us the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of a highly complex logistics system.

Frankfurt/Main Airport apron area, just after six in the morning, an icy wind is howling across the apron areas of one of the world’s biggest airports. Despite the early hour, there is a busy hum about the place. Planes are taking off and landing every minute, the noise is enough to drone you out.

The first containers already have to be unloaded early in the morning
Jörg Rennert, employee of the special service desk (SSD) with the experts for emergency and special logistics time:matters, has just passed through the controls for the apron area in the time:matter’s apron area-car. There is no getting through without authorization and security. The bright yellow jacket is of utmost importance here. Without it the apron area is off limits. Jörg Rennert calls the office in Neu-Isenburg: „When does the 761 from Delhi land?“ The colleague informs him: „The plane is delayed. Position Alpha 25.“ Letter abbreviations and numbers follow: AKH 19898 and AKE 05994, descriptions of different container types. Since, as a rule, time:matters shipments are sent loose, the individual packages are often put into containers for easier processing. Jörg Rennert steps on the gas. Despite the plane’s delay, it’s going to be tight with the time, because within half an hour, the contents of two small containers have to be transferred into a bigger one for the connecting flight to New York. „The loading and unloading of a plane naturally depends on its size. However, as a rule, they are usually emptied in twenty minutes and loaded again in thirty more“, says Jörg Rennert.

With the Man on the Run(way)
In the meantime, Jörg Rennert has arrived at the 761 from Delhi and is talking to the handlers. Everyone here in the apron area plays his/her part, ensuring that the extremely complex processes run smoothly. The packages are destined for connecting flights to London and New York, there is are wagons standing by for each of the two cities, which will then bring the packages to their respective planes. During the unloading of the plane, some packages have ended up in the wrong vehicle. Jörg Rennert lends a hand and helps to ensure the right distribution. Back in the car, he crosses the finished delivery off his list, which is the one that he was given shortly before six o’clock this morning at the time:matters service counter at Frankfurt Airport. On it he finds the important data for his day’s work: flight number, scheduled arrival time, number of packages, data regarding a possible connecting flight.

Dental prosthesis for Hamburg and Dresden.
Rennert has once again jumped out of the car again and is checking whether the dental prosthesis deliveries to Hamburg and Dresden have been properly loaded. Together with the others, he sorts out the small packages and puts them in the right place. Back in the apron area again – the distances that have to be covered at this huge airport in a very short time are considerable. However, speeding is out of the question – there are also speed restrictions in the apron area that have to be observed. This time Jörg Rennert’s destination is the collection point for shipments. Not all of them are immediately processed and loaded; some are processed later, depending on which plane a shipment has been booked on. At the collection point processing employees support time:matters and make sure that shipments which are stored here for onward journey reach their flight in time and that nothing is left behind.

Sharjah is calling.
The importance of being able to deal with people in this job and having a good working relationship with partners becomes clear when just before ten in the morning things start to get hectic at another plane that is scheduled to fly to Lagos/Nigeria . It was accidentally forgotten to transfer some packages from two small containers to a bigger one for a connecting flight and now – 30 minutes before departure – it’s going to be tight for this transfer, especially considering the fact that there is a mandatory weighing procedure that has to be followed. Jörg Rennert discusses the situation with the loading manager and helps to transfer the packages. Shortly afterwards, the wagon with the container heads off to the weighing scales. The rest of the freight is loaded, Rennert is getting anxious. He looks at the clock again. Meanwhile, the space in front of the plane is empty – at that moment the wagon turns the corner. Rennert breathes a sigh of relief. A nod from the loading manager signals that he is going to make it in time and a few moments later the container disappears into the belly of the plane with the other shipments destined for Lagos. Made it! Now he has to make a short phone call to Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), where time:matters has been operating a global service center since 2004 for its worldwide courier services. „This is Jörg Rennert from the ramp in Frankfurt“, he yells into his cell phone just a few moments later. Then he reports the status quo of this morning’s orders and the problems that arose as well as all alterations made, so that an overview of all the processes is maintained in Sharjah.
After that, it is back to making the rounds at the airport. There are still a few shipments to be checked. Jörg Rennert is going to have to drive a few more miles before his shift is over. His shift does not end until two in the afternoon.