Miles Ahead: ETC International Freight System
I am just back from a European trip visiting with my agents & purposely deviating from the beaten paths. First, as an international freight forwarder flying around the world, I would advise you to fly direct, it is hard enough to be subjected to security lines and airports, but adding layovers are a trip spoiler.
I started with France & arrived on a Friday, which gave me 2 days to daze on Paris & check a few places accompanied by a few friends from there. The trick is to be picked up and let the Parisian drive and just witness the madness around you, as cars race to go nowhere. Monday came by fast and my work week was all prepared for me by my French agent Henry Johnson & Son. We spent more times in restaurants than in their rather quaint Paris Headquarters.
About 2 hours west of Paris we went to their Le Havre facility, which impressed me with new clean trucks, impeccable warehouse & top of a line logistic software. Anyhow, our freight network with them extend to air, ocean, import & export of commercial, industrial & personal effects throughout France. I was able to check on how they handle the ocean containers from the off-loading from the ships to the warehousing, customs clearance & container positioning to the importers. Their other hub, which I visited was in Marseille southern France, which also shows their geographical diversity that helps our shipments being dispatched throughout France.
Here are a few words from them below concerning their Aerospace:
Our lengthy experience in this particular business guarantees our knowledge of the specific processes involved. We have created a dedicated department to integrate all the know-how and structures needed to:
- Deal with logistics, customs clearance and multimodal transport to our customers best advantage.
- Improve organization efficiency through technological watch and benchmarking of transport, customs clearance and IT businesses.
- Continuously train and check, maintain and update the skills of our aeronautic handling staff.
- Improve synergy between the customer, the agents and the network. From the beginning, we have been aware that aeronautic industries need to be able to answer to always faster demands. This has led us to design, for fifteen years now, an A.O.G. (Aircraft On Ground) capacity, 24/7 operational, all year long. This service works both import and export, with customs clearance and operational transport qualified staff. To this day, more than 10.000 A.O.G. have been ordered, organized and shipped through the world by our teams
I felt so well taken care of that I invited their director, Philippe Gros to a lunch along the Mediterranean ocean, which lasted 3 hours. Being the type to eat at my desk half a sandwich, I still don't know how I manage the duration. We lucked out on the weather & came back with a tan.
Every good thing as an end and a beginning!
Freight more freight that is what I say. I took the train to Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg to see Horizon Agency, SDV & Transworld other terrific agents and so very dynamic freight networks helping us establishing ETC International Freight System as a premier freight forwarder to Western, Eastern Europe with our ocean and air shipments. Food was not quite as good, but the beer made it all better.
The United Kingdom
Calais France to England under the channel was a trip not to miss. I wish we had a train system here in the USA of the same caliber. EUF London, our agent, with whom we have been working with for years back and forth injecting our freight network with cargo. Landing inland America or inland United Kingdom, ETC / EUF Network offer the customs clearance along with the warehousing & logistics, getting our shipments to any destinations with great level of service. With them, we rely on each other & handle third country shipping, initiating shipments originating from Nigeria to the UK with payment in the USA.
Next, I will explore with you Northern Europe with Sweden, Norway and Finland. As a premise of what to come, I can divulge that I liked their herrings with Vodka and their beautiful women making me think that I should open an ETC International office there...
Who says freight is boring
