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The Client
The client is a healthcare company, operating in the highly specialist area of Genome Sequencing. They came to Speedy Freight looking for a direct logistics service to ship high-value reagents required for vaccine production in the vaccine rollout against COVID-19, which needed to be transported to Germany.
The goods were not ADR, but were required to be packed with dry ice, in order for the goods to remain viable once delivered. The client’s previous supplier had been unable to keep to the time frame of ideally 72 hours, and as a result the high-value consignment had to be destroyed, due to the delays rendering the product unusable. The client submitted an enquiry via our website, which was picked up in branch, and Speedy began the quotation process.
The Challenges
There were several key factors to consider in this consignment. The goods had to be kept packed in dry ice, to ensure that they were usable once arrived in Germany. Another consideration was the timeframe – knowing that the previous courier had been unable to keep to time requirements, Speedy Freight knew that our drivers had to be sure we could keep to the timeframe given.
Another challenge in shipping this consignment was ensuring that the correct information was listed on the commercial invoice, to follow the rigorous and meticulous customs process in the country of delivery. The customs agent Speedy Freight has for this area was not en route for the delivery, or particularly near the delivery point – which meant the challenge of building new partnerships to tackle international customs agent requirements! Speedy Freight’s expertise providing courier services to Europe, along with specialist courier services for healthcare and the medical sector, meant that we were well-placed to handle this important task.
The Consignment
The website query was submitted on the 11th of the month. The client then gave the go-ahead to the Speedy Teams just three days later, and our administration managers sent across all the documentation that was needed from the client, in order to get all paperwork completed. Speedy Freight were to ensure clearance in the UK and the EU, and provide a customs agent in Germany.
Getting the necessary paperwork together proved an in-depth process; however, with the support of our partner teams, we were able to talk the client through exactly what they needed to submit. The international consignment was arranged for – and successfully went ahead on- the 23rd of the month – just twelve days after the initial query! The consignment of laboratory reagents was additionally packed with enough dry ice for 5 days, in case of any delays.
The Conclusion
The Speedy Freight teams successfully delivered this lifesaving consignment – with delivery made 48 hours after loading. The client was so pleased with the prompt and secure delivery of the goods that the client then placed a repeat order for exactly the same movement the following week! Thanks to our work with the first order, the second was simple and straightforward, as we were fully aware of the paperwork and declarations required for the region. Thanks to this consignment, Speedy Freight is now practised with the international customs and shipping requirements of this region, which makes our international courier process slicker.
