HGH-KUL 18plt Cameras/Locks Air
When urgent air freight deadlines are threatened by complex cargo and pandemic-related labor shortages, proactive problem-solving is critical.
This case details how GWT Shipping managed an 18-pallet shipment of electronics from Hangzhou (HGH) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) for a Singaporean client.
By optimizing the route and navigating a critical battery-sorting crisis at the airport, we ensured an on-time departure and secured a long-term partnership.
Situation & Client Context
Client | A Singapore-based trading company. |
Contract | Urgent air freight export. |
Shipment | 18 pallets of CCTV cameras (with Lithium batteries) and smart locks (with Dry batteries). |
Route | Hangzhou (HGH), China to Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Malaysia. |
Objective | Achieve a cost-effective, secure, and on-time air export, despite complex cargo and pandemic-era challenges. |
Prior Pain Points | The client’s initial plan (trucking cargo from Hangzhou to Shenzhen for export) was slow and expensive. They were also unaware of the airline’s strict palletization requirements for their mixed-battery cargo. |
The Challenges
GWT was commissioned to manage this urgent shipment and immediately identified several critical challenges:
Inefficient Routing: The client’s initial request to truck the cargo from Hangzhou to Shenzhen (SZX) for export would have incurred significant domestic time and freight costs.
Factory Incapability: The factory could only provide loose, un-palletized cartons. They were not equipped to palletize the cargo to the airline’s strict size and safety specifications.
Complex Mixed Cargo (The Core Crisis): The shipment contained both Lithium Batteries (in the cameras) and Dry Batteries (in the locks). Airline safety regulations mandated these two cargo types be palletized separately and placed in different, designated positions on the aircraft ULD (pallet).
Pandemic Labor Shortage: The shipment occurred in December 2021. The airport pre-warehouse, which GWT engaged for palletization, was suffering from severe staff shortages due to COVID-19 protocols, leading to low efficiency.
Airport Sorting Nightmare: The factory delivered the mixed, loose cartons to the short-staffed warehouse. This created a chaotic situation, requiring thousands of cartons to be manually re-sorted by battery type before palletization could even begin, threatening to miss the flight cutoff.
GWT Shipping's Solution & Actions
Our team implemented a four-step, hands-on plan to optimize the route and manage the cargo crisis.
Step 1: Strategic Route & Cost Optimization
Action: GWT’s air freight team analyzed the client’s SZX plan against the cargo’s origin in Hangzhou.
Decision: We immediately proposed a direct HGH-KUL departure. GWT had strong partnerships with airlines in Hangzhou and could secure a significantly better rate than from Shenzhen.
Outcome: The client was highly satisfied and immediately agreed to the new plan, instantly saving on domestic transit time and cost.
Step 2: Pre-Warehouse Palletization Plan
Action: GWT received the booking from the factory and coordinated the entire process.
Coordination: We issued the Shipping Order (SO) to the factory and arranged for the loose cartons to be delivered to our designated airport pre-warehouse for professional, airline-compliant palletization.
Step 3: Hands-On Crisis Management (Re-Sorting & Palletizing)
Action: When the mixed cargo arrived at the short-staffed warehouse, creating a crisis, GWT’s operations team took direct control.
Innovative Solution: We leveraged our high-level relationships with both the airline and the warehouse managers. GWT’s team actively coordinated the “impossible” task: overseeing the manual re-sorting of all cartons (Lithium vs. Dry) to ensure compliance.
Execution: Despite the severe staff shortages, our team’s active coordination and resource management ensured the cargo was successfully sorted and palletized exactly to the airline’s safety specifications, separating the two battery types onto different pallets.
Step 4: Proactive Flight & Batch Management
Action: Due to the time lost to re-sorting, GWT coordinated with the airline to protect the space and ensure the first batch of cargo made the flight on time.
Execution: We then meticulously managed the follow-up operations for the second batch, ensuring all steps were completed proactively to guarantee its on-time departure as well.
Results & Benefits
Our proactive, solution-oriented approach transformed a high-risk shipment into a major success.
Crisis Averted, On-Time Departure: GWT’s hands-on management successfully resolved the complex battery-sorting crisis. The first batch of cargo departed on time, securing the client’s critical timeline.
Flawless Delivery: The entire 18-pallet shipment, including the second batch, was delivered to Kuala Lumpur on schedule and in full compliance.
Significant Cost & Time Savings: Our initial route optimization from HGH (instead of SZX) saved the client substantial domestic freight costs and multiple days of transit time.
Appointed Designated Agent: The client was so impressed with GWT’s professionalism and crisis-management capabilities that they appointed GWT Shipping as their designated agent in China for all future air and sea freight business.
Conclusion
This project highlights GWT’s value beyond simple air freight booking. In the midst of a pandemic, we provided a smarter, more cost-effective route and then personally managed a hands-on cargo crisis.
Our ability to solve complex mixed-battery sorting and palletization issues under extreme pressure proved our deep operational expertise.
This commitment to problem-solving transformed a single, chaotic shipment into a long-term, strategic partnership.
Client Review
GWT’s team saved our shipment. When the factory and warehouse had problems, GWT stepped in, re-sorted the battery cargo, and got it on the flight. They are true professionals, and we now use them for all our China exports.
— Our Trading Partner in Singapore
Founded in 2004, Shenzhen Guanwutong International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd. (GWT) is a WCA- and AEO-certified global logistics provider offering end-to-end air, ocean, rail, express, and DDP solutions.
With bonded warehouses in Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Fuzhou, plus 24/7 customs brokerage and real-time tracking, we deliver reliable, compliant, and tailored freight services to 3000+ clients across 190+ countries.
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