German-owned global forwarder DB Schenker has an onboard courier (OBC) service for urgent small and high-value shipments as part of ‘white glove’ portfolio.
After an initial trial period, DB Schenker has set up an OBC service team operating from three different continents to guarantee round the clock availability. Customers receive a quote within minutes and a human courier is dispatched at short notice to personally accompany the cargo as a passenger on a commercial flight.
Real time tracking is available and insurance and customs clearance are available if required and the service is available for all types of shipments except dangerous goods. Demand is expected to be especially from the automotive, electronics, high-end fashion and healthcare industries.
Global board member for air and ocean freight,, Thorsten Meincke said: “Whether urgent automotive parts need to be shipped from Germany to China to prevent a line stoppage, or a medical device from Canada is instantly needed in a hospital in South Africa – we are now able to take care of any unforeseeable and very short-term requirements of our customers.”
Vice president of global air freight strategy and development, Stefan Pargfrieder, added: ” Sometimes the high value of an item is not related to its purchase price but rather to the costs adding up for every minute the item is not available. While we have already taken care of individual OBC customer requests in the past, we are now rolling out a standardized product offering across all continents.”