An overview of why air cargo is a viable solution for transporting medical and pharmaceutical products in terms of logistics, tracking and standards adherence
by Todd Keefe, Southwest Cargo
The ecosystem tied to the movement of medical and pharmaceutical products is complex and highly distributed. Shippers and receivers for these live-saving products are spread out around the country, and there are no centralized routes between them.
One company in this ecosystem is the National Kidney Registry, who maintains a nationwide database of donors. Other parties include hospitals and operating rooms, universities, pharmaceutical companies and research labs in every city in the US. In short, the supply chain serving this industry must be able to reach anywhere and everywhere in the US, and all within a moment’s notice.
One specialty courier serving the National Kidney Registry is Quick International Courier, a full-service priority transportation and logistics provider specializing in the transportation of life saving organs, blood and bone marrow for transplant and research, investigational drugs, medical implant devices, and critical parts to repair diagnostic equipment for the medical industry. The value placed on Quick’s cargo is often immeasurable, so on-time delivery and temperature compliance are non-negotiable items during transit. As a highly experienced source for global priority shipping and logistics, Quick delivers door-to-door service for shipping blood and organs for transplant, to critical high-tech parts and medical devices, to crucial time-sensitive and highly confidential documents. Quick also claims to set the standards for the priority transportation and has been meeting critical deadlines with care and urgency for over 30 years.
Strict protocols
To meet the urgent logistical needs of its customers, Quick deploys every means available, from hand-carried courier services, to chartered flights, to commercial air cargo services. Quick follows an exclusive set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for every situation, providing unmatched cold chain logistics and strict protocols for maintaining the viability of each shipment.
One of the airlines that Quick works best with is Southwest Airlines Cargo. With more than 3,400 non-stop flights each day, Southwest provides a ‘next-flight-out’ option that is critical for Quick – whose products must arrive in condition to be used immediately by the recipient.
As Quick opts for a next-flight-out option or have a courier hand-carry the product onboard the aircraft 90-percent of the time, the company has achieved a successful track record with Southwest Airlines Cargo, due in large part to the airline’s strict adherence to industry protocols.
One of the reasons that Southwest can ensure the successful handling and on-time delivery of medical and pharmaceutical products, is because it is one of the first commercial air cargo company to accept wireless asset-tracking technology for its operations.
Intelligence
In 2011, Southwest Airlines Cargo announced acceptance of OnAsset Intelligence’s Sentry FlightSafe technology, which tracks the temperature, humidity, pressure, light, shock & vibration and location of cargo during transit. Sentry also features patented intelligence that is necessary to comply with the FAA’s requirements for safe operation during flight. FlightSafe automatically suppresses its wireless radios during flight, but sensing data is continuously tracked during transit.
OnAsset Intelligence is a service provider of remote monitoring and freight intelligence solutions and has created a service portfolio with rapid customization features for unique applications that enable freight protection, chain of custody, and security.
They specialize in covert, highly intelligent applications for air freight, trucking and transportation, and intermodal and ocean freight. Its platforms enable companies to create and view a transparent supply chain.
In the event of a breakage or temperature alert, the technology enables Southwest’s customers to respond quickly to remedy the situation. This visibility provides piece-of-mind that is essential when it comes to transporting medical and pharmaceutical products. According to Southwest Airlines Cargo, the visibility gained from the asset tracking technology plays a key role in providing the service. The depth and the breadth of data that can be provided ranges from light sensing, which lets a customer know if and when a package has been opened, to shock & vibration alerts, location tracking and temperature and humidity alerts – which are set by the customer to conform to their own unique requirements.
Increasing demand
Beyond the ability to track cargo in transit, Quick says reliability, including on-time performance, and back-up plans must always be accounted for. For every shipment, they need a plan B, and even a plan C, and they see demand increasing for the transportation of medical and pharmaceutical products.
The world is connected in ways that were not possible years ago. Through communications technology, it is becoming easier to connect organ donors with recipients in need. Research labs and pharmaceutical companies are collaborating in ways that were not possible in the past. And thankfully, the transportation industry has developed a means to move the precious cargo these industries need in a safe, secure, and same-day manner.
So why is commercial air cargo a viable option for transporting medical and pharmaceutical products? If speed; reliability; flexibility for contingency planning; temperature tracking; and overall visibility regarding the whereabouts and status of your cargo are important factors, then commercial air cargo should be placed at the top of the list for shipping alternatives.