januaryfebruary2024 - 24

Cargo Matters
ULD: The Oil that Keeps the
Gears of Air Cargo Turning
Digitization is an irreversible trend, and ULD operations cannot afford to be left behind.
BY BOB ROGERS
W
e are already well into
the sixth decade of
unitized air cargo
operations, and just like other
transport industries, the day-to-day
operation of air cargo are totally
dependent on having readily available
unit load device (ULD) equipment
at the right place and time.
When things are running smoothly,
this is all very much taken for
granted by the multiple players along
the air cargo ecosystem, but is this
the end of the story?
As is common these days, we
turned to artificial intelligence (AI)
asking the question: Describe in
100 words or less the top challenge
facing a ULD manager in their day-today
job of running ULD operations.
A couple of seconds later, we get
the response:
" The top challenge facing a ULD
manager in their day-to-day job of
running ULD operations is optimizing
ULD utilization and availability.
It involves efficiently allocating
ULDs to meet flight demands, cargo
volumes and aircraft compatibility
while adhering to weight and balance
restrictions. Balancing these factors
can be complex, requiring coordination
with multiple stakeholders and
accurate forecasting. ULD managers
must possess strong organizational
and analytical skills to ensure the
right ULDs are available at the right
time and place, maximizing cargo
capacity and operational efficiency.
Addressing this challenge contributes
Research carried out by ULD CARE reveals that around 10 percent of an
airline's ULD will be off airport.
UCR is one of the foundations of effective ULD
management as it is the document used to record
the transfer of a ULD asset between parties as it
moves along the air cargo chain.
to the smooth flow of cargo and
reduces costs in logistics operations. "
As a trade association dedicated to
the interests of the ULD community,
ULD CARE continuously seeks to
apply its resources to addressing such
challenges. And front and center of
such initiatives is the newly released
ULD CARE Digital ULD Control
Receipt, or E-UCR.
To those not familiar with the
intricacies of ULD operational management,
this may seem like just
another airline industry acronym.
But, the UCR is one of the foundations
of effective ULD management
as it is the document used to record
the transfer of a ULD asset between
parties as it moves along the air cargo
chain from shipper to consignee,
passing through a significant number
of different parties along the way.
24 || Ground Support Worldwide || January/February 2024
The UCR is an International Air
Transport Association (IATA) recommended
practice (RP), issued way
back in the 1970s when ULD very
rarely moved off airport and when
controlling these assets was a great
deal easier.
Today, a very significant amount
of air cargo operations takes place
off airport in the premises of freight
forwarders and shippers/consignees.
In fact, ULD can even find
themselves hundreds of miles away
from an airport.
Extensive research carried out
by ULD CARE during 2021 and 2022
reveals that, at any one time, around
10 percent of an airline's ULD - particularly
pallets - will be off airport
and that a large proportion of
these units will not be returned in a
timely fashion.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ULD CARE
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ULD CARE

januaryfebruary2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of januaryfebruary2024