Air, Freight News, IT

CCS-UK to showcase Heathrow congestion-buster system

[ June 21, 2019   //   Chris ]

CCS-UK User Group, which represents users of the air cargo community data system, is hosting a series of seminars to showcase its solution for streamlining collections and deliveries of airfreight at Heathrow. Advance Information System (AIS) is a bolt-on module for CCS-UK that has been in full operational use for over a year among a cross-section of airfreight agents, hauliers and handlers. CCS-UK says the system has dramatically reduced the time taken to process trucks delivering or collecting cargo and is an effective, no-cost solution for reducing truck queuing times at Heathrow’s congested “Horseshoe”, where agents’ vehicles can be tied up for up to 12 hours at peak times.

AIS enables freight agents to pre-alert handling agents of loads being delivered and picked up, down to House AWB level, as well as submit Electronic Consignment Security Declarations (e-CSD). This advance information – including vehicle, driver, cargo being delivered, handling agent and ETA – can be submitted either through a web portal or messages sent direct from the forwarder’s own system. The information is then accessible to all relevant parties in the supply chain.

By receiving information electronically in advance, handlers can populate their systems with the shipment information, reducing paperwork and delays on arrival of the truck, and eradicating re-keying errors. They can also anticipate workloads, schedule resources, and allocate handling slots for the trucks. This will help to reduce the number of vehicles on the cargo terminal, and cut queue times.

User group chairman Steve Parker of DHL said: “AIS is already fully proven in daily use, and has demonstrated significant benefits for all parties. All handlers on Heathrow’s ageing cargo terminal should now adopt this new system, so that freight agents and hauliers can use a single system to deliver to all transit sheds, and achieve the same benefits everywhere.”

Heathrow airport owner  recently floated a new system involving barriers and charging. “This is not necessary,” continues Parker. “We don’t need a new system, we don’t need barriers that will worsen congestion, and nobody needs to pay anything. CCS-UK already has a proven solution, which is free to all CCS-UK users. We just need more handlers and more agents to come on board with AIS, so that it benefits all users of the cargo terminal.”

The first seminars will be held on Tuesday 16 July  at Heathrow’s Stanwell Hall Hotel, at 10:30 and 14:30, featuring a full demo of the system. Places are limited, and can be booked by contacting Guy Thompson at guy.thompson@tiscali.co.uk

Tags: CCS UK; Heathrow