One year after its foundation, Schiphol-based TCS Worldwide has expanded its on-board courier service with dedicated air freight charters. The company’s customer base is made up of freight forwarders working for the automotive and aircraft spare parts industry.
TCS’s Founder and Managing Director, Sander van Woesik, says the company was set up in the disruptive environment created by Covid, which had led to a combination of shortage of semiconductors
and microchips as well as the lack of available air cargo capacity.
Collecting and delivering on a 24/7 basis is something the established integrators cannot provide, says Mr van Woesik. “We are able to customize every single tender, from a neutral basis and
Just-in-Time (JIT)-driven.”
Preventing penalties
TCS does not work with the car manufacturers themselves, but with their freight forwarders who, in turn, work for the suppliers for the automobile industry. “The latter are tied into penalty
provisions if they cannot meet their delivery commitments,” Mr van Woesik says. “The availability of JIT services is imperative.”
The on-board courier environment has also changed substantially, he points out. “Small packages carried in backpacks are making room for larger consignments of up to 800 kilos. In the
automotive industry, companies use these on-board services quite frequently.”
First B777 trip
Due to the turbulent times we are all living in, the supply chain, too, has altered, so it appears. “In sourcing, there have been shifts to other countries. In Asia, to give but one example,
car makers have moved from China to other countries, including within Europe, for their supplies.”
According to Mr van Woesik, the advantage of working exclusively with the freight forwarders, is in the fact that they have the right customer base. “From that market, we started to offer
road services intra-Europe, working with Road Air Cargo. At a certain point, the request came for dedicated air charters, for which we work with brokers. Last February, we had our first B777 from
Europe to the Mid-Americas, for one specific customer. But we also offer turboprops for intra-European traffic.”
Finding the right carrier is hardly an issue for Sander van Woesik, as he is no stranger to the air cargo business, having worked for KLM Cargo, AirBridgeCargo, and Saudia Cargo Europe.
Marcel Schoeters in Amsterdam
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