Alvaro from racing cars to flying freight

Come and meet our Air Freight Manager who makes miracles happen every day, Alvaro from Brazil. Alvaro was a race car driver before parlaying his competitive spirit into a successful career at DB Schenker, where he faces new challenges and grabs new opportunities on a daily basis. As Brazilian Air Freight Manager in Sao Paulo, Alvaro’s mission is to find transport solutions that meet his customers’ many different needs.

When Alvaro was 20, he left his racing career and began studying international business. That led him to explore career opportunities at DB Schenker Brazil, where he keeps the operation’s air freight business running smoothly during these challenging times.

“In the past I was a racing car driver and it became a challenge itself as practice by practice, race by race, I needed to deal with my competitors, with my equipment, with my team, and my self-confidence, which helped me a lot to deal with my mental performance as well as taking responsibilities,” Alvaro says. “These experiences help me a lot to deal with the daily challenges I’m faced with at DB Schenker.”

Making Miracles Happen Every Day

When a large aerospace company called DB Schenker on a Monday afternoon for help moving two of its aircraft from Brazil to Miami, Alvaro sprang into action. Within five days, the jets were dismantled, packed into six separate crates, and sent to Miami via Antonov Airlines.

DB Schenker also secured all of the necessary permits and made special accommodations for the 115-meter-long airplane wing sections and two 12-meter fuselage sections. This all happened within a one-week timeframe, during which time the global logistics provider issued a quote, was awarded the project, secured the Antonov aircraft, packed the two airplanes for shipping, and moved them via air to Miami.

After experiencing a 15-day delay when attempting to ship the aircraft via ocean freight, the customer was greatly relieved. It’s now planning its next aircraft transport with DB Schenker.

“Working together with our SFS team, we managed to find an Antonov from ADB company, available with the ramp specifications that would meet our loading necessity,” Alvaro explains. “That’s when the challenge started; we had to manage how to load the volumes into the aircraft as the wings have special instructions for loading due to its gravity center.”

Alvaro and his team found a crane company with experience moving this type of cargo and the availability to provide the services on the required date. Additionally, DB Schenker’s U.S. Aerospace Team effectively managed the incoming flight requirements within a short time frame, and was responsible for ground handling and delivery.

Everything worked out on time and the massive pieces arrived safely in the U.S. on time and in perfect condition.

There’s More to Come

This is just one of many projects that makes Alvaro passionate about his job and eager to come to work in the morning. “I’m an airplane lover who enjoys solving problems and interacting with people from different countries and cultures,” says Alvaro, “combined with the idea of learning something new every day, this truly makes me love my job.”

We are very happy to have Alvaro onboard at DB Schenker where he can put his love of airplanes, race cars, and friendly competition to work every day.