Nouri and Ben master every logistic challenge through teamwork
Nouri and Benjamin, Air Freight Branch Manager
“There’s never a dull moment around here.” - Benjamin and Nouri discuss their challenges as Branch Managers at Frankfurt’s Air Freight Hub.
One works in export and the other in import, but both work side by side to ensure the success of Air Freight at DB Schenker.
There’s no such thing as a “quiet office” in JETcargo’s export and import operations. Nouri, Branch Manager and Head of JETcargo Import, and Benjamin, Head of JETcargo Export, are making decisions on short notice that impact the entire supply chain. They have to coordinate teams, monitor operations, and deal with numbers and statistics.
"Most of the parcels and pallets we see here today in the warehouse will move within the next 24 hours," says Nouri, looking into a 15,000-square-meter warehouse that’s packed with cargo pallets. With packers and forklifts in perpetual motion, the bustling activity prevails almost around the clock. Everyone knows what to do and every movement is precise.
Both Nouri and Benjamin appreciate the often exhausting and always challenging work.
Benjamin completed his education/training in logistics at the German “Berufsakademie” (cooperative education) and then began working in Schenker’s export department.
There’s never a dull moment around here – especially on a Friday.
"Although this is a huge company, I’ve been working here since 2005, so I know the place like the back of my hand,” he says. Starting as a clerk, Benjamin has worked as a group leader, operation manager, and now head of export at JETcargo. He loves Fridays because they reveal how successful the planning efforts of his team are and whether everything fits together. “There’s never a dull moment around here – especially on a Friday.”
In practical terms, up to 140 air freight pallets are assembled daily and sent to places like Chicago and Cape Town. Frankfurt Air Freight Hub is distinct because import and export take place in the same warehouse, where the movement of incoming and outgoing goods must run smoothly.
A new challenge every year
Chinese New Year is a special challenge, says Nouri, who has been working in the import business since 2000. "The entire industry in China comes to a standstill during the holidays,” he says. “Even weeks before the holiday, hardly any goods are being sent from China to Europe.”
"The team spirit here at our Frankfurt location is always at a very high level"
About six months before Chinese New Year, Nouri, Benjamin and their teams plan — with the help of their gut instincts — how to handle freight capacities as effectively as possible. "Because no one really knows what the freight volume will look like in October, there’s some risk in booking extra capacity,” says Nouri. “Even four to six weeks after the holiday, we’re still feeling its impact on the supply chain.”
Everything depends on the team
“The team spirit here at our Frankfurt location is always at a very high level,” says Benjamin. “From time to time, we get together after work to go to a Eintracht Frankfurt game (our local football club).”
“Every minute counts when you’re loading a truck,” says Nouri. “I know I can rely on the team here, which is important when it comes to time-sensitive tasks.” There are also days when the Air Freight Hub Frankfurt is in the midst of world affairs. "We’ve already had Olympic athletes deliver their sports equipment to us in person," says Benjamin. "And when the national football team plays in a big tournament, we pack the athletes’ sports bags right here in our warehouse."