Thinking outside the box can be critical when your business includes shipping boxes.

      Maybe that’s why Mach 1 Air Services can offer overnight delivery to and from Mexico – even for shipments received after 6 p.m.

      Mach 1 Air Services has delivered for customers worldwide since its inception in 1988. Based in Tempe, Ariz., the company is a top 20 air cargo business specializing in freight forwarding. Ninety percent of its business involves Mexico where major clients using Mach 1 Air Services for their Mexico operations include Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler.

      Most use Mach 1 Air Services to ensure that production lines don’t have to be stopped when problems occur with Just-In-Time sourcing. Mach 1 Air Services is open 24 hours and can move cargo overnight in many situations; other more well-known overnight delivery companies, can’t.

      While there are several freight forwarders in the marketplace, the reason to choose Mach 1 Air Services is obvious, CEO and Founder Mike Entzminger says.

      “We understand the border process better than anyone,” says Entzminger. “We own our own trucks and hire our own drivers. We are the source for pickup and delivery. Ninety percent of the freight we move is on a direct flight.”

      Mach 1 Air Services is ISO certified, has a state-of-the-art EDI system for tracking shipments and is C-TPAT certified. Unlike most freight forwarders, it does not use airline hubs for routing cargo, ensuring faster and more accurate delivery. Since most shipments are on direct flights, there is less chance for lost or misrouted cargo at airline hubs.

      Unlike other air cargo companies, Mach 1 Air Services does not own a fleet of planes. Mach 1 Air Services buys cargo space on commercial airlines, which allows it to find direct flights to customer locations instead of routing cargo through hubs.

      Its Electronic Data Interchange system allows customers to log into Mach 1 Air Services’ computer for real time information about the status and location of its shipments. The same system alerts Mach 1 Air Services in advance when flights are cancelled, giving it time to move the affected cargo to another flight.

      Regardless the size of the shipment or how fast it needs to be delivered, Mach 1 Air Services offers several options to meet customer requirements, including:

      •Same day

      •Counter to counter

      •Charter

      •Next flight out

      •Overnight

      •Second day

      •Three to five day deferred

      •Truckload

      •Local cartage

      •Hotshot/ground expedite

      •International ocean/air

      Mach 1 Air Services offers each customer an automatic proof of delivery – either through email or phone – on every shipment.

      For the past decade, Mach 1 has consistently posted an on-time performance record of more than 98 percent. It accomplishes this by doing the following:

      • Direct flights – More than 90 percent of its overnight shipments are sent directly from origin to destination airport.

      • Expeditious routing – When possible, shipments are sent around, not through, congested airports.

      • Minimal hubbing – Shipments are rarely sent to hub airports, so the chance of a shipment being bumped is minimal.

       • Freight handling – Mach 1 Air Services has one of the lowest claims incidences in the industry at less than 0.0038 percent.

      Because such a high percentage of its business involves maquilas, Mach 1 Air Services can offer insight on the status of the maquila industry. Entzminger says he see evidence that the maquila downturn is over.

      “We’ve experienced tremendous growth,” he says. “We’ve seen a company or two go to China so maybe we’re seeing growth because we do a better job of penetrating the market. But I think there is an industry rebound in general.”

      Entzminger was working for a trucking company in 1987 when he decided to create Mach 1 Air Services.

      “I really felt there was a niche,” he says. “There were a lot of players in the market – there still are today – but I thought there was room for someone with a better mousetrap.”

      The mousetrap in this case being better communication between customer and shipper.

      “It should be a mortal sin in this business for a customer to call and say a shipment is not going well,” he says.

      No matter where the freight is headed, Mach 1 Air Services controls the shipment from start to finish, and never puts critical follow-up in the hands of third parties. Its international shipping expertise include Canadian Operating Authority, which allows it to bypass customs clearance at bonded warehouse so that shipments arrive at their destination without delay. Mach 1 Air Services personnel also handle all paperwork, including the line release.  Mach 1 Air Services also has a Mexico/U.S. trans-border facilities network that stretches from the Pacific Coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Coordinated by an operations center in Monterrey, N.L., each facility is staffed with bilingual employees equipped with a radio-dispatched Mach 1 trucking fleet and employee drivers.

Technology

      Mach 1 Air Services continues to expand and enhance its technology capability. Its Access 1 Windows-based tracking and report9ing system enables shippers to perform a number of functions directly from their PCs, including:

      •Request pickups

      •Access status reports on any shipment

      •Obtain real-time tracking information

      •Retrieve proofs of delivery

      •Create customized password programs

      •Obtain cost of shipments

Other services

      Mach 1 Air Services provides a range of value-added services such as re-packaging, crating and warehousing. Its state-of-the-art warehousing offers the following benefits:

      •Savings - Warehousing with Mach 1 eliminates the need to devote additional employees and space for warehouse management.

      •Convenience - Mach 1 can augment existing warehousing facilities if you require additional space.

      •Location - With warehouse facilities across the country, Mach 1 positions your inventory closer to market.

      •Services - From pick-and-pull to computerized inventory reporting, Mach 1 offers full logistic services.

      •Facilities - Mach 1’s clean and modern warehouses feature complete handling equipment, including trucks and forklifts.

      •Security - All Mach 1 warehouse facilities are equipped with security cameras, motion detectors and fire prevention systems.

      •Manpower - Mach 1’s warehousing personnel are fully trained, uniformed and security screened.