Paul-Bernard Jaroslawski wrote this.
Ukraine has been at war since February 24. As a former freight broker, I wanted to learn more about how humanitarian shipments function. What commodities are being shipped and where are they coming from? How do cargo passing via Poland get to Ukraine?
To obtain a better understanding, I spoke with Bartosz Samulak of the Polish Forwarding Co. and Brian Bourke of Seko Logistics regarding humanitarian shipments to Ukraine.
Where do the majority of the shipments originate?
Humanitarian aid is flowing from all around the world, but the majority of cargo is coming from the United States and the United Kingdom, according to Samulak.
“We manage the majority of the goods arriving from the United States in collaboration with Seko logistics,” Samulak explained. He informed me about a recent air freight charter that PFC had completed, in which an airplane was filled with 122 pallets (35 tons). The cargo plane took off from Chicago.
What about collaborations with non-profit organizations?
“We sponsor Airlink, which is an incredible nonprofit that works with airlines to discover available capacity,” Bourke explained. “The airlines then donate to Airlink, and then to organizations that donate humanitarian help and relief.”
Airlink responds to disasters all throughout the world, whether it’s an earthquake in Haiti or a volcanic eruption in Tonga. According to Bourke, the airfreight cargo to Ukraine was a big operation. It entailed transporting items from a Denver warehouse to Chicago, then traveling to Europe through Liege, Belgium, and finally on to Warsaw, Poland. This was a chartered flight. United Carriers and Virgin Atlantic have been the most active commercial airlines in humanitarian shipments to Ukraine.
How much does a charter cost?
“I believe most corporations are aware that this is for humanitarian help, so you don’t see the market rate,” Bourke explained. “I’m not sure what the ultimate cost was, but we were getting quotations ranging from $250,000 to $400,000.” So it all depends on the type of plane and how many pallets it can carry. Bourke stated that PFC has done an outstanding job in processing these humanitarian supplies, regardless of origin.
What is the procedure?
“We used to notify [Samulak] what was coming, and it was usually the day before because everything was urgent,” Bourke explained. “We now have Bart attend calls with organizations to discuss choices and deadlines.” For example, there is fuel scarcity in Ukraine due to the destruction of many fuel facilities. This results in long lineups at the border and increased travel restrictions. The staff in Poland and Ukraine needs time to suggest the best choices for expediting the procedure. Coordination, in my opinion, is critical, and because there are so many moving components, one minor detail might derail the entire process. According to Samulak, his team must be proactive and work with the Ukrainian Embassy to obtain official information about the situation in the country.
How are the cargoes from Poland to Ukraine transported?
Using the 122 airfreight pallets as an example, PFC sent the shipment to its Warsaw facility to be sorted. The products were properly labeled and loaded into trucks. The necessary paperwork was completed, and the goods were shipped to Ukraine. The aid is mostly destined for Lviv or Kyiv.
How much does a cargo to Kyiv cost?
Prior to the war, the linehaul cost between $1,000 and $1,200. Because of the war, high fuel prices, and driver shortages, the cost might now range from $2,500 to $4,000. I was also told that the majority of the truck drivers are Polish. This is due to the difficulty of obtaining Ukrainian truckers; men under the age of 60 are not permitted to leave the country.
What are the most often supplied items in humanitarian shipments?
“The majority of what we do in the United States is medical goods,” Bourke explained. According to what he said about the most recent airfreight shipment, there were bandages, syringes, vitamins, medical equipment, hospital beds, wheelchairs, and military first-aid kits.
How much did the 122-pallet package cost?
Because the consignment contained given products, no commercial invoice was produced, making determining the exact worth of the cargo impossible. There is a donation declaration, but the true value of the shipment is less significant than giving humanitarian relief where it is needed. That is one of the distinguishing features of humanitarian aid.
