After a recent fire disrupted vehicle production for a number of US auto manufacturers, Active On-Demand worked closely with Ford to provide logistics expertise to transport the tools and enable Ford’s production to resume sooner than expected.

Active On-Demand, a Roadrunner Transportation Systems company, arranged air and ground transportation as well as helped prepare import and export documentation to transport critical tools needed to produce components for the Ford F-150.

The mission was to arrange and manage every detail, from transportation to documentation, for an 87,000-pound die. The die tool, used to cut or shape material using a press, needed to be transported from Ohio to Nottingham, United Kingdom.

“Once again, we are extremely proud of the reliability, dependability and precision of our team. Our ground and air transportation experts commonly receive unique logistical challenges and are true masters at analysing the situation, developing a plan and monitoring every aspect through final delivery,” says Active On-Demand president Tom Stenglein. “Just a few hours of manufacturing downtime can cause major downstream issues and financial losses. Our team understands that our mission is to act swiftly and in a meticulous manner to solve unscheduled supply chain emergencies.”

The white glove service provided by Active On-Demand also include a dedicated team member accompanying the die as it was shipped via air charter to Europe on an Antonov Airlines AN-124-100.

“We are honoured to have been selected as a partner for this time-critical project,” says Antonov managing director Graham Witton. “Thanks to the seamless communication between our team and Active On-Demand we were able to deliver ahead of the traditional timeframe it would have taken to transport the outsized cargo. Our AN-124-100 was ideal for the transport of the 87,000-pound die, and the 30-hour flight allowed Ford Motor Company to swiftly resume production.”