• Smart Pick Up has digitised airport cargo collection, replacing paper slips and manual checks with QR codes for instant driver verification.

• Verified ID adds secure digital identification, ensuring only authorised drivers with the right qualifications can collect shipments.

• Pilots with Kühne + Nagel, Schenker, DSV, and CHI Cargo proved the system works in live operations, now in production at Frankfurt Airport.

• Centralised booking and shipment data increase efficiency, transparency, and security, with plans to expand to more handling agents and airports like Hamburg.

For decades, truck drivers collecting freight at airports have navigated a web of paper slips, booking desks and long queues. Now, with Smart Pick Up, the process is moving fully digital — offering greater efficiency, tighter security and transparency for every player in the supply chain.

Speaking at the Air Cargo Community event in Frankfurt, Simon Linder, Sales Manager at Dakosy, explained the practical frustrations Smart Pick Up aims to solve.

“At the moment, the driver has to present paper documents and the handling agent has to manually check whether this person is entitled to collect the shipment,” he said. “It is time-consuming, error-prone and simply not fit for the digital age.”

The new approach turns that on its head. Drivers will arrive equipped with a QR code on their smartphone, linked directly to the shipment details. The system cross-checks whether the individual is authorised to collect the cargo — in seconds.

“It will become completely digital,” Linder emphasised. “The driver just comes with a smartphone. We check the QR code and confirm instantly whether he is the right person. That makes the process more secure, much easier and much faster.”

The system also tackles other sticking points. Currently, slot bookings at handling agents are a partly manual affair, often leading to delays or wasted trips. By embedding the process into a single platform, bookings become automated and visible to all parties in real time. “It is about efficiency and transparency,” Linder explained. “If all the data sits in one place, we avoid duplication and everyone in the chain knows exactly where things stand.”

The move is also designed to cut down on paperwork. “Today, a pickup slip is still required, and that means more printing, more mistakes and more bureaucracy,” he said. “With Smart Pick Up, we want to eliminate paper altogether and create a seamless digital process.”

Verified ID: Trust built into the system

While speed and efficiency are obvious benefits, security remains a pressing concern in airfreight. That is where Verified ID comes in.

Matthias Hupka, Senior Consultant at Allivate GmbH, described the problem in blunt terms: “Right now, you often don’t know for certain whether the person standing at the counter is the one who is supposed to pick up the shipment. That is a serious risk.”

To close that gap, Verified ID introduces a driver database linked to secure digital identification. Each driver is verified by an external provider, and the credentials are stored in the system. When they arrive to collect freight, a scan of their smartphone confirms their identity instantly.

“We call it something like two-factor authentication for truck drivers,” Hupka said. “It works like a digital tracker card on the driver’s phone. Only the person with the verified ID can complete the pickup, and if he’s not the right one, the shipment simply won’t be released.”

The system can also store qualifications, such as whether a driver is cleared to transport dangerous goods. “That means you are not just checking identity, but also whether the driver has the right authorisation for that specific load,” Hupka added.

What makes Verified ID particularly powerful, he argued, is its flexibility. “We built it for imports initially, but the same solution can be reused for exports or even other processes,” he said. “That reusability is key for digitalising the entire logistics chain.”

From pilot to rollout

The system has already been tested in real-world conditions. Earlier this year, pilot shipments were carried out with major logistics players including Kühne + Nagel, Schenker, DSV and CHI Cargo. According to Linder, the results were encouraging: “The modules we introduced worked smoothly in a complete flow. It was not just a software test — it was live cargo moving through the system, and it proved that the concept works.”

Following the pilot phase, Smart Pick Up and Verified ID have now entered regular production use, with four participants already onboard. The next step is expansion. “We want to bring this to the wider community,” Linder explained. “The next handling agent, FCS, will join soon, and from there we will extend it to more agents and forwarders across Frankfurt.”

The ambition stretches beyond one airport. “We already have comparable systems in Hamburg,” Linder noted. “The goal is to evaluate how modules like Verified ID can be applied across different locations, creating consistent, digital processes everywhere.”

Hupka agreed, stressing the collaborative nature of the project. “It is not just about technology,” he said. “This is a community project. Only by working with forwarders, handling agents and everyone in the chain can we bring about real change.”

The ultimate vision is a world where cargo collection is paperless, frictionless and fraud-proof. As Hupka put it: “When the driver arrives, the system will already know he is authorised, the shipment is ready, and the slot is booked. It’s fast, it’s transparent, and it’s secure. That is the future we are building.”