ULD provider DoKaSch and United Cargo sign container deal

The U.S. carrier and the German lessor of temperature-controlled containers have inked a global rental agreement allowing United Cargo customers to lease DoKaSch-provided shipping
containers directly from the airline. It is an industry first that might trigger follow-up agreements with other carriers.

The leasing business has got off to a good start - image courtesy of DoKaSch TS — The leasing business has got off to a good start – image courtesy of DoKaSch TS

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Was it a precautionary measure to ensure that the agreement would actually bear fruit, or why did the ULD provider and the U.S. airline not announce their cooperation until 30APR20, exactly four
weeks after the operational start of their deal?

First user cases
Hard to say, but the fact is that the first results are promising. Since the project was kicked off on 01APR20, a total of 8 DoKaSch manufactured, large RAP Opticoolers were provided to UA Cargo,
then requested and handed over on a rental basis to its customers. Each container of the RAP series is able to accommodate the equivalent of 5 Euro Pallets or 4 CP1 Pallets, enabling
pharmaceuticals, vaccines, or other temp sensitive items to be transported at constant temperatures, ranging between +2°C and +30°Centigrade, depending on the commodity. According to the
producer, the thermal insulated and battery cooled RAPs maintain a stable interior climate even if ambient temperature reaches +50°C or -30°C, provided the battery is charged at warehouses prior
to flight or the unit is connected to main power during ops.

Inked the deal: United Cargo President Jan Krems … - photo: CFG / hs — Inked the deal: United Cargo President Jan Krems … – photo: CFG / hs

UA Cargo might be a trail blazer for similar rental deals
United Cargo president, Jan Krems lauded the deal, saying: “It’s more important than ever to move critical medical shipments and other temperature-sensitive cargo swiftly and safely to
destinations across the globe.”

The manager went on to say: “We are proud to be the first North American carrier to sign a direct rental agreement with DoKaSch. This agreement not only offers TempControl customers more
options to suit their needs but allows us to provide an innovative solution to keep critical supply chains moving during the COVID-19 crisis.”

Like the UA Cargo Chief, Andreas Seitz, Managing Director at DoKaSch Temperature Solutions, also stresses the relevance of the agreement. “Reliable air cargo options for pharmaceutical
products are always in high demand, and this is even more true as the world confronts the COVID19 pandemic,” Seitz said.

“With closed borders and new restrictions every day, a reliable transport infrastructure for extremely sensitive pharmaceutical products is crucial. Together with United Cargo, we can help
sustain a stable global pharma logistics network.”

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… and Andreas Seitz, Managing Director DoKaSch Temperature Solutions - image courtesy of DoKaSch TS — … and Andreas Seitz, Managing Director DoKaSch Temperature Solutions – image courtesy of DoKaSch TS

Optimistic outlook
RAP Opticooler provider DoKaSch Temperature Solutions expects the monthly demand for the cool boxes by UA Cargo customers to reach double-digit figures in the weeks ahead. Yearly, the management
estimates the RAP numbers rented by UA clients for the completion of pharma and similar temp critical transports will exceed 100 units.

“We assume that other airlines are also interested in a similar agreement. What matters now, is that the rental project between United and us is successful and becomes internationally
known,” states the DoKaSch manager.

Heiner Siegmund

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