Inbound Logistics | June 2023

HAWAII LOGISTICS

of goods and commodities, as well as project management, white-glove delivery, assembly and installation, drayage, pickup and delivery, consolidation and deconsolidation, and inventory management. “We offer a great deal of knowledge of this market and have many experienced employees on our team,” says Randy Tutor, vice president, strategic accounts. In working with clients, Tutor and his colleagues rst engage and identify their pain points. “We use this information, complemented by our experience, to work together to come to the best choices and drive improvements,” he adds. Through its daily dedicated air freight service to Hawaii, Approved Freight Forwarders operates as an indirect air carrier, using passenger ights to move cargo. This approach offers more exibility than is typically the case when using an asset-based carrier, given the large number of passenger ights that take off to and from Hawaii each day. From its consolidation center in southern California, Approved Freight Forwarders moves all types of goods in approximately 300 to 400 shipments per day to Hawaii. Its warehouses span more than 300,000 square feet and can accommodate a diverse set of logistics

Despite its isolation, Hawaii hasn’t been immune to the challenges that have impacted supply chains in other parts of the country. Labor is one. “Hawaii has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, and labor remains a big challenge,” says Kane McEwen, president, DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express. Hawaii’s topography, while stunning, can also present logistical challenges. Most trailers on the island measure 40 feet long, rather than 53 feet. The reason? Narrow streets and a lack of loading and unloading docks, as well as forklifts. “Many locations are tight,” McEwen says. PACKAGING SHIPMENTS Because most freight to Hawaii moves over the ocean, proper packaging is critical. “It’s not a smooth ride,” Hinkle says. Machinery and equipment that might travel easily over the mainland with little protective packaging likely will need to adhere to International Packaging Guidelines for ocean travel. The packaging that might sufce for, say, a grocery pallet traveling 50 miles from a distribution center to a store might not hold up for a trip of several thousand miles and multiple handlings. “You need to make sure it’s packed properly,” Beidleman says. “It’s important that products are packaged to withstand transit, and not just from the mainland origin to the outbound port,” McEwen says. “They must also be packaged strong enough for the roughly 2,600 miles over the water to Hawaii. There is considerable movement inside the containers while on the ocean vessel.” At the same time, because shipping rates to Hawaii are typically calculated based on cubic feet rather than by weight, shippers will want to minimize unneeded packaging. Given that shipping is done just-in- time and with limited storage capacity on the islands, shippers should reserve their bookings as early as possible, Pasha says. Making the reservation helps activate the primary and ancillary logistics required for seamless deliveries.

The state of shipping to Hawaii continues to evolve. For example, the Kapalama Container Terminal project, a new container terminal scheduled for completion in January 2024, features an 84-acre cargo yard and 1,800 linear feet of new berthing space. Technology also is evolving. “Ocean carriers and logistics providers are upgrading their systems to offer more automation and visibility,” says Mike Kraft, vice president, Pacic, with Honolulu Freight Service. As the U.S. government looks to the Pacic to counter China’s dominance, shipments to Hawaii may increase, Palmer says. It’s likely material and equipment will travel through the state to locations in Guam, the Kwajalein Atoll, and the Philippines, among other locations. Several leading service providers can help shippers move freight in and out of Hawaii with ease. Approved Freight Forwarders: LOCAL EXPERTS WITH GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE Approved Freight Forwarders brings 30 years of experience serving the Hawaii market. Among other services, it provides ocean freight consolidations, air freight, and over-the-road transport

Approved Freight Forwarders has served the Hawaii market for three decades and has its own fleet of trucks and workforce on the islands.

64 Inbound Logistics • June 2023