Shipping hazardous gases around the world for one of Europe's largest suppliers of refrigerant gases Harp International is no easy task, but with over 20 years' experience it's all in a day's work for freight forwarding specialist Rhys Davies. Harp now exports to countries throughout the world supplying refrigerants to manufacturers of domestic appliances, air conditioning equipment and the automotive industry.
A range of refrigerant gases designed for specific applications are brought into the UK in bulk ISO tanks and are re-packed into cylinders ranging from small aerosol cans to 13.6 kilo cylinders ready for export. Shipments vary in size from a few pallets to a 40ft shipping container carrying several hundred cylinders of various sizes.
Handling the documentation for such a hazardous cargo is one of the areas in which the team at Rhys Davies has considerable experience. Rhys Davis' Freight Forwarding Manager John Lyon said, "One of the things we need to do is supply the shipping line with International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) cargo notes so the shipping line can see exactly what the shipment contains and decide whether or not to allow the cargo aboard their vessel. Also if there are other goods being carried in the same container they need to make sure the combination of goods is compatible."
Like most freight forwarding companies transport specialist Rhys Davies has invested heavily in the latest IT technology to help streamline the shipment of goods around the world but there is still no substitute for experience and reliable contacts, especially if the destination in question has poor infrastructure, poor communications or may even lie within a war zone. The management at Harp know they can rely on John and his team to choose the best carrier and negotiate the most favourable terms for every shipment.
Harp International's Export Administration Manager Julie Rees said, "It makes sense for us to use Rhys Davies, we ship around 300 containers a year and although that might seem a lot it's a small number for a large shipping line. Rhys Davies handles thousands of containers for their customers every year and they are able to demand far better rates than we could independently. But it's not just about money. John and his team have a wealth of knowledge about the export business and they're always very willing to give us advice, even if it's not a job they're working on."
Recently Rhys Davies announced plans to expand its Freight Forwarding division under the overall control of Commercial Manager Gary Phillips. "Freight Forwarding is a very important part of our overall business but although we've been operating for over 20 years many of our customers still don't know we offer forwarding," said Gary. I intend to put that right during the next few months and I'm confident that when companies see what we have to offer in terms of international expertise and technology, we will win their business."