Executing deliveries in North and South America is an extreme logistical challenge that requires a good knowledge of local conditions. This is particularly important for large transport projects, such as those carried out to Peru and Chile.
In the Atacama Desert, which stretches for over 1,200 kilometers from southern Peru to northern Chile, it rains once every few years and there is almost no life. Because there are no clouds to block the sun, these are ideal climatic conditions for solar power plants. Currently, in the southern part of Peru, 1,140 km south of the country’s capital, Lima, at the edge of the Atacama Desert, a solar park is being built. Dachser Air & Sea Logistics delivered parts for solar collectors there from Spain. The transport distance was over 10,000 km.
Towards the sun
Three specially constructed trucks set off from Barcelona with a shipment of 18 large wire coils, which weighed a total of over 38 tons and reached Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam in less than 24 hours. There, the cargo was loaded onto an aircraft of the American carrier Centurion Air and set off for Miami, Florida, in the USA, and from there to Lima. Centurion is one of the few companies that could undertake the transport of these huge wire coils with a diameter of 2.65 m. Subsequently, the cargo was taken over by the local Dachser branch in Peru. In one day, after traveling 1,180 km along the Pan-American Highway through the desert and the Andean foothills, the transport reached the edge of the Atacama Desert. Dachser also delivered ultra-modern aluminum trailers from the USA through Brazil to Peru and Chile. They meet the highest transport requirements for various types of cargo. The Dachser branch in Chile has already delivered 1,200 such trailers.
Communication is the recipe for success
– Local topography itself is a major challenge for logistics companies – explains Guido Gries, Managing Director of Dachser Air & Sea Logistics Americas. – Transport through tropical forests and narrow roads running through Andean passes can be dangerous and very time-consuming. Significant barriers also include bureaucracy when crossing subsequent borders, frequently changing regulations and laws, faulty infrastructure, and the need to apply increased security requirements.
When it comes to designing transport in the Americas, communication is key.
– Our close cooperation with subcontractors allows us to track the status of shipments and compare it with the schedule on an ongoing basis. Thanks to this, we can react instantly to unforeseen situations and also efficiently control costs – says Gries.
Brazil – the gateway to the continent
Both American continents still have huge growth potential.
– Within the borders of Mercosur, the economic community of South American countries, there are over 260 million consumers. NAFTA, a similar organization operating in North America, has over 460 million consumers. Brazil is of particular importance here, as it is a kind of gateway to Latin American markets – says Thomas Reuter, COO of Dachser Air & Logistics. – Our observations show that more and more companies from Asia and Europe are interested in Brazil and are opening their representative offices for Latin America there.
Dachser has been active in the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) since 2007. During this time, it has developed its network, which, for example, in Brazil is currently based on 11 of its own branches.