The freight industry is never a smooth journey; a slight oversight can trigger a chain reaction of crises. True service capability is often hidden in the details of breaking through desperate situations. Today, we want to share a story about the cross-border shipment of cable molds—from a deadlock to a perfect turnaround. It embodies our commitment to responsibility and our confidence in handling unexpected crises.
The story begins with a shipment of cable molds from Shanghai Pudong (PVG) to Riyadh (RUH), with Philippine Airlines as the cooperating carrier. Initially, the client leaned towards a direct flight for guaranteed timeliness, although it was 2 yuan more per unit compared to a connecting flight. To help the client balance cost and timeliness, we immediately coordinated with our Shanghai air freight agent to verify details. It was confirmed that the connecting flight would only add about one day to the transit time. After comprehensive consideration, the client ultimately decided on the connecting flight plan.
Everything proceeded as scheduled: On January 17th at 17:52, the goods successfully departed from Pudong Airport and arrived at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) in the Philippines at 23:50 that same night. The connecting flight was originally scheduled to depart on January 19th, with arrival at RUH on the same day. Just as we were preparing for reconciliation with the client and quietly awaiting news of successful delivery, an unforeseen crisis quietly descended.
On January 29th, during our routine flight status check, we unexpectedly discovered: the goods had not been loaded onto the scheduled connecting flight as planned! This news struck like a thunderbolt, instantly putting the entire team on high alert. It’s important to note that the client had already dispatched technicians to Riyadh, waiting for the goods to arrive to begin equipment commissioning. Any delay in the shipment would not only affect the commissioning schedule but could also potentially cause significant financial losses for the client.
We immediately activated our emergency response: swiftly contacting the Shanghai air freight agent to verify the situation while simultaneously updating the client on the progress. Initially, since the client hadn’t reported non-receipt, both we and the client assumed the goods had arrived smoothly and completed customs clearance and delivery. However, as communication deepened, the truth gradually became clear: Manila Airport had already been experiencing severe congestion, with cargo starting to backlog as early as January 12th!
Subsequently, we received official notification from the Philippine Airlines Shanghai Office: due to saturated cargo volume and load limitations on flights to RUH, coupled with severe cargo backlog at Manila Airport, our shipment could not be dispatched temporarily and needed to wait for inventory clearance. Furthermore, newly arrived cargo even needed to be temporarily stored at Pudong Airport, awaiting further notice. More challenging is that our repeated attempts to communicate with Manila for solutions were met with silence, and the Philippine Airlines headquarters also failed to provide a timely response. Time was ticking away, the client’s anxiety was growing daily, and signs of dissatisfaction began to emerge.
Airport backlog, airline out of contact, and stranded cargo:
Sitting idly by is never our style! Faced with the dual whammy of “complete route congestion” and “no official response,” we refused to wait passively and rapidly launched a multi-pronged breakthrough operation.
First, we re-engaged with the Philippine Airlines Shanghai Office to finalize two preliminary plans: one, to return the shipment to Pudong Airport and re-book a direct flight to RUH; two, to continue waiting for the connecting flight. Unfortunately, after submitting these plans, we still received no response from headquarters, and the return shipment matter fell into a stalemate.
Without waiting or relying solely on one channel, we immediately broadened our approach, urgently contacting multiple local freight forwarders in the Philippines to seek new breakthroughs. We quickly identified two alternative plans: either amend the Air Waybill consignee for direct customs clearance at Manila Airport and then re-book a direct flight to RUH; or move the goods to the bonded warehouse of a Philippine agent and then re-arrange a direct flight. However, reality dealt us another blow. Due to the full congestion of the Manila to RUH route , both plans were deemed unfeasible by the agents we contacted.
We never gave up in the face of desperate situation. On one hand, we reconnected with the Philippine Airlines Shanghai Office, proactively offering to bear the return air freight cost from Manila to Pudong, we are making every effort to advance the implementation of the return plan, and persistently followed up on communication. On the other hand, we assigned dedicated personnel to closely monitor our Manila agent, PWL, urging them to deeply coordinate with Manila Airport to strive our goods obtain priority booking and prioritized flight departure for the cargo.
Breakthrough Action, Mind-burning Battle: Non-stop emails and WeChat messages (see screenshots):
Manila Agent PWL:
Hard work pays off ! After days of relentless effort and comprehensive coordination, we finally received uplifting news on February 5th: the cargo was confirmed to be loaded onto an EK flight, departing from Manila to Dubai, with a subsequent transfer to Riyadh. The first leg of the flight took off at 17:40 on February 5th and arrived in Dubai at 23:10 that same night. The second leg departed at 1:25 AM and arrived at Riyadh Airport at 2:25 AM, successfully initiating the subsequent road transportation process.
We immediately shared this news with the client. At the time, to mitigate the risk of further delays, the client had already initiated production plans for a second batch of molds, intending to book a direct flight for replenishment on February 14th. The timely update on the cargo’s successful shipment led the client to halt the second batch of production, successfully avoiding significant additional production costs and alleviating prior concerns and dissatisfaction.
The successful resolution of this crisis was made possible by the full support of our Manila agent, PWL, and, more importantly, our team’s emergency response capabilities—characterized by “no evasion, no giving up, quick response, and multiple solutions.” From identifying the initial failure to load the cargo, to multi-channel coordination, and finally securing the reshipment plan, every step reflected our unwavering commitment to client responsibility and relentless focus on problem-solving.
Through this experience, we have also learned a valuable lesson: for future freight needs, if direct flights are available, we will prioritize recommending them to fully mitigate the potential risks associated with transfers, thereby strengthening the security of our clients’ cargo shipments. While unexpected challenges may arise in freight transport, our dedication to service remains steadfast. Moving forward, we will continue to optimize our emergency response processes, enhance our cross-border logistics coordination capabilities, and provide more professional, reliable, and caring services. We are committed to ensuring the smooth transportation of every shipment, helping clients navigate crises and avoid losses, and living up to every ounce of trust placed in us.
All perseverance pays off, smooth transportation:
International logistics is not just about moving goods—it’s about delivering trust!
Post time: Feb-09-2026