Ryan Rusnak called it “black-box shipping” — the lack of information provided after a shipment leaves its origin location until it arrives at its destination. No updates. No transparency. Just cross your fingers and hope for the best. Or if you’re lucky, maybe a phone call or two.
It was a problem that needed solving … and that’s why Rusnak, chief technology officer, and CEO Nick Bulcao founded Airspace.
“Airspace,” Rusnak said, “was built to open the black box that shipping had become.”
Added Bulcao: “I just knew there had to be a better way.”
Airspace — which was part of FreightWaves’ Health & Pharma Supply Chain Summit on Wednesday — has streamlined and automated the sometimes cumbersome process of making multiple calls through various parties to arrange for a shipment. When a customer places an order through Airspace, the information is sent to the operations team. A database of more than 10 million flights is analyzed via proprietary algorithms to find the optimal path of delivery. Meanwhile, drivers with the appropriate certification and vehicle type are quickly arranged — they have 60 seconds to respond to a ticket via app — and airway bills are filled out.
Throughout the process, customers receive updates and can monitor driver locations.
“A true modern chain of custody,” Rusnak said.
With an efficient, streamlined process, Airspace’s initial focus is on time-critical shipments.
In the aerospace industry, that might mean shipments involving key parts for aircraft on the ground. Grounded planes can cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars, so the faster those planes are repaired and back in the air, the larger the savings.
In the medical industry, it means the delivery of human organs. “That’s not a cost,” Bulcao said. “That’s priceless.”
Eventually, Airspace will expand beyond time-critical shipping.
“Our platform will allow us to do anything within the logistics industry that we want to do,” Bulcao said. “We have huge plans to continue to expand our product line, our services.”
And with good reason. Said Rusnak: “We’ve created the most modern logistics platform available today.”
MORE FROM THE HEALTH & PHARMA SUPPLY CHAIN SUMMIT
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ArcBest doles out pandemic support
How CRST champions safe, efficient transport for pharmaceutical supplies