AMI UK handles 8 millionth shipment

Nov 29, 2016: The UK arm of AMI, handled eight millionth shipment for AMI Express customer Kepair. The shipment was to be transported to Australia – AMI’s first major export market. AMI Express’ share of all AMI UK business grew by 5 percent in 2016.

The profile of AMI bookings has changed dramatically in recent years: while average shipment sizes have reduced in line with market trends, a large proportion now also involve value-added services such as security screening, ground transportation, documentation and Customs processing.

Although AMI’s original UK business was entirely exports, 5 percent of its throughput is now imports.

At the same time, AMI Express’s all-inclusive click2ship service (an integrator-style product for the trade) is now 100 percent booked online, while 45 percent of AMI’s hard freight business is also transacted through its Quote & Book web portal. The growth in AMI’s online business has freed up its staff to deal with larger shipments requiring spot rates, those customers requiring advice and more complex shipments requiring human intervention.

Sharon Wright, AMI’s VP Europe, says, “When AMI was first launched 40 years ago, nobody expected that we would one day be celebrating eight million shipments. But we send hundreds of tonnes of cargo every week, to 200+ destinations around the world, including eighty regular consol services. So the numbers continue to build up.

“Although our consolidations have traditionally targetted the most price-sensitive traffic, our customers’ focus is increasingly on the additional services we provide; so we regularly add new features and options to our online booking portal. Today, AMI is a far more complex offering than it was in the early days.”

She continues, “The lessons we have learned in the process of creating and refining AMI Express click2ship have been invaluable in steering our entire business here and around the world. The result is a faster, more customer-friendly and transparent service that is proving particularly relevant to our increasing engagement in e-commerce.”

Photo: AMI Sales Manager Claire Bristow presents Kepair MD Ian Keppie with a celebratory bottle of bubbly.