Air Freight Importing: How to Prepare Your Warehouse and Pallets for Air Cargo

💡 Important Announcement from UPR Thailand

UPR (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is a provider of “Pallet Rental & Pooling” services to support logistics and warehouse systems only. Our company does not provide shipping, customs clearance, or freight forwarding agent services. This article is intended solely to provide knowledge for business operators in coordinating with shipping companies and preparing warehouse packaging equipment to meet international standards.

Air freight import is one of the fastest shipping channels for both business enterprises and individuals who need to send goods to destination countries urgently or wish to save transit time. However, air freight importing naturally involves certain procedures and information that must be understood and noted before getting startedin order to ensure that destination warehouse facilities and equipment are fully prepared to receive cargo as smoothly as possible.

What is the Difference Between Air Courier and Air Cargo?

Before initiating an import, business operators need to understand the types of air transportation services offered by shipping lines or airlines to ensure correct preparation on the warehouse side:

• Air Courier (Express Shipping): This is a Door-to-Door air freight format where major private courier companies handle customs clearance entirely. It is suitable for small parcels, general cargo, or product samples that are non-hazardous.

• Air Cargo (Freight Shipping): This is a Door-to-Port air freight format (delivered to the destination airport) where importers must appoint a customs broker to manage full customs formalities. It is suitable for large volumes of goods, high-value items, or temperature-controlled cargo like medicine and chemicals. This cargo group is typically stacked on pallets from the origin country for safe handling.

Air Import Formalities and Steps for Warehouse Receiving Preparation

When selecting Air Cargo, the operational process through the paperless electronic system (e-Import) in conjunction with destination warehouse management consists of the following key steps:

1. Importer Submits Import Entry Data: The importer or customs broker submits the Import Entry data into the customs computer system to match it with the Air Cargo Manifest.

2. Verification and Duty/Tax Payment: Once the system verifies that the data is accurate and matches the Air Waybill (AWB), the importer proceeds with paying customs duties and taxes through the electronic system to update the status for cargo inspection and release.

3. Inspection and Cargo Release from the Airport: The goods pass through the customs inspection process (either exempted from inspection or selected for physical check based on the risk management system). Once officers complete the verification, the airport central warehouse (such as TG or BFS warehouse) hands over the cargo to the importer.

4. Transport to Destination Warehouse and Pallet Management: When the importer removes the goods from customs custody and transports them to the destination warehouse, the critical step is to immediately transfer or restack the goods onto “standardized pallets within the warehouse.” Since air freight goods are often high-value or fragile, using high-quality plastic or wooden pallets alongside robust racking systems will help prevent product damage during storage and distribution planning.

Conclusion

Maximize Air Cargo Receiving Efficiency with Standardized Pallet Solutions

Air freight import stands out for its high speed and safety, and most business operators generally hire specialized shipping agents or freight forwarders to manage documentation and airport customs clearance.

However, in terms of managing the destination warehouse once goods arrive in Thailand, preparing the warehouse space, forklifts, and pallets to support large volumes of cargo in a timely manner is essential. If your business handles air imports with seasonal fluctuations and wishes to avoid bearing the capital costs of purchasing and stocking excess pallets in the warehouse, “UPR’s Daily Pallet Rental via Pallet Pooling Solution” allows you to control expenses based on actual usage (Pay-per-use). You can collect empty pallets to support incoming cargo and return them flexibly to any warehouse in our network nationwide, keeping your post-import storage system highly efficient and cost-effective.

About UPR Thailand

UPR (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is an expert in logistics and storage systems. We provide high-quality wooden and plastic pallet rentals and sales, as well as racking systems and comprehensive warehouse equipment to help import-export operators manage their warehouses systematically and cost-effectively, backed by over 10 years of experience in Thailand.

If you would like to rent pallets for supporting imported cargo or improve your warehouse storage system, please contact us at:

• • Inquiry Form: www.upr-thailand.co.th/en/contact/inquiries/

  • Tel.: +66-2-672-5100

  • Email: info-thailand@upr-net.co.jp