Upbeat shipping market from the Midwest sparked by manufacturing growth

Once dubbed the Rust Belt for its decline in manufacturing of autos, steel and machinery, the manufacturing, distribution and e-commerce sectors are now a strong component to the Midwest economy.

The Midwest market gained production activity in 2017 over prior years, according to purchasing and supply authorities. Once dubbed the Rust Belt for its decline in manufacturing of autos, steel and machinery, the manufacturing, distribution and e-commerce sectors are now a strong component to the Midwest economy.

Midwest-based shippers and freight forwarders have a lot of options today for shipping outbound, whether domestically or internationally. Options include dedicated air freight or ground, or multi-modal and intermodal. When it comes to exports out of the U.S. from the Midwest, machinery, pharmaceuticals, printed materials such as books and periodicals and construction supplies are among the finished products that rely on air freight.

Amerijet International Airlines is a leading all-cargo air carrier offering dedicated B767 and B727 freighter service between its main hub at Miami International Airport (MIA) to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Mexico, as well as Central and South America. In addition, Amerijet’s close working relationships with many other air carriers through interline agreements allow it to arrange the transportation of freight worldwide.

Established Midwest export market

“The Midwest is an important, established region for Amerijet with the majority of our volumes into MIA drawing from in and around the Chicago market. In turn, some of this freight comes from Detroit, Kansas City, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis,” said Richard Hernandez, Midwest Regional Manager with Amerijet. “We also do significant business from Cincinnati, which feeds from Indianapolis, Cleveland and Columbus.”

Amerijet staff at its Chicago office includes bi-lingual professionals that serve an increasingly multi-cultural mix of businesses and consumer shippers. Amerijet operates scheduled truck service on Wednesday and Saturday from Chicago to MIA with drivers who have undergone a Security Threat Assessment (STA) and are trained by an Indirect Air Carrier (IAC)

Both the Chicago and Cincinnati markets have strong roots in the Caribbean and Latin markets. A pipeline of construction materials and machinery continue to go to Puerto Rico and select Caribbean islands given the re-building efforts following Hurricane Maria in 2017. Amerijet serves San Juan, Puerto Rico, with daily freighter flights (6x weekly). “E-commerce shipments such as retail goods are growing to Puerto Rico and Latin markets from the Midwest,” Hernandez said.

In addition to San Juan, popular destinations served by Amerijet freighters from Chicago include San Salvador, El Salvador; Mexico City, Mexico; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Types of freight include automotive parts into Mexico City and shipments with hazardous materials into Santo Domingo.

If you are seeking a reliable air carrier in the Midwest which takes a consultative approach, turn to Amerijet International. To speak with an Amerijet representative about your shipping needs from the Midwest to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Latin America and beyond, call (305) 506-2969, or email sales.ord@app-wpprod-prod-eastus2-001.azurewebsites.net.