Meet Alfonso Munoz, Vice President of Griley Air Freight, a family-owned trucking company, which has been diligently catering to the air freight and transportation sectors in Los Angeles, California, since its founding in 1973. The firm has always embraced modern technology so when Menzies Aviation was the first ground handler at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to deploy Nallian's Truck Visit Management (TVM) solution, Griley Air Freight was one of the first companies to integrate it into their dispatching process. They promptly saw a reduction in waiting time to pick up imports and drop off exports. This immediately saved fuel and labor expenses, reduced engine emissions in a highly regulated state, and ensured a ready supply of drivers remained available for their customers. 

The Story of Griley Air Freight

Griley Air Freight has been a reliable transportation provider for years, known for its consistent service and a knack for efficiency. Some core areas of Griley’s business are pickups and drop-offs at airline warehouses located around Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on behalf of customs brokers and freight forwarders. However, they faced challenges in managing resources effectively at LAX, as did most transport providers picking up freight from LAX. The answer to these challenges was Nallian's Truck Visit Management solution, which Menzies Aviation chose to deploy in the market.

The Challenge of Efficient Cargo Transport Before Nallian’s Truck Visit Management

Efficiently picking up and dropping off cargo at LAX wasn't only a Griley problem. It remains an “everyone” problem. At LAX wait time is on average between two and a half to six hours, and during peaks it can be up to eight hours. Before Nallian’s solution, there was no scheduling or appointment system. Companies would send Griley to Menzies to pick up imported cargo and oftentimes, it wouldn’t be ready or drivers had to wait to drop off cargo.

Griley’s Vice President, Alfonso Munoz, said: “One of the biggest challenges we have when we go to the airport is the wait time. It's hot in California, so drivers want to keep their engines running and the air conditioning on while idling.” It wasted fuel, man hours, money, morale, and time that could've been better utilized serving customers by transporting the goods to their final destinations. The unmanaged process was a drain on human and fiscal resources while ballooning everyone’s carbon footprint.

How Griley Air Freight Uses Nallian’s Truck Visit Management

Griley was one of the first users of the TVM solution. Deciding factors included the ability to set up recurring pickup requests, real-time data, automated notifications, and increased sustainability. 

With the solution, Menzies enabled Griley to book time slots to pick up or drop off freight. Via an online booking form, dispatchers request bookings for pickups and drops offs and can attach freight details. Drivers self-register upon arrival via the digital front desk to activate their booking. 

Within a week of introduction, Griley Air Freight fully implemented Nallian's solution into their daily operations. Their dispatchers welcomed the system, as it made their jobs easier. By simply logging in they could enter requests, view assigned time slots in real-time, track the status of each request, and make changes as necessary. 

The Results

The results were game-changing. Griley Air Freight reported streamlined operations, increased visibility, and better resource management. “When Menzies implemented Nallian's Truck Visit Management solution, we immediately saw the impact and waited on average three to four hours less.” The solution's real-time data provided insights into their operations, allowing them to make data-driven decisions. Recurring pickup requests and automated notifications further enhanced their efficiency. Additionally, the solution supported commitment to green initiatives by reducing truck idling time, a significant win for sustainability.

Ground handlers seeking the opportunity to improve their customers' experience and help comply with a raft of labor and environmental regulations can contact Nallian to learn how to connect their back-office systems to Nallian's front end. 

“Anybody thinking of adopting Nallian’s TVM as a system, I can say it works and it works well. It didn't take too long to implement. We've seen the wait times reduced, and that's ultimately what we want. I encourage you to look into it.” - Alfonso Munoz, Vice President of Griley Air Freight