Hardware launches don't slip for freight reasons. Lithium-aware air, climate control, and NDA-grade chain of custody from the factory floor to the pre-launch pallet.
Lithium batteries — standalone (UN3480), contained in equipment (UN3481), or packed with equipment (UN3481 packing instruction 966/967) — move under IATA DGR class 9. A single declaration error grounds the pallet at origin and costs a week.
We hold the IATA certifications in-house, run UN-rated packaging against your product's battery class, keep MSDS and test summary reports on file for every SKU, and pre-clear with the origin airline before the truck leaves the factory. The first time we see a new battery design is at the PP sample, not at the cargo terminal.
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The logistics beats of a hardware launch, mapped against the PM calendar. Every slip upstream gets absorbed here or shows up at the keynote.
First engineering-validation units moved under NDA. Battery class confirmed, UN packaging sized, lithium documentation staged for the SKU.
Design-validation build lands. Air block locked for the launch window. Climate-controlled staging reserved at LA and FRA.
Production-validation runs go on ocean for float stock, air for launch stock. Chain of custody switches from NDA list to broader carrier handling, still sealed and serial-tracked.
Serialised pallets into bonded climate-controlled storage near the launch market. Embargo release dates locked against the retail calendar.
Pallets released to retailer DCs and regional 3PLs. Serial-level confirmation ties the release back to the retail SKU system.
Retail launch and DTC launch both supplied. Air block converts to replenishment mode for weeks one and two.
The four operational habits that separate a hardware-literate freight partner from a generalist who learns the rules on your launch.
Sealed containers, tamper-evident pallets, serial-level scan at every touch, CCTV-backed transfer points where the retail SLA demands it. NDA list held at the carrier, not shared across the freight floor.
Active reefer and humidity-controlled containers for sensitive electronics; passive insulated liners for shorter legs. Temperature log travels with the shipment and lands in the portal.
Customer returns flow to a bonded inspection node, tested against your RMA tree, then repaired, refurbished or scrapped to your scrap policy. Recovery rate visible at SKU level.
Bonded climate-controlled positions near LA, FRA, SIN and HKG. Hold under embargo, release on your schedule. Serial-level release manifest feeds your retail and DTC systems simultaneously.