Our crews at Air Canada Cargo are experts at how to pack, palletize, and load all kinds of air freight onto our global fleet. In January, a team of four from our London Heathrow cargo facility came home with several awards from the Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) International Forklift and Pallet Building Competition.
This event attracts teams from around the world to the SuperTerminal 1 facility at HKG to focus on safety and test their technical skills. Air Canada Cargo received first place in the Forklift Competition as well as the Forklift Driving Safety Award. The team was also named Overall 2nd Runner-up in recognition of combined scores for forklift operation and pallet building.
Air Canada Cargo was represented by Sean Softleigh, Warehouse Shift Lead, as team captain; Gary James, Warehouse Attendant, as forklift driver; and Stephen Shoulder and Chris Everley, Warehouse Attendants, who are both strong pallet builders. “We're very proud of our team and of their success at the competition. They demonstrated the professionalism and high safety standards that Air Canada Cargo strives for every day,” said Tim Wong, Director, Cargo Sales & Services – Asia-Pacific. “Thank you to Hactl for hosting another outstanding event, and congratulations to all participants on their hard work during this competition.”
Contestants had limited time and working space to complete a challenging course. They performed a variety of complex manoeuvres to load items in compliance with ICAO and IATA international standards related to dangerous goods, heavy cargo, and overall build integrity. Final scores reflected a combination of safety, technique, and teamwork.
“Mixing machinery and people in a time-constrained environment like air cargo handling always introduces risk. Hactl‘s annual competition puts a light-hearted, friendly, and competitive face on a serious message – that safety in the air cargo workplace is paramount. Honing forklift driving skills is a key aspect of this and was clearly evidenced by the excellent performance of the competitors this year,” said Wilson Kwong, Chief Executive of Hactl.
