Zoom Cargo s.r.o pride themselves as a team of experts who have been engaged in worldwide marine, air and land transport and logistics services since 1997. Their rich experience and international contacts, makes it easier for them to design and implement efficient shipping solutions for any shipment. They offer more options according to client-specific priorities and prepared to offer their services even where others are reluctant to take the order due to complex formalities, nonstandard loads or time consuming. They have faith that there is an ideal shipping solution for every load. Let’s get to know their beginnings through their Managing Director- Pavel Rusňák

What do we need to know about your company? 

PR - Zoom Cargo is a small company with professional staff, who can offer a variety of professional solutions, thanks to our contacts, experience and dedication to our work. Some of my colleagues have been with the company for more than 15 years, which is a sign of stability for our clients and partners.  

Besides standard cargoes in air, sea, and truck transport, we focus on time critical solutions for express air or truck shipments from door-to-door. For sea, we focus on oversize and project cargoes. Combining our experiences with various kinds of shipments gives us a good professional background. Thanks to our policy of neutral acting and loyalty, Zoom Cargo is a long-term service partner for both: the Czech Republic and Slovakia for several large international partners, handling cargo neutrally for their big clients.  

For customs clearance in your country, any advice or guidelines you can provide to your future partners considering shipment your handling are time-constraint?

PR - Czech Republic and Slovakia, countries that we are operating for air, sea and trucking, are members of the EU, so our customs rules are very much the same as in Germany or other EU countries. We provide 24/7 customs brokerage for all kinds of express shipments, including ATA carnets and high value shipments. For smooth clearance we basically need proper goods description or HS code and commercial invoice showing correct importer as buyer, delivery term specification (incoterms code and place), and information about the country of origin of the goods. For sure, we need a contact on consignee/importer before cargo reaches the Czech Republic, so we can obtain the mandatory documents for customs procedures. Export procedures are a bit easier than import procedures, but we still need basic details and documents.

What are difficulties or challenges you are facing in your country, when it comes to shipping? And how are you handling it?

PR - Limited human resources - finding a reliable people is a long term issue and we struggle with it. We offer new colleagues basic training and supervision during their start in our company. Basically, we try to teach them all operational and communication processes from the beginning to ensure, that the entire team can act in all situations the same way and use the same processes.

How did Zoom Cargo started and how it progressed?

PR - Since 1996, when I established the company, we are located in Prague, Czech Republic, close to the airport, handling shipments in Czech Republic and Slovakia region. Currently we have a 12 people team + 30 external, experienced co-workers, usually flying for us as on-board courier.

People in Zoom Cargo are ready to take moral responsibility for entrusted shipments and projects, and are always ready to help our clients or partners to find the right way for their shipments and coordinate delivery in time to final destination. 

Now that you’ve introduced us your company and how you handle your shipments, let’s get to know you more. How did you get into the freight and logistics industry? 

PR - Thanks to my parents, who led me to study foreign trade during and after school, I have switched to a related area of business - freight forwarding.

How long have you been in the freight forwarding business?

PR - I've been in the business since 1996, so now 22 years and still enjoying the freight forwarding adrenaline, and new challenges every day :-) 

If you can change anything about the freight forwarding industry, what would it be?

PR - Freight forwarding is depended on hundreds of outside factors, and it is hard to change just one thing without affecting something else. 

I would suggest, less bureaucracy and administration for some certain processes. 

What advice would you give to a person who is considering a career in the freight forwarding industry? 

PR - Try it, to see if you love it or leave it. You need to be a bit in love with this profession or addicted on that kind of freight forwarding adrenaline, otherwise you cannot be ready anytime during day or night to start solving clients' requests and find a solution for them. 

What should shippers consider, when selecting a time critical logistics service provider?

PR - Whether a nominated forwarder is capable of facing possible troubles on the route. We never promise to our clients that there is no risk of troubles, but when there will be any trouble, which we could not predict, we will be with them and solving the problem until the end. Most of the troubles can be predicted thanks to good experience, dedication to sharing the information and using an experienced agent. 

What industry sector are you servicing the most? Have you seen a shift in industries requiring time critical logistics services? 

PR - We service various industrial sectors - automotive, high value electronics and IT, aircraft and the aviation industry, luxury ware, and complex industrial projects. Our clients are small local or start-up companies, but also big international companies, relying on our services in export or import direction. I think, that the largest need of time-critical solutions is still in the automotive and aviation industries, thanks to the consequences given by financial factors for stopping the production line or aircraft on ground. 

How do you see technology affecting the future of time critical shipment handling?

 PR - Many industrial companies are running production lines, based on just-in-time deliveries of material to production line with minimum stock reserves. When there is any unexpected delay in ocean freight or trucking caused by a major force for example, then there is an urgent need for time-critical solutions, usually by air. This means sometimes you can see screws or other metal or plastic low-value products flying as urgent air freight. 

What type of aircraft do you most commonly used for shipments?

PR - We use all types of aircraft, operated by all airlines to and from our region, including all sizes charger flights. 

What do you find to be the most exciting aspect of your profession? Is it the urgency of handling client needs, or something else? 

PR - Exactly - the urgency of our clients' needs and variety of their request. You never know, which kind of cargo you will need to find some solution for in the next hour. 

For time critical shipments, do you find it to be more advantageous as an agile small or medium sized business than a larger organization such as a MNC?

PR - I think small and middle-size companies are more flexible and capable to offer more dedicated service, proven partnership and flow of information.