Summary of WHY GERMANY IS SO GOOD IN LOGISTICS: Landing, unloading, loading – Cargo hub Leipzig | Documentary

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

The Leipzig airport in Germany has become a top choice for logistics due to its efficient cargo handling, extensive flight volume, and effective management. Approximately 200 of the largest cargo planes from around the world land here every day, with DHL and several other large logistics companies handling roughly 1.6 million metric tons of cargo annually, including express shipments, parcels from online shopping, and international letters. The airport’s logistics center operates 24/7, with about 500,000 parcels leaving Leipzig every night. The cargo handling process is also a highlight, with workers using various techniques to ensure proper handling, identification, and safe loading and unloading of cargo. The airport also has a veterinary inspection post and can transport various animals, including large ones like cattle. The logistics industry in Leipzig plays a crucial role in keeping the supply chain running smoothly, with flight safety being a top priority.

• 00:00:00 In this section, we learn about Leipzig Airport, the fourth largest cargo hub in Europe, and its vital role in logistics. The airport's location at the junction of major highways makes it attractive to logistic airlines, with up to 200 of the largest cargo planes from around the world landing here every day. DHL and several other large logistics companies handle roughly 1.6 million metric tons of cargo annually, including express shipments, parcels from online shopping, and international letters. The logistics center at the airport operates 24/7, with about 500,000 parcels leaving Leipzig every night. We see how the staff at the airport's cargo department port ground load and unload cargo around the clock, with safety being the highest priority. The Boeing 747 from the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk that they handle can carry 139 metric tons of cargo, including classic mail and parcels, with pallets weighing up to six or seven metric tons.
• 00:05:00 In this section, we see the efficient handling of heavy pallets at Leipzig/Halle Airport, which is mainly a hub for cargo shipments. The airport's largest logistics company, HL Express, is located on-site, but it is DHL's European hub that really shines. More than 150,000 packages pass through DHL's sorting center every hour, and the company's pan-European flight volume is more than 23,000 flights every year. The hub control center is where everything comes together, and DHL's employees work cohesively to coordinate flight schedules, weather data, and packaging information. The control center also takes weather into account, as thunderstorms can cause cancellations and delays in flight operations, and the safety of employees is a top priority. Overall, Leipzig/Halle Airport has become a top choice for logistics due to its efficient cargo handling, extensive flight volume, and effective management.
• 00:10:00 In this section, we see the tight and efficient turnaround process of a cargo plane in Leipzig airport, Germany. Despite the worsening weather, the crew carries out safety checks and unloads the cargo of the plane in 48 minutes before reloading it before the thunderstorm arrives. The parcels are sorted and assigned to different planes at the DHL sorting center, showcasing Leipzig's role as a hub. The challenge of unloading every single consignment from every container and assigning it to the correct destination airport is done quickly under time pressure, demonstrating Germany's prowess in logistics.
• 00:15:00 In this section, the documentary focuses on the logistics behind cargo hub Leipzig. They use a Large Automatic Conveying system (LAC) to transport heavy lift goods automatically across different levels of the warehouse, reducing manual labor and shortening transport times within the warehouse. Camera systems also scan packages multiple times to automatically assign them to their new destinations. Although bulky goods make up a small percentage of cargo volume, the terminal sorts over 500,000 packages per night through a 46-kilometer conveyor belt. The article also highlights the special planes, such as the il-76td, used for transporting military cargo.
• 00:20:00 In this section, we learn about the Leipzig airport's veterinary inspection post and how they handle living cargo like pets, horses, and even insects and earthworms. The animals are checked for health and proper identification, with their human companions accompanying them throughout the flight. The Leipzig staff is certified to handle all kinds of cargo, including large animals, and even a small herd of cattle can be transported on a Boeing 747. Additionally, we see how the cargo hub handles reloading packages for their next flight, with a staggering 465,000 shipments scheduled to be loaded in just one night. They must also ensure the proper handling of hazardous goods, such as lithium batteries, which are a known fire hazard.
• 00:25:00 In this section, the video explores the loading and unloading process at DHL's cargo hub in Leipzig. The tight schedule and teamwork are essential elements in this process. The hub uses computers to aid the sorting and acceptance rate at the shoot. There is also an area for non-conveyable cargo, which is too big or too heavy to transport on the belt system, so loaders must load it by forklift. The video stresses the importance of properly securing the load to prevent accidents. The video also shows the loading process of a Boeing 747 and an Airbus A300. The staff at the DHL HUB control center loads each and every plane before it departs, a bit like a Tetris game, with precise plans to ensure the load is properly distributed across the plane. The load plans serve as strict guidelines for the crews that will load the aircraft further down the line. The video emphasizes the paramount importance of flight safety in all stages of the logistics process.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the video, we see how a thunderstorm threat can cause significant delays at an airport, forcing workers to take precautions to protect themselves and putting shipments behind schedule. However, even with these challenges, cargo is still delivered around the world. We also witness the impressive task of moving large jumbo jets on the ground with tow tractors, showing the careful maneuvering required to ensure the safety of both the workers and the aircrafts. These teams, along with many others in Leipzig's logistics industry, play a crucial role in keeping the supply chain running smoothly.
• 00:35:00 In this section, the cargo handling process in the airport's port ground is explained. The cargo handling experts primarily focus on larger general cargo that comes in wooden boxes. The cargo is checked to ensure that it is waterproof, washed down, and loaded onto pallets. A special tool is used to check whether the cargo falls within the contour and workers wrap the crates in waterproof plastic wrap. Each pallet has a PMC number for identification and lifting trucks are used to place transport nets over the crates. The cargo is anchored to the floor of the aircraft to avoid any slipping during flight. The final weight of each individual pallet is measured and it should not exceed the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft. The customs authorities check the correct handling of customs duties, import sales tax, plausibility of individual custom declarations, and inspect shipments for illegal animal trafficking or narcotic smuggling.
• 00:40:00 In this section, the video explores the logistics of cargo handling and customs inspections at the Leipzig airport, which serves as the main hub for online products from non-EU countries. DHL has its own department that holds back shipments for inspection from customs officials, who seize tens of millions of euros worth of counterfeit products every year. The Antonov an-124 cargo plane is also featured, which was developed as a military transport plane in the Soviet Union and is now operated by the Volga Nipper group. Its cargo area can be accessed directly from both the fuselage nose and the stern via dedicated ramps, making loading cars and other cargo much easier.
• 00:45:00 In this section, the documentary showcases the maintenance and engineering processes involved in inspecting and repairing the Antonov an-124, a robust and reliable plane with four D18T engines capable of hauling 400 tons of cargo. The mechanics inspect countless steel bolts that connect the wings to the fuselage carefully to give the gigantic aircraft years of unbelievable service ahead of it. The documentary then proceeds to discuss the Antonov an-225 Maria, the world's biggest and heaviest aircraft capable of transporting 250 metric tons of payload in the 1,200 cubic meter cargo hold or over 100 metric tons on its back. While illustrating the flexibility of the planes, the documentary reveals Leipzig airport as a modern hub for global cargo traffic, with more than 1.3 million metric tons of cargo and 60,000 takeoffs and landings every year.