MEI’s Silver adds that once at the facility, a team must also ensure that both objects and people are cleared out before equipment can move through. MRI magnets are particularly sensitive to their surroundings and can have an adverse effect on nearby items, so the area should be free of metal, debris and even credit cards and cellphones.

“The magnet might have enough power that it will rip things off a wall, then it takes 10 guys to pull it off,” Silvers says.

Even the most organized riggers need to be ready to put on their thinking caps when unexpected challenges come up.

“Sometimes we have to remove walls to put in magnets. They’ll put them on the fourth or fifth floor, remove a wall, and bring it out with a crane,” says Silvers.

Smooth operations: tips for buyers and sellers
Common customer complaints revolve around incorrectly timed deliveries, confused installs and arrivals at the wrong address.

“I think the biggest thing with shipping is just the communication, when they deliver something, that they deliver it to the right person, the right location,” says Rick Curry, project manager of installations at GE and an Ambrose customer. “I’ve had things delivered to wrong locations, not by Ambrose, but when working with other companies.”

And since messages can be lost at any point in the process, companies advise continual communication from start to finish.

“My opinion is you can never call enough and double check enough,” says Shadow Transport’s Williams. “I even do that when I have deliveries going to my house, like a fridge. It’s just all about being prepared and communicating with all parties involved.”

Logical Solution Services’ Cruz notes that it’s especially important for buyers to plan in the beginning when dealing with international shipments.

“A phone call when you make the purchase to find out what’s involved in getting it to you is a lot better than once it’s been shipped,” says Cruz. While the international seller may make arrangements to export the purchase, its clearance upon arrival is in the customer’s hands, Cruz says.

Detours from abroad
One potential risk to the freight transport sector is the possibility of a drop-off in demand from China, the United States’ biggest export market, cautions Business Monitor International.

“I think the trade relationships with China will play a big role next year,” says Logical Solution Services’ Cruz.

And like everyone connected to the medical world, those in the freight and rigging sector are waiting to see what impact health care reform will have on the industry. Companies agree, however, that there will always be a demand for professional transport of valuable and fragile medical equipment.

December 2012 Magazine

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