AMI Australia to launch spot rate desk for air and sea freight

The Australian division of AMI, the world's largest airfreight wholesaler, said Wednesday it is launching a Spot Rate Desk to provide faster and more competitive air and ocean freight quotes to agent customers.

From Monday customers can call (300) SPOT RATE (776-8728 in Australia) free of charge, and will be connected direct to the AMI Spot Rate Desk. Spot rates will be available on all air freight shipment of more than 250 kilos, and all ocean shipments.

The spot rate desk will research service and rate options across multiple carriers on behalf of its agent customers, and present them with high-speed quotes representing the best possible deals.

The launch of a Spot Rate desk in Australia is one of a number of measures being adopted since AMI acquired well-known Australian air freight wholesaler UAC in April 2007, the company said in a statement. The new facility echoes a successful move made in 2006 by AMI's U.K. operation, where spot rates now account for some 20 percent of all bookings. AMI Australia is also now publishing a global tariff based closely on the highly successful U.K. model.

The launch of this new facility recognizes the changed nature of the air freight business, in which the speed and competitiveness of quotations are now critical in helping agents to retain their existing business and develop new traffic, said Mike Montague, who will head the spot desk after joining AMI from forwarder CT Freight. On addition to helping our current customers, we expect this spot rate facility to be a major factor in winning new accounts.

AMI is the world's largest trade-only air freight wholesaler, with 13 owned bases in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and South Africa. 

Source: American Shipper