Rodair ships luxury, collectible, prototype and test automobiles all over the world.
Transporting a special-order automobile often involves a measure of cloak-and-dagger for Rodair International Ltd., a Canadian company specializing in freighting high-value goods into North America.
"Confidentiality for clients and keeping these vehicles from prying eyes are often paramount," says Jeff Cullen, CEO of Rodair, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this fall. "Many clients do not want anyone to know about their purchase, choosing to keep a low profile."
The company, which began out of a garage in Mississauga in 1996, has since expanded to 125 full-time employees in five offices across Canada. Although it also handles high-end retail and consumer products, as well as transport in the mining and oil and gas industries, Rodair's forte is within the automotive sector, shipping luxury, collectible, prototype and test automobiles all over the world. It has delivered everything, from production vehicles for cold-weather testing in Canada's north to fleets of sports cars for royal families in the Middle East.
Some of Rodair's more memorable shipments?
"We delivered to a gentleman just outside of Toronto who pulled up in a Ferrari Enzo as we rolled his brand-new Mercedes-Maybach McLaren out of a NASCAR trailer [and onto] his driveway," recalls Cullen. For that delivery, the Rodair crews donned white gloves and bootie shoe covers to keep the vehicle, which costs $190,000–plus (U.S.), in pristine condition.
"Another guy also bought a Maybach and a Mercedes-Benz SLR for his father's 70th birthday," he says. "We delivered them to the party with huge bows on them."
The importance of keeping luxury automobiles in flawless condition during transit means that air transport is often the best option. Rodair has long worked with Air Canada Cargo for its auto deliveries, primarily because the two companies have built up a great deal of trust.
The airline's freight division has a solid reputation for transporting automobiles by air from Europe into Canada and, for that matter, the rest of North America, as well as, occasionally, South America, according to Tim Hitchings, Air Canada Cargo's sales and interline manager for the U.K., Ireland, the Middle East and India.
"I don't think there was a time when we haven't moved vehicles of some type," says Hitchings, who is based at London's Heathrow Airport. "We fly them on regular passenger flights – [on] pretty much the same airplanes you might go on [for] your summer vacation or your business trip."
The vehicles are often trucked to the Air Canada Cargo hangar at Heathrow, arriving in a covered trailer and already loaded onto specialized steel pallets that are called unit load devices, or ULDs for short. Strapped to the ULDs, the cars move effortlessly on an automated system of rollers and lifts that load them into the belly of a passenger jet.
"The pallet has a locking system that attaches to the floor of the aircraft, so the vehicle cannot shift around laterally or vertically [while] in flight," Hitchings explains.
Generally, only one automobile is transported at any given time on an aircraft and tucked away in the same pressurized, climate-controlled compartment used for pet animals. "This way they're not exposed to any adverse heat or cold," Hitchings says. "They're pretty much cocooned in there."
On any given month, the airline transports only a handful of automobiles, often on order by wealthy collectors or dealers buying vehicles by auction in Europe. Hitchings notes that the process involves "a lot of planning" and is about more than just handling the precious, pricey cargo with extreme care. The logistics for these special orders are often complex, with destinations across North America and, sometimes, remote locales, where new vehicles are test-driven in cold or hot weather. This makes Air Canada Cargo's operations at Heathrow a perfect hub for transporting vehicles to airports across Canada and beyond.
"Because we have a good folio of direct services into Canada, we often have plenty of capacity to cope with these special orders from across Europe," says Hitchings, adding that Italian sports cars are often flown into Canada out of London. "Freight forwarders will bring a car from [northern] Italy to the U.K., for example, and we fly it from here to [somewhere in] North America."
While loading is largely an automated process, each automobile order is unique and requires a personalized touch. "As much as there is great technology out there [now], it is still very much a matter of high-touch value in a high-tech world," notes Cullen, whose company's VIP service involves careful engagement throughout the process, starting from upper management to the logistics teams on the ground.
"When moving things like [a luxury vehicle], we get multiple touch points at the senior level, as well as the operational level, so people are taking the kind of care that's required of these high-value goods."
Timing is particularly crucial when transporting what are essentially top-secret, never-before-seen automobiles for events like the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. In fact, Rodair and Air Canada Cargo have partnered many times to deliver pre-production automobiles and concept cars to the premier auto event, including this year, when Rodair brought in two all-electric Formula One race cars.
"If you miss a flight or you haven't got all eyes on these things to make sure they're loaded and unloaded on time, you could end up with an empty stand at the show, which [won't] make the manufacturer smile," Cullen points out.
Discretion is also valued, he notes, as these vehicles are expected to remain a mystery until they are unveiled. Yet, beyond ensuring that high-value orders remain hush-hush, what is most valuable is the airline's experience of knowing exactly what specialized freight companies like Rodair require.
"We have developed a nice rhythm with each other. We don't have to re-explain to anybody how it needs to be done and why it needs to be done," Cullen says. "They just get it."
This content was produced by The Globe and Mail's Globe Edge Content Studio. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.