DHL will transport over 1,000 pieces of marching band instruments and equipment from 15 US high schools and universities participating in the New Year’s Day parade in London.

    More than half a million people are expected to pack London's streets on January 1 to view the parade that will see 10,000 performers representing over 20 countries worldwide.

    Shipping the delicate equipment to the UK from Fremont in California, Forest in Virginia, and locations in-between requires a highly coordinated effort from the International Specialists at DHL.

    “DHL will conduct a specialised shipping solution that provides peace of mind to these young band members, so they can focus on their once-in-a-lifetime experience and be at ease knowing their instruments will arrive on-time and in perfect condition,” said Terry Carter, vice-president of operations for DHL.

    This week, DHL will pick up tubas, snare drums, trumpets, saxophones, trombones and other musical instruments at each participating school and load onto special aircraft containers to be transported to the DHL Gateway at JFK Airport in New York.

    From there, the shrink-wrapped instrument shipments uplift for the UK where DHL will provide Customs brokerage services and warehousing for the instruments until they are ready for retrieval by band members in time for pre-parade rehearsals.

    DHL developed a full-service shipping solution that includes customized labeling; dedicated, proactive monitoring for each shipment; additional trucks and flight segments and synchronized special handling – with services provided by DHL Express and DHL Global Forwarding units.

    After the successful completion of the January 1 event, DHL will orchestrate the complex exercise in reverse, coordinating the return shipment of all 1,000 instruments to each of the participating schools in 13 states.

    London's New Year's Day Parade started in 1987, and has raised or donated nearly a million pounds to a wide range of London based charities. More than 10,000 performers representing 20+ countries worldwide and more than half a million spectators line the 3.2km route, making this the biggest event of its kind in the world.

(source:http://www.cargonewsasia.com/secured/article.aspx?id=7&article=27339)