Airforwarders Association membership swells
Source:transportweekly 2014-1-24 9:16:00
The growth in the number of freight forwarding companies joining the U.S. Airforwarders Association has reached unprecedented levels, with the organization's membership rolls expanding by nearly 25 percent over the past year. More than half of the increase in the association's regular membership, which is comprised of freight forwarding companies that focus on air cargo, has come in just the past few weeks. The AfA now represents 230 companies in addition to more than 120 other businesses and organizations that work with or serve freight forwarding operations. “As they contemplate increased business in an improving economy, forwarders are likely realizing that the regulatory framework for airfreight and other commonly-used modes is now more extensive and complex than ever,” Brandon Fried (pictured above), the AfA’s executive director, said. “So they want to make certain their voice is heard in Washington and that they have a way to keep current on regulatory and industry developments.” Fried, who writes a monthly column for Air Cargo World, pointed out that that much of the cargo handled by the nation's airfreight forwarders is transferred across two or more modes of transportation between shipper and receiver. Accordingly, he said, the AfA has become increasingly active in legislative initiatives and regulatory issues that are present across a range of transportation modes, including trucking, shipping and railroads as well as airfreight.