Special Delivery: The five most extraordinary deliveries of 2024

When you think of logistics, you probably imagine parcels and pallets or planes and packed shipping containers. But there’s much more to it than that – a whole lot more. And the stories behind those shipments can range from heartwarming to adrenaline-pumping.

Our experts handled some extraordinary goods this year – here’s a look at five of the most unusual. Join us behind the scenes for a look at logistics beyond the ordinary.

Can you transport a hospital? Yes, you can. In early 2024, we accepted a vital mission: to deliver the world’s first mobile heart clinic from Germany to El Salvador. Packed in 11 containers, we took utmost care to ensure this lifesaving equipment made the 9,000-kilometer (6,000-mile) journey safely over land and sea.

Developed by Kinderherzen, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children with congenital heart defects lead healthy and fulfilling lives, the clinic allows physicians to conduct lifesaving surgery on children in regions lacking specialized medical facilities. Once set up, the clinic provided free treatments to young patients in Zacamil, El Salvador, until May 2024, when we transported it to Burundi, East Africa, where it continued its critical mission.

Moving a bunch of birds from A to B might initially sound easy. But this particular delivery was something the wildlife conservation community had never done before. In a landmark conservation effort, we helped organize the relocation of 163 critically endangered vultures from Pretoria to the Shamwari Wildlife Reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. That’s an overland trip of some 1,050 kilometers (650 miles).

The project aimed to provide a safe and sustainable habitat for these critically endangered birds, including Cape and African White-backed vultures. Over 50 volunteers contributed to the project, carefully loading the birds onto two 34-ton trucks. After an 18-hour journey with five support and security vehicles, the birds were released into their new, safe environment, where they can breed and thrive with minimal human interaction. The relocation is part of a larger initiative to restore and protect African vulture populations, which face ongoing threats in the wild.

In August, we undertook a heartwarming task to transport Chocolat, a disabled chimpanzee, from Kenya to the Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset County in southwest England. Treating her trip as a high-priority transport, we flew Chocolat from Nairobi to East Midlands Airport in the UK and by van from there to Dorset. She traveled with animal experts in a custom-built crate, packed with her favorite snacks, such as fruit and sweet potatoes, to ensure her comfort and that she arrived safely and in good spirits.

Chocolat’s story began in Congo, where she was rescued as an infant in 2001 after surviving the illegal bushmeat trade after poachers killed her mother. Injured by shotgun pellets, she was left with a paralyzed hand and foot. Chocolat spent over two decades in Kenya under the care of her rescuer. However, she needed a permanent home in a specialized sanctuary that could provide her with the best possible care. Now that she resides in a new home with six other chimpanzees, Chocolat has found the family she had missed since her time in the wild.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra’s tour of Japan in September 2024 was as much a logistical masterpiece as it was a musical celebration. We transported around 60 valuable instruments, including double basses, cellos, timpani, and a harp, from the UK to the Act City Hamamatsu Concert Hall in Japan.

Covering over 9,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) by air and road, this complex operation required careful planning and execution. The wooden instruments required a consistent temperature range of 17–21 degrees Celsius throughout the journey to prevent warping or cracking. Additionally, each instrument was housed in custom-built, shock-absorbing cases for maximum protection. Despite a demanding schedule, the instruments arrived on time and in perfect condition. This allowed the orchestra to perform their first concert in Hamamatsu, followed by stops in Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo.

As the Official Logistics Partner of Bond in Motion, 007 Science, and 007 Action, we’ve got a license to deliver iconic James Bond artifacts. In August 2024, we got the call to move over 130 pieces of Bond memorabilia from the Bond in Motion exhibition in Prague to the 007 Action display in Vienna. Among the items were 27 cars, eight motorcycles, costumes, parachutes, and James Bond’s driving license.

The shipment was packed with iconic highlights from Bond films past and present: the unmistakable Aston Martin DB5, featured in eight Bond movies from Goldfinger (1864) to  No Time to Die (2021); the ice dragster from Die Another Day; and the helicopter 007 destroyed in Spectre. Safeguarding these priceless artifacts was a mission we were trained and ready for. Equipped with 22 trucks with specially designed enclosed car carriers and hydraulic lifts, we ensured maximum protection during the 320-kilometer (200-mile) journey.