The exciting world of cargo
While the orchestra takes the morning off to go on nearby mountain excursions or buy chocolates for loved ones back home, special Guest Blogger Tim Carless (SFS Technical Coordinator) takes a look at what it takes to make sure our cargo (instruments, music, stands, chairs etc) is with us every step of the way.
Cargo always travels separately from the orchestra, leaving sometimes 1 or 2 days earlier, and returning 1 or 2 days later. As cargo flights are not as regularly scheduled as passenger flights, and this can sometimes pose a logistical challenge. On this tour, however, we are blessed with a complimentary flight schedule.
Our story begins with the “Carnet” – the intricate customs document that lists every instrument, bow, mouthpiece and mute the orchestra members plan to bring out of the US and into a foreign country. The Carnet lists which trunk the instrument will be shipped in, the owner of the item, the maker of the item (Stradivarius, for example), the country of origin (both the maker and origin categories are often times listed as ‘unknown’ or ‘anonymous’, especially with string instruments), and finally the appraised value of each piece. The accuracy of this list is crucial. It is a blessedly rare occurrence for a customs official to ask to see the contents of a particular trunk. More often than not, the cargo flows easily through customs, depending greatly on the relationship a customs broker (our representative) has with the customs official. However, if the official decides to take a look, and finds that the Carnet is not correct, that official has the authority to impound our ENTIRE shipment and detain our cargo for up to 30 days before we are even allowed to question the decision. Needless to say, two or three individuals go over the Carnet with a fine toothed comb a number of times before it is submitted to our US customs broker, and before we pack the trunks. We have 424 individual pieces (violins, trumpets, clarinets etc., bows, mouthpieces, mutes, keyboards, cymbals, drum sticks and stands, chairs, sound shields, earplugs, podium etc) within the trunks, each of which is listed on the Carnet.
Guest Blogger Tim Carless recaffeinates backstage in between cargo issues
We encourage our musicians to place the instruments in the cargo, but some prefer to ‘hand carry’ their instruments on flights. This has become more and more difficult to do with the current airline restrictions, but some musicians prefer to have their instrument with them. Also, with the cargo sometimes not arriving until 2 days after the musicians, some prefer to have their instrument to practice on so they can keep in shape, rather than wait for the cargo to arrive.
The cargo begins traveling after the final concert in San Francisco. When we ‘load out’ from the concert hall, musicians pack their instruments and clothes quickly after the performance, and from there, the stage crew takes over. DataWatch ™ Sensors are places in 6 different trunks and they are locked for transport. Each of these sensors will take temperature and humidity level readings every 30 minutes until we turn them off and record the data (via serial computer connection) after arrival at the concert hall. We are thus able to track the temperature and humidity levels of the instruments during the only time they are physically out of our control. We like to keep the cargo between 60° and 80° F, (and our precious instruments like that temperature as well) and the sensors will alert us with a beeping alarm if we dip below or above. Trunks are then carefully packed into two 48’ trucks.
DataWatch ™ Sensors to monitor temperature of precious cargo
Many of our trunks are custom built to tightly fit in the trucks. Timpani are the first to be stacked in the truck, followed by basses and cellos – these instruments, for obvious reasons, but remain upright at all times, and the truck fills up quickly. From there, it is a puzzle of fitting pieces into tight spaces, stacking the lighter pieces on the heavier, and strapping them all down for safe transport. The second truck will fill quickly with wardrobe trunks and the more odd shaped pieces. When both trucks are filled and we have accounted for every piece on the Carnet (cargo piece numbers are shouted out and checked off as they go on and come off), the doors are locked and we head to the airport.
With a crew of seven, 31 wardrobe trunks are quickly wheeled off the trucks and placed on the cargo pallets, creating flat base on which other instruments can be stacked. Basses and cellos take up almost 2 pallets on their own. The pallets can be stacked to 108 inches high, and they are approximately 8 foot square. Another puzzle. Also during the unloading of the trucks, we check off each piece, and try to map each pallet as we stack the trunks. This makes it slightly easier to stack them on the return flight.
Hard working stage crew (l-r) Luree Baker, Dennis DeVost, Hal Soogian, and Vance DeVost unloading instrument trunks
The cargo is then wrapped in plastic shrink wrap, strapped down, and tightly secured under a cargo net. Our cargo flies in temperature controlled spaces on the plane. Other items we see on this kind of a flight, a Boeing 747 fitted for cargo, include fresh vegetables, antiques and collectors cars. Two of our stage crew fly with the cargo and are hopefully able to get some sleep. Upon landing in Europe, the entire flight’s cargo is processed through customs. The trucks are then loaded carefully with then instruments and another puzzle is created.
Upon arrival at the concert hall, the trunks are distributed around the backstage area of hall. The backstage area is posted with directional signs for the musicians (where to find instruments, wardrobe, bathrooms, stage, changing rooms, warm up spaces, etc.), and the stage is set for the rehearsal.
A collective sigh is heard from the technical crew as the doors are shut and the orchestra rehearsal is under way.
Cargo always travels separately from the orchestra, leaving sometimes 1 or 2 days earlier, and returning 1 or 2 days later. As cargo flights are not as regularly scheduled as passenger flights, and this can sometimes pose a logistical challenge. On this tour, however, we are blessed with a complimentary flight schedule.
Our story begins with the “Carnet” – the intricate customs document that lists every instrument, bow, mouthpiece and mute the orchestra members plan to bring out of the US and into a foreign country. The Carnet lists which trunk the instrument will be shipped in, the owner of the item, the maker of the item (Stradivarius, for example), the country of origin (both the maker and origin categories are often times listed as ‘unknown’ or ‘anonymous’, especially with string instruments), and finally the appraised value of each piece. The accuracy of this list is crucial. It is a blessedly rare occurrence for a customs official to ask to see the contents of a particular trunk. More often than not, the cargo flows easily through customs, depending greatly on the relationship a customs broker (our representative) has with the customs official. However, if the official decides to take a look, and finds that the Carnet is not correct, that official has the authority to impound our ENTIRE shipment and detain our cargo for up to 30 days before we are even allowed to question the decision. Needless to say, two or three individuals go over the Carnet with a fine toothed comb a number of times before it is submitted to our US customs broker, and before we pack the trunks. We have 424 individual pieces (violins, trumpets, clarinets etc., bows, mouthpieces, mutes, keyboards, cymbals, drum sticks and stands, chairs, sound shields, earplugs, podium etc) within the trunks, each of which is listed on the Carnet.
Guest Blogger Tim Carless recaffeinates backstage in between cargo issues
We encourage our musicians to place the instruments in the cargo, but some prefer to ‘hand carry’ their instruments on flights. This has become more and more difficult to do with the current airline restrictions, but some musicians prefer to have their instrument with them. Also, with the cargo sometimes not arriving until 2 days after the musicians, some prefer to have their instrument to practice on so they can keep in shape, rather than wait for the cargo to arrive.
The cargo begins traveling after the final concert in San Francisco. When we ‘load out’ from the concert hall, musicians pack their instruments and clothes quickly after the performance, and from there, the stage crew takes over. DataWatch ™ Sensors are places in 6 different trunks and they are locked for transport. Each of these sensors will take temperature and humidity level readings every 30 minutes until we turn them off and record the data (via serial computer connection) after arrival at the concert hall. We are thus able to track the temperature and humidity levels of the instruments during the only time they are physically out of our control. We like to keep the cargo between 60° and 80° F, (and our precious instruments like that temperature as well) and the sensors will alert us with a beeping alarm if we dip below or above. Trunks are then carefully packed into two 48’ trucks.
DataWatch ™ Sensors to monitor temperature of precious cargo
Many of our trunks are custom built to tightly fit in the trucks. Timpani are the first to be stacked in the truck, followed by basses and cellos – these instruments, for obvious reasons, but remain upright at all times, and the truck fills up quickly. From there, it is a puzzle of fitting pieces into tight spaces, stacking the lighter pieces on the heavier, and strapping them all down for safe transport. The second truck will fill quickly with wardrobe trunks and the more odd shaped pieces. When both trucks are filled and we have accounted for every piece on the Carnet (cargo piece numbers are shouted out and checked off as they go on and come off), the doors are locked and we head to the airport.
With a crew of seven, 31 wardrobe trunks are quickly wheeled off the trucks and placed on the cargo pallets, creating flat base on which other instruments can be stacked. Basses and cellos take up almost 2 pallets on their own. The pallets can be stacked to 108 inches high, and they are approximately 8 foot square. Another puzzle. Also during the unloading of the trucks, we check off each piece, and try to map each pallet as we stack the trunks. This makes it slightly easier to stack them on the return flight.
Hard working stage crew (l-r) Luree Baker, Dennis DeVost, Hal Soogian, and Vance DeVost unloading instrument trunks
The cargo is then wrapped in plastic shrink wrap, strapped down, and tightly secured under a cargo net. Our cargo flies in temperature controlled spaces on the plane. Other items we see on this kind of a flight, a Boeing 747 fitted for cargo, include fresh vegetables, antiques and collectors cars. Two of our stage crew fly with the cargo and are hopefully able to get some sleep. Upon landing in Europe, the entire flight’s cargo is processed through customs. The trucks are then loaded carefully with then instruments and another puzzle is created.
Upon arrival at the concert hall, the trunks are distributed around the backstage area of hall. The backstage area is posted with directional signs for the musicians (where to find instruments, wardrobe, bathrooms, stage, changing rooms, warm up spaces, etc.), and the stage is set for the rehearsal.
A collective sigh is heard from the technical crew as the doors are shut and the orchestra rehearsal is under way.
posted by OT at 5:56 AM
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