Tuned to perfection in Estonia. Performed to a standing ovation on Broadway.

Tuned to perfection in Estonia. Performed to a standing ovation on Broadway.

Challenge

For a major European piano manufacturer in Estonia, transporting their masterpieces to the U.S. was a challenge. It was crucial that the pianos would not go off-key by the time they reached their destination, as re-tuning the pianos would be costly.

APL’s cargo specialists recognized that a piano’s tuning could be dramatically altered by changes in temperature and humidity. And the routes from Eastern Europe to the U.S. would subject the pianos to wide climatic swings, especially in winter.

Solution

APL’s unconventional – but completely logical – solution was to use refrigerated containers. They offer precise temperature and humidity control and the key was to match the refrigerated container’s environment with the climatic conditions inside the factory where the pianos were tuned.

Absorbent cloths were also placed inside the pianos as an extra precaution against humidity. APL’s team monitored the shipment at every stage of the journey to ensure the atmospheric specifications stayed the same.

Result

The pianos arrived in perfect condition. It saved the consignee substantial time and money previously spent on re-tuning. And, to the audiences, it was simply a magnificent performance.

Now, that’s APL moving business forward.