The worst time to evaluate an AOG courier is when an aircraft is already on the ground. The clock is running, the person calling is under pressure, and every minute spent on credit forms, rate negotiations, and basic questions is a minute the aircraft is not flying. Operators and maintenance teams that handle AOG well tend to do one thing in common: they qualify a courier in advance, test it with a drill, and leave a short brief on file. This guide shows how.
Quick answer
- Choose an AOG courier in calm conditions, because the day an aircraft is grounded is the wrong day to run a vendor evaluation.
- Test response with a drill: call at an awkward hour with a mock request and time how long it takes to reach a person and a plan.
- Prepare a one-page AOG brief once, with part, location, contacts, paperwork, and spending authority, and keep it with the courier's dispatch.
- Look beyond trucks: check dangerous-goods training, border and airport knowledge, and whether an onboard courier is available.
Why AOG Vendors Are Chosen in Peacetime
An aircraft on the ground earns nothing and disrupts a schedule, which is why AOG shipping is treated as an emergency. A courier that has already been evaluated, set up, and briefed saves minutes at the one moment minutes count. A courier discovered during the emergency may be excellent, but you will not know until the part is already late.
The Capabilities That Matter
| Capability | Why it matters | How to test it |
|---|---|---|
| Always-on dispatch | AOG events do not wait for office hours | Call at night or on a weekend and see who answers |
| Decision authority | A dispatcher who must escalate everything slows the response | Ask whether dispatch can commit a vehicle and a route without a second approval |
| Aviation paperwork literacy | Parts travel with documents that must stay with them, see our guide for AOG parts delivery for MRO teams | Ask how release paperwork and serial numbers are kept with the part |
| Dangerous-goods training | Many parts include batteries, oxygen components, or residues, see our dangerous goods overview | Ask for current training certificates and what they cover |
| Border and airport knowledge | Parts often arrive through cargo terminals or cross a border, see our guide to air cargo pickup at YUL | Ask how a pickup at a cargo terminal works and who handles customs paperwork |
| Hand-carry option | Sometimes the fastest route is a person on the next flight, see our onboard courier guide | Ask whether the courier arranges onboard service and how |
On training, Transport Canada's bulletin explains that anyone who handles, offers, or transports dangerous goods must be adequately trained and hold a training certificate, and it gives different validity periods for road and air. Ask for the certificate and check its expiry date.
The Drill: Test Before You Trust
- Choose an awkward time, such as a weeknight evening or a weekend morning.
- Call with a mock request that uses a real pickup address and a dummy part description.
- Time how long it takes to reach a person.
- Time how long it takes to receive a concrete plan: vehicle, route, and estimated arrival.
- Ask how often updates will arrive, and by what method.
- Ask what documents the driver will carry and what the driver will need from you.
- Debrief. Score the call on speed, clarity, and confidence.
Cancel the request cleanly and tell the courier it was a drill. A vendor that respects the exercise is showing you how it respects the real thing.
Your One-Page AOG Brief
Prepare this once, update it when something changes, and send it to the courier's dispatch so it is on file before you need it.
- The operator, the aircraft registration, and the contact who can approve decisions.
- Where the aircraft is, including the airport, the hangar or gate, and the access instructions.
- Part number, description, serial number, weight, and dimensions.
- The supplier's address and a pickup contact.
- The paperwork that must travel with the part.
- Dangerous-goods information, such as batteries or oxygen components.
- Who may authorize spending outside office hours, and the billing details.
Standing Account or Ad Hoc?
| Setup | Advantage | Drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Standing account | Credit, contacts, and rates are agreed in advance, so the first call can go straight to action | Takes a little administration up front |
| Ad hoc | No commitment | Credit checks, quotes, and introductions happen at the worst possible time |
| Hybrid | An account with one preferred courier, plus a named backup | Requires keeping both briefs current |
Questions to Ask a Prospective AOG Courier
- Who answers after hours, and what can that person decide?
- How do you keep paperwork and serial numbers with a part?
- Which of your drivers hold current dangerous-goods certificates?
- How do you handle a pickup at a cargo terminal?
- Can you arrange an onboard courier, and how fast?
- How do you handle a part crossing the border?
- What do you tell me while the job is under way?
- What do you do when a plan fails, such as a missed flight or a closed terminal?
Red Flags
- Voicemail, or a call-back promise, outside business hours.
- A quote with no questions about the part or the destination.
- No clear answer about dangerous goods.
- A single vehicle or driver described as the whole plan.
- No definition of what “urgent” means in their operation.
What We Can Tell You About Rush Expedited Courier
We are based in Dorval, minutes from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, and our dispatch team takes urgent requests 24/7, every day of the year. We transport aircraft parts that include engines, avionics, and landing gear, with a rapid response for AOG situations, tamper-evident packaging, and tracking while the job is under way. Our drivers are certified for dangerous goods, and we offer an onboard courier service. If you would like to run the drill with us, we welcome it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I approve an AOG courier before I need one?
Yes. Setting up credit, contacts, and a brief ahead of time removes the slowest steps from an emergency. Even a basic arrangement with one primary and one backup courier is better than starting from nothing on the day.
What should I ask an AOG courier about dangerous goods?
Ask whether drivers hold current training certificates, what those certificates cover, and how the courier handles parts with batteries, oxygen components, or residues. Transport Canada's training bulletin gives different validity periods for road and air, so ask for the dates.
How can I tell whether a courier understands aircraft part documentation?
Ask what happens to the paperwork between pickup and delivery. A courier does not create airworthiness documents, but it should know that they must stay with the part, that serial numbers matter, and who to call when something does not match.
Is a standing account worth it for occasional AOG events?
Often yes, because the value shows up on the day you need it. Credit, contacts, and rates are already agreed, so the first call goes straight to a plan. The cost is a small amount of administration.
What kind of response should I expect when I call at 3 a.m.?
A live person and a concrete plan, not a voicemail. The plan should include a vehicle, a route, an estimated time, and a way to receive updates. That is exactly what a drill is meant to verify.
Make the Call Before You Have To
AOG performance is largely decided before the part is ordered: who is on file, what the brief says, and whether the courier has been tested. Qualify one, drill it, keep the brief current, and review it once a year. Then when the call comes, it is a routine one.
If you would like to qualify us ahead of time, start with the quote form and tell us what your aircraft and routes look like. Our aircraft parts courier service page describes what we carry.