It may not seem like a very big deal but American Airlines Cargo selecting Unilode ULD Management to partner with to manage the entire American Airlines Cargo ULD fleet for 999 aircraft (August 28) puts a whole lot of cans on the line for Unilode to deliver on time with all manner of repair, maintenance, and digitization solutions.
     Unilode hit the ground running to deliver seamlessly to AA Cargo; visiting American Airlines Centers across the United States and globally, offering hands-on training and information sessions to ensure that top to bottom, AA's Cargo team felt comfortable and confident in the partnership.
     Unilode also has created a dedicated American Airlines Cargo Customer Success Team based in Dallas-Fort Worth.
     Sam 'socks' Mendenhall, (above right) Vice President American Airlines Cargo Operations. who knows something about “kicking the cans”, and has been seen wearing some snazzy socks, (above pictured earlier this year at Airforwarders Association AirCargo 2025 confab) smiled and put it this way:
     “Unilode’s expertise in ULD management, repair, and digital tracking technology play a crucial role in ensuring the highest level of reliability and service for our customers.”
      We like this combination in the spirit of what goes around, comes around!
American Airlines, in case you missed it, introduced the ULD worldwide in 1958.
     Today the ULD pioneer hooking up with the largest provider of ULD services in the world in 2025, feels like a natural thing to do.
     The First ULD from American Cargo was branded The Paul Bunyan Box when it appeared in 1958. This innovative container was groundbreaking, allowing for the efficient loading and unloading of cargo on aircraft, significantly reducing the time and effort required for each flight. The design and branding of the ULD were inspired by the legendary fictional lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, symbolizing strength and resilience.
     The Paul Bunyan Box revolutionized air cargo logistics, streamlining operations and enhancing the efficiency of air freight.
     To underscore the excitement that the Paul Bunyan Box brought to shipping air cargo, in 1958 seventy-seven years ago by Richard Malkin wrote a story titled “The Paul Bunyan Box Proves a Point.” The feature article included pictures of a shipment of fresh peaches flown from  Bakersfield, Calif., to a fruit auction in New York City with nary a peach pinched along the way in that pioneering ULD.
GDA/SSA