It’s Game Time! Scoring Big with Seamless Logistics

It’s that time of year – the Grey Cup is here! And while our BC Lions may not have been in it this year, the big game still gets us excited to talk football. In particular, we want to talk football logistics. Let’s take a look behind the scenes of freight in the pro sports industry.
When the BC Lions asked C&D Logistics if we would move their freight, we proudly accepted the challenge.

What does moving the Lions involve? Well, when the team hits the road, C&D is responsible for moving everything but the players across the country – helmets, pads, medical equipment, sidelines bikes, radios and headsets, and, of course, the uniforms. Precious cargo that needs to be there on time, every time.

C&D is there every step of the way. In fact, we have to be one step ahead. A day before the Lions leave for an away game, we pick up the gear and get it to Vancouver Airport, fly the gear to the game location airport where a truck whisks everything straight to the stadium ready for the team “walk thru”. (That’s truck-plane-truck so far, in case you’re keeping track.) Bottom line – we get everything to where the team needs it with clockwork precision.

So then it’s game time. What next? In the 3rd quarter of the game, C&D has a truck positioned at the stadium where the BC Lions ground team starts loading any equipment not being used for the game. Last into the truck are the jerseys and other game gear, taken straight off the backs of the players as they come off the field. Then it’s back to the airport, and back to the Lions’ facility in Vancouver, ready for the next practice in preparation for the following week’s game.

As you can imagine, there’s a lot riding on getting things right. Everything needs to be run efficiently and seamlessly – there’s no room for error when you’re talking nationally televised games. It’s responsibility like this that we thrive on. And it’s an honour to be able to do our part to make sure the Lions can perform at their peak, with no worries about having the gear they need, when they need it.

So next time you’re at a game, or watching them on TV at your local sports bar or at home, you’ll know that behind the scenes there’s a team of logistics professionals putting in long hours to make it all happen. On game day there’s always someone at C&D Logistics HQ co-ordinating and managing every aspect of the move – often into the early hours of the morning. We’re confirming pick-ups with drivers, ensuring cut-off times are met, and keeping in close contact with BC Lions Equipment Manager Ken “Kato” Kasuya.

It’s this commitment to getting the job done and delivering great service that we bring to everything we do. Whether it’s moving all the Vancouver Canucks gear to Prince George and back for this year’s training camp, or getting your packages to their destination across the province, across the country or around the world, we stay on top of every detail. That’s how we play the game.

Give us a call at 604.881.4440 or fill out our contact form to find out how our team can deliver a game-winner for your business.