About David
David Moss began his logistics career managing trucking terminals before moving into sales with Air Express International (now DHL) and Kuehne & Nagel as a Regional Sales Manager. In 2000, he invested in OTS, a small, family-run business founded by Cindy Henderson, who became his mentor.
Rising to President in 2008 and CEO in 2014, David has led OTS for 25 years, growing it into a thriving logistics company. His passion for the industry remains strong—“I couldn’t ask for a better job—no desire to ever retire.”
David, can you share your personal story of working in the freight forwarding industry and how you see the future of the traditional freight forwarding business in the future?
I have been in the forwarding and transportation business for over 30 years. I started with Air Express International (now DHL), Kuehne & Nagel and OTS for the past 25 years. Of course there have been many changes over the years but in the past they happened slowly. Now, with AI the forwarding business will change very quickly. AI could allow us to reduce data entry and other routine jobs thus reducing cost. However, technology alone has reduced the ability to start new personal relationships with prospects which were critical in the past. Most communication is now electronic so more and more forwarders will try to grow their business via acquisition and less via face-to-face selling.
How would you describe OTS Astracon´s position in the local market?
Quite honestly, in many ways we are “dominant” in the local market. By having our own weekly air and LCL consolidations coming directly to the southeast ex Germany, Italy, UK, Mumbai, Taiwan, Korea, Ningbo, Shenzhen and Shanghai as well as handling in our own warehouse and delivering on our own trucks gives us a huge marketing/pricing advantage. In addition, almost all of our local competition are multi-nationals and we provide a far superior customer service level.
How does the company's vision align with industry trends and evolving customer needs, and what strategies are in place to realize this vision?
In addition to maintaining a high level of service we realize that is not enough in todays market. Our technology also has to compete with the multi-nationals. We utilize cargowise as a system but also have on site IT employees who can connect our data to a customers system giving us an advantage. Most competitors are not flexible enough and react too slowly to the demands of our customers.
OTS Astracon has vast expertise in handling specialized cargo like perishables, oversized shipments, and hazardous materials. Can you share a challenging shipment case and how your team managed it successfully?
We have a highly trained and experienced team that averages over 20 years of experience in forwarding. They can handle all types of cargo. However, we are not limited to any specific expertise as we handle automotive, textiles, electronics, woodworking machines, robotics, specialized cargo, and basically any commodity you can imagine.
As a new member of WOF Alliance, what unique advantages or expertise does OTS Astracon bring to fellow freight forwarders and logistics professionals within the network?
We have an operations staff of 60+ employees that can handle any shipment, both import or export, within the entire USA. While we centralize our staff in 1 location, we have the contacts nationwide to be one-stop shopping for any WOF Alliance partner that needs our service. We can also handle trans-border and foreign to foreign shipments as well.
Since opening in 1997, OTS Astracon has been committed to providing exceptional customer service in all areas of the supply chain. We pride ourselves in being able to offer innovative & customized logistics solutions to our customers. With a vast worldwide network, OTS Astracon offers all types of international transportation services including airfreight, seafreight, warehousing, distribution, origin & destination trucking services as well as customized IT systems.