Reading Comprehension

Tomasz Wójcik [1:58 P.M.] Hi Leila, I'm at the Brannock Foods dock, but they say the pallets for our 3:00 pickup haven't been wrapped yet. Leila Haddad [2:03 P.M.] How long are they saying? Tomasz Wójcik [2:05 P.M.] At least 45 minutes. If I wait, I'll miss our 4:30 unloading slot at the Dunmore cross-dock. Leila Haddad [2:11 P.M.] I just called Dunmore. They can move us to 6:00, but nothing earlier. Tomasz Wójcik [2:15 P.M.] That works for me. I'd rather not drive all the way back here tomorrow for one load. Leila Haddad [2:16 P.M.] Agreed. I'll update the route sheet and let Brannock know you're staying.

NOTICE TO ALL CARRIERS Kestrel Distribution Centre, Gate 2 Beginning Monday, 3 June, all inbound deliveries must have a confirmed appointment booked through the DockSlot portal at least 24 hours in advance. Drivers who arrive without an appointment will be unloaded only when a door becomes free, and waiting times may exceed three hours. Appointments can be changed free of charge until 6:00 P.M. on the day before delivery. At the gatehouse, drivers must present the appointment number, photo identification, and the bill of lading. Refrigerated loads will continue to use Gate 4 and do not need an appointment. Questions? Contact the inbound team at +44 1632 960418.

PALLETWORKS SUPPLY LTD. INVOICE No. 22871 Bill to: Orsana Ceramics, Unit 9, Fairholm Industrial Estate Invoice date: 14 August Payment due: 13 September Heat-treated wooden pallets (1200 x 1000 mm) — 300 @ $11.40 — $3,420.00 Plastic pallets, export grade (1200 x 800 mm) — 40 @ $38.00 — $1,520.00 Corner boards (pack of 50) — 6 @ $14.50 — $87.00 Delivery (2 trips) — $180.00 Subtotal: $5,207.00 Loyalty discount (5% on pallets only): –$247.00 Amount due: $4,960.00 Note: A second delivery trip was needed because the export-grade pallets were out of stock on 9 August, when the rest of your order was delivered. They were delivered separately on 12 August. As agreed with your purchasing manager, Ms. Inês Carvalho, the charge for the second trip will be credited against your next order.

From: Hyun-woo Lim <hw.lim@daelimpolymer.co.kr> To: Chidinma Okafor <c.okafor@veranotoys.com> Date: 22 April Subject: Resin order PO-5520 Dear Ms. Okafor, Thank you for your order of 18 tonnes of ABS resin. Unfortunately, one of the two extrusion lines at our Ulsan plant is down for unscheduled repairs, so we can ship only 10 tonnes on the original date of 2 May. The remaining 8 tonnes would follow on 16 May. If a split shipment is not acceptable, we can instead hold the full order and ship it all on 16 May. Either way, we will absorb the additional freight cost. Please let me know your preference by Friday so that I can reserve container space. With apologies for the inconvenience, Hyun-woo Lim Account Manager, Daelim Polymer

Harrowgate Cold Chain — Night Shift Inventory Controller Location: Riverside Logistics Park, Leeds Harrowgate stores chilled and frozen food for supermarket chains across northern England. Our new 40,000-square-metre facility at Riverside Logistics Park opens in September, and we are building the team now. The inventory controller will compare stock records with physical counts, investigate any differences, and organise regular cycle counts with the warehouse team. Up to half of each shift is spent in areas kept at –25°C; thermal clothing is provided. Requirements: at least two years' experience with a warehouse management system and strong spreadsheet skills. A forklift licence is useful but not essential, as training will be given. Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 10:00 P.M. to 6:30 A.M., with a 15% shift allowance on top of base pay. Apply by 31 July at harrowgatecc.co.uk/careers. Interviews will be held at our current site in Wakefield.

VALMERA (11 March) — Containers arriving at the Port of Valmera can now travel by rail to the Castello inland depot, 85 kilometres away, instead of by truck. The shuttle, operated by Ferrovia Logistica, runs four times a day in each direction and can carry up to 90 containers per trip. — [1] — Port officials say the service will remove around 600 truck journeys a day from the coastal motorway, which has been heavily congested since the container terminal was expanded two years ago. — [2] — Importers collect their containers at Castello, where customs inspections can also be carried out. "Clearing goods inland means our customers no longer have to wait at the port," said Renata Moretti, commercial director of Ferrovia Logistica. — [3] — The rail fare is set slightly below the average trucking rate for the same route. However, some freight forwarders point out that the final journey from Castello to customers' warehouses still requires a truck. — [4] —

MEMO To: All production staff, Lines 1–4 From: Sunita Raman, Quality Manager Date: 2 October Re: First-article inspection Following last month's customer return of 1,200 incorrectly drilled brackets, we are changing how each production run begins. Starting Monday, 7 October, the first piece made after any tool change must be checked by a quality technician before the line runs at full speed. Until the technician has signed the inspection card, operators may produce no more than ten pieces. Technicians will be on the production floor during all three shifts. If no technician arrives within 15 minutes, call the quality office at extension 214 instead of continuing production. The new step will add a few minutes to each changeover, but it should prevent problems like the bracket return, which cost us nearly two days of rework. Thank you for your cooperation.

Marta Silva [9:02 A.M.] Morning, all. The sample cartons from Corrugo arrived yesterday. Ji-ho, did the drop test go ahead? Ji-ho Park [9:04 A.M.] Yes. Twenty cartons, filled to full weight. Two split along the bottom seam. Our current boxes from Fenwick had no failures in the same test. Marta Silva [9:05 A.M.] Hmm. Corrugo's price is 12% lower, though. Arjun Mehta [9:07 A.M.] Their sales rep told me the samples were made on an older machine. Production cartons would come from their new plant in Ostrava. Ji-ho Park [9:08 A.M.] Then I'd want to test cartons from that plant before we decide anything. Marta Silva [9:10 A.M.] Fair enough. Arjun, can you ask for 50 more from Ostrava? Arjun Mehta [9:11 A.M.] Will do. They said they'd need about ten days. Marta Silva [9:12 A.M.] That's cutting it close. Our Fenwick contract ends on the 30th. Arjun Mehta [9:14 A.M.] Fenwick has already agreed to a one-month extension if we need it. Marta Silva [9:15 A.M.] Good. Let's plan on that, then.

Northgate Fulfilment — Services for Growing Online Sellers Northgate stores, packs, and ships products for more than 300 online businesses from our two warehouses in Rotterdam and Lyon. — [1] — When your goods arrive, we count and label every unit within 24 hours, so your stock is ready for sale almost immediately. Orders received by 3:00 P.M. on weekdays are shipped the same day. — [2] — Our pricing has three parts: a monthly storage fee for each pallet space, a pick-and-pack fee for each order, and the shipping cost itself. There are no set-up charges, and there is no minimum contract term. — [3] — Sellers also get access to the Northgate dashboard, where they can track stock levels, view the status of each order, and download monthly reports. Returned items are inspected on arrival, and those in resaleable condition are put back on the shelf at no extra cost. — [4] — To request a quote, complete the form on our Contact page. A member of our onboarding team will reply within one business day.

Kovalenko Precision Castings 14 Zavodska Street, Lviv, Ukraine 6 November Mr. Daniel Osei Purchasing Director Brightwater Pumps Ltd. Bristol, United Kingdom Dear Mr. Osei, Thank you for your letter of 28 October about the pump housings in shipment KPC-0917. We have examined the twelve units you returned and agree that the porosity in the castings is above the limit in our agreed specification. The cause has been traced to a mould-coating material that we introduced in September and have since withdrawn. We will replace all 240 housings from that shipment at our own expense. The replacement units are already in production and will be sent by air rather than by sea, so that they reach your plant by 22 November. We will also pay for the extra inspection that your team carried out. In addition, from now on every batch will be X-rayed before it leaves our facility, and the reports will be emailed to your quality department with each shipment. We value our ten-year relationship with Brightwater and sincerely regret the disruption this has caused. Yours sincerely, Olena Kovalenko Managing Director