Biography
Wade Miller writes the guides he wished existed when he started loading ULDs on the night shift: plain explanations of rates, paperwork and rules that shippers can act on the same day.
Wade began his career in 2004 as a ground handling agent, building and breaking down pallets for international freighters. Over the following two decades he moved through export coordination, air freight operations management and customs documentation, working with importers, exporters and airline cargo sales teams across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
That range is what shapes his writing. He has priced consignments against airline tariffs, argued volumetric weight with customers, rejected incorrectly declared dangerous goods at acceptance, and chased perishable shipments through transit hubs. His articles start from those operational realities rather than from brochure language.
Since 2022 Wade has led air freight coverage at iwantacve.org, where he writes and updates the site's core guides and reviews contributions from other writers for technical accuracy.
Most air freight problems are paperwork problems that show up at the airport. If a shipper understands the documents and the weight calculation before booking, most of the surprises disappear. Wade Miller
Areas of expertise
Rates and chargeable weight
Volumetric calculations, tariff structures, fuel and security surcharges, and how to read a freight quote line by line.
Documentation and customs
Air waybills, commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin and the clearance process at origin and destination.
Dangerous goods by air
Classification, packing and declaration requirements, including lithium batteries, under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.
Perishables and cold chain
Temperature-controlled handling for fresh produce, seafood and pharmaceuticals, and what can go wrong in transit.
Air cargo security
Screening, known consignor schemes and the role of regulated air cargo agents in the secure supply chain.
E-commerce and express
Consolidation, low-value imports and choosing between express, general cargo and deferred services.
Professional experience
Senior Air Freight Writer
iwantacve.org
Leads air freight coverage, maintains the site's reference guides and reviews technical content before publication.
Air Freight Consultant and Trainer
Independent
Advised small and mid-sized exporters on routing, costs and compliance, and ran in-house training on documentation and dangerous goods acceptance.
Air Freight Operations Manager
International freight forwarder, Sydney
Managed a team handling import and export consolidations, carrier allocations and perishable programmes.
Export Coordinator
Freight forwarding and customs brokerage
Booked space, prepared air waybills and coordinated export clearance for general and special cargo.
Ground Handling Agent
International cargo terminal
Built and broke down ULDs, checked shipments at acceptance and handled freighter turnarounds.
Credentials and training
- IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations certificationShipper and forwarder category, renewed every 24 months
- Diploma of LogisticsSupply chain operations and international freight
- Air cargo security trainingRegulated air cargo agent screening and handling procedures
- Customs and trade complianceTariff classification, valuation and import declarations
Editorial focus
Wade covers the practical side of moving goods by air: what a shipment will cost, what paperwork it needs, which rules apply and how long it will realistically take. His guides are written for business owners, procurement teams and logistics staff who need clear answers, not industry jargon.
He also tracks changes that affect shippers, such as capacity shifts, surcharge updates and new screening or documentation requirements, and revises existing guides when those changes take effect.
Latest articles
How chargeable weight is calculated, and how to stop paying for air
A worked guide to volumetric divisors, rounding rules and packaging changes that lower the weight you are billed for.
- Documentation
Reading an air waybill: every box explained
- Dangerous goods
Shipping lithium batteries by air: what shippers must declare
- Customs
Why air shipments get held at customs, and how to prevent it
- Cold chain
Temperature-controlled air freight for perishables: a shipper's checklist
- Services
Express, standard or deferred: choosing the right air service
How Wade's work is checked
Primary sources
Guidance is checked against IATA regulations, ICAO standards, customs authority publications and carrier tariffs, not secondary summaries.
Dated and reviewed
Every guide shows when it was last reviewed. Core guides are rechecked at least twice a year and whenever regulations change.
Corrections welcome
If you spot an error or an outdated rule, report it and it will be reviewed and corrected, with the update noted on the page.
Articles are general information and do not replace advice from a licensed customs broker or your freight forwarder for a specific shipment. Read more about the site in About us, or report a correction.