Airlines compensated the material-handling firms on the basis of a given rate per ton or per container. In addition, the airlines rented the ramp and aircraft ground-power equipment at a set rate. Rickenbacker Port Authority ownes by a private non-profit development group, which encourages trade between the city of Columbus and the rest of the world. The Authority owns the air field, hangers and the control tower. Labor was drawn from the Manpower Labor pool of workers.
Workers are generally untrained, lower educational achievements and prone to mistakes.
In summary, the material-handling firm provided three primary services. First, it ordered the ramp and material handling equipment that are needed to load or unload an aircraft. Second, it orders and accepts the workers from Manpower and provides supervision for that labor as it loaded and unloaded the cargo. Most importantly, the material-handling firm provided all the equipment, such as forklifts, tractors, trailers, and other items, needed to move the cargo from the aircraft to its storage place in an airport warehouse. The mature nature of the industry and the minimal barriers to entry had fostered intense competition among shipping and material handling firms.