Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Are your shipments ready for winter?

Do you move liquid based products? If so, now is the time to start planning for the season ahead. KelTrans has selected a specialized carrier base who are ready and equipped to handle these shipments for you. Starting the beginning of November, KelTrans' carriers are offering protect from freezing services. These are services available until April. 

Providing predictable protection from freezing temperatures in the Northeast means providing a complete protection package for products that travel under potentially extreme conditions.  Our carries offering range from thermal blankets, heated line haul trailers, heated terminals, special dock training, and temperature-sensitive load planning to to ensure your shipment is protected throughout it's journey.  All of this ensures that you can ship and/or receive water-based products regardless of the temperature. 

If you haven't already made plans for the upcoming winter, call your KelTrans freight representative who can provide more details about this freeze protection service.

877-298-7359
www.innovateyoursupplychain.com

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Freight Rates on the Rise - Knowing your options

With capacity continuing to tighten, increasing fuel prices and freight demand growing we are continuing to see truckload, intermodal and container prices on the rise. The good news is that there are options to help manage and potentially even reduce your freight costs even with this grim outlook. Below, I've outlined just a few different freight options that may potential reduce freight spending.

Lead Time - Freight rates vary daily/weekly/hourly. Giving your 3PL flexibility on the pickup date and plenty of lead-time before the shipment must pickup will allow for the best chance for the lowest rates. Carrier rates vary based on headhaul and backhaul lanes. For example: a shipment loading out on a Monday morning is more likely to be a head-haul lane for most carriers who are just starting their week on the road. If you can catch a carrier who is trying to head back home for the weekend later on in the week, you are more than likely to land a better rate.

Consolidate - Don't want to risk damage with an LTL carrier or have non-palletized product? With the right variables, your 3PL will most likely be able to utilize a consolidation carrier for your less than truckload shipment. Good news is you pay for a specified number of feet, the product is loaded and not touched or moved until reaching your destination and you receive a discounted rate off of the full truckload price.

Transit Time - Have a shipment that has to pickup today but you have flexibility on the delivery date? Intermodal rail can really offer significant cost savings for heavy and long-haul shipments. Transit times can vary, but you can expect a cross country run from LAX to NY to run about 7-8 days with savings averaging about 20-30% over traditional truckload services.

Explore other freight modes - Do the words 'Air Freight' make you cringe? Remarkably, Air Freight costs sometimes come in less than LTL or Hot Shot rates for expedited shipments especially those of low dimensional and actual weights. Before automatically dismissing the possibility of Air Freight or other freight modes that might usually be considered too costly ask your 3PL for your freight options and compare freight quotes. You might be surprised with the outcome.

For more information or to request a custom freight quote, please feel free to give me a call personally at 877.298.7359.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Need LTL options?

The number one complaint we hear the most about most LTL shipments is Damages. Don't get me wrong, LTL shipments using a common carrier is great for saving costs and increasing efficiencies, but if you are shipping product of value or that may be time-sensitive then most LTL options may bring more headache than savings. Most customers loose their freight savings in damages, stock-out costs, client/customer service failures and late deliveries.

One option many companies overlook is what we call a specialized line haul service. These services are very similar to your typical common carrier LTL service except one big difference: your freight is handled and moved less. Another great feature of this service is that many destination points under 500 miles can deliver the next day without the overnight costs. Although pricing for this service is slightly higher than the common carriers, customers find that they make up the savings in the flexibility, service guarantee and customer satisfaction. To learn more about our line haul service, please give us a call for a freight quote today!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

What is Intermodal Rail?

When my husband first heard the word 'intermodal' he thought I was making up words again (which I do admit to having a small habit of doing). When discussing the subject again the other day, it gave me a thought, if my husband who is married to a freight professional and also makes important freight decisions at work doesn't understand intermodal then there are probably many others in his same shoes.


So let's start with the basics:

Intermodal Rail is a mode of transportation that combines the use of rail and truck. A draymen (local trucking company) is dispatched to pickup the freight from the shipper to move it to the nearest rail head. It is then loaded onto a rail car and shipped to the closest rail head at the destination. Upon arrival a different draymen is dispatched to pickup and deliver the load to the final destination.

So we have good news and some bad news with this particular mode of transportation, but depending on your specific needs the benefits of this service may possibly outweigh the downfalls.

Let's start with the bad news. Intermodal requires longer lead times. Also depending on your location intermodal may not be a feasible option if a railhead is not located close by.

Now ready for the good news? Intermodal can offer a nice cost benefit, especially with heavy weight and dense goods. It is also a great 'green' option. A rail train emits 6.8lbs of carbon emissions for every 100 ton miles compared to an over-the-road truck that can emit up to 19.8lbs. A rail train can also move 1 TON of freight approximately 830 miles on 1 gallon of diesel fuel!


If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our intermodal services, give us a call at 877.298.7359 where freight quotes are as easy as a phone call.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

KelTrans Website

We're now days away from the official launch of our of website!!!

From twitter to website analytics, it all seemed so overwhelming in the beginning. What a long way we are from that that time and now we have yet another 'Solution Tool' for our customers! Our ultimate goal for the site was to offer our customers an informational tool that will ultimately help them manage their supply chain. We've been able to incorporate our key 'must-haves' such as social media updates, industry related white papers, one click freight quotes, personal blogs and best-yet a customer account portal that have helped us meet this goal. We ensured we made the necessary investments to offer accurate real-time information to help our customers better manage their business and make the best business decision possible.

I don't want to give much more away with the launch only a couple days away, but here's just a quick sneak preview. More details and information to come!


Sunday, February 21, 2010

City Driving

I'm in one of my favorite cities this weekend, San Francisco. For me personally this has more to do with my good friends and bbqing oysters while looking out at the pacific ocean, although the diverse culture, great restaurants and abundant varieties of cider have also influenced my opinion towards this great city. My early Friday afternoon flight out of Las Vegas was delayed and with my luck I ended up arriving right in the middle of Friday 5 o'clock traffic. After picking up my rental car I immediately head north on the 101 towards the city.

Less than 2 minutes pass and I am encompassed in bumper to bumper traffic. My estimated 15 minute google maps drive is now looking more like an hour. My Nissan Versa rental car is almost at a stand-still and I am quickly reminded I am no longer at home. Local drivers seem to be cutting in and out of traffic at every opportunity. Patience is definitely not a virtue to these drivers.


I soon pull close to a 26' box truck, who appears to be using a technique I learned with the SMITH Driving System: 'Leave Yourself an Out'. This particular truck was trying to leave at least 1 and a half car lengths in front of him as his 'out'. Yet, as soon as the traffic crawled ahead, another inpatient driver in the exit-only right lane would identify this opportunity and fill the gap. There again the truck driver would hold off on immediately accelerating to ensure he had enough space between himself and the car in front to only be cut off once again. I watched as long as I had him in my sight and I personally identified 5 different occasions in approximately 3-4 minutes that this phenomenon occurred.

I am sure we can all identify this example in our daily commute and although I can say this is a fairly common practice, it is a very dangerous one.With 4,321 fatal accidents involving large vehicles in 2006 (according to the FMCSA) it is a sobering reality that innocent lives are in our hands each time we drive. This particular driver was patiently trying everything he could to 'leave himself an out' yet he was still at risk due to the other drivers on the road.

If you have never encountered the SMITH System of driving, I encourage you to take a look. (http://www.smith-system.com/) The five key points this system outlines can be applied to all vehicles and drivers although it is specifically focused towards large commercial vehicles. One tip I will pass on from my Smith System instructor is to treat the cars around you as if your mom/sister/daughter were in those drivers seats. We would all make different driving decisions if they were in the lane next to us.

This blog goes out to the patient man driving the 'Flower Delivery' straight truck on the CA 101 N on Friday. If only we were all as patient as you.

Drive safe out there.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Hazmat Solutions

I had a new customer call today about Hazmat LTL (Less than Truckload). He had two 1,100lb pressurized tanks that needed to be shipped from Las Vegas to Phoenix. After asking about the specifications of the shipment (size, weight, packaging etc.) I soon came to realize that this customer would need more insight in regards to packaging, labeling,legalities and the associated paperwork. With a large top-heavy pressurized tank, just getting this piece of equipment onto a pallet was only the start to our challenge.



Although there are many freight solutions for Hazardous materials, strict protocol must be followed to ensure proper transport of the goods, safety of the general public, safety of the driver and equipment and to limit any potential damage to the load. I was able to find a simplified outline of specifications and compliance requirements on the Federal Motor Carriers website: FMCSA including a brief summary which outlines the differences between the responsibility of the Carrier as well as the responsibility of the Shipper for these types of loads.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CARRIER RESPONSIBILITY

* SHIPPING PAPERWORK
* PLACARD AND MARK VEHICLE
* LOADING AND UNLOADING
* COMPATIBILITY
* BLOCKING AND BRACING
* INCIDENT REPORTING
* SECURITY PLAN
* EMPLOYEE TRAINING

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPPER RESPONSIBILITIES

* DETERMINE WHETHER A MATERIAL MEETS THE DEFINITION OF A "HAZARDOUS MATERIAL"
* PROPER SHIPPING NAME
* CLASS/DIVISION
* IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
* HAZARD WARNING LABEL
* PACKAGING
* MARKING
* EMPLOYEE TRAINING
* SHIPPING PAPERS
* EMERGENCY RESPONSE INFORMATION
* EMERGENCY RESPONSE TELEPHONE NUMBER
* CERTIFICATION
* COMPATIBILITY
* BLOCKING AND BRACING
* PLACARDING
* SECURITY PLAN
* INCIDENT REPORTING

In this case, I suggested to my customer that he call the manufacturer/distributor of the tank and ask for their recommended packaging method(s). The manufacturer was able to give viable specific information on how they have shipped the tanks to other customers which gave us a great start in preparing the tanks for transport.

This example not only reminds us of some of the complicated issues in regards to freight but how many people who are truly willing to help. When in doubt, ask questions.

Monday, February 8, 2010

7 Benefits of a 3PL Vs Traditional Freight Carriers

Transportation & Logistics - 7 Benefits of a 3PL Vs Traditional Freight Carriers
Transportation & Logistics - 7 Benefits of a 3PL Vs Traditional Freight Carriers

By Earl White
The day and age of Freight Shipping has seen a drastic change over the last 15 years. There was once a time wherein a Traditional Freight Carrier would dominate the Heavyweight shipping market with it's large fleet of vehicles, brand name recognition, and it's so-called ability to service their customers total shipping needs.
Much like the deregulation of the Telecommunication Industry in 1996, when smaller companies were finally allowed to take part in the booming market of telecommunications, the freight industry witnessed a resurgence, wherein smaller Regional carriers began to understand that there was a market for them. By specializing in smaller sections of their local areas, these companies began to develop a niche. The larger carriers had a choice to make, whether or not they wanted to compete, or concede these lanes, and they elected the ladder. Although the Freight Industry didn't have any "mandates" on customers having to use certain carriers, the big guys seemed to corner the market on virtually all heavyweight shipping needs, mainly because of their size and notoriety.
Fast forward to 2010, and yet another entity has developed, and taken the Transportation Industry by storm. The concept of Third Party Logistics has swept through the shipping industry and transformed the way companies do business.
3PL's came along and decided, to not just focus on a customers small parcel business, or heavyweight freight business, but to take a look at their entire supply chain. So they came up with the idea of going to the small parcel industry, the large traditional carriers, the regional carriers, and the freight forwarding community to negotiate rates, to go out and offer ALL services to a client base. To say the idea worked would be an understatement, the 3PL market today is in the area of $110 billion dollars.
Below are the top 7 features and benefits of using a Third Party Logistics company over a Traditional Carrier:
1) Flexibility- Having the ability to choose from multiple carriers who specialize in certain regions of the USA, benefit customers in that in many cases, the traditional carrier may not have a solid distribution process to a certain destination, thus being able to pick from multiple resources, allows the customer to plan more strategically to enhance their Supply Chain. TC"s are very predictable, long haul or short haul shipping, is what they do.
2) Improved Transit Times- The ability to better one's transit times means the faster they get their product to market, thus speeding up the time they are paid from their customers. Or the faster they can bring materials to their facility for production, the faster they can get their product out to market. Just in Time Management, also begins to play a part in a Supply Chain, which leads to customers being able to keep less inventory, and build on demand for better efficiency. TC's can have great transit times in some areas, but be slow in other areas-typically they give you very little options to improve the transit time.
3) One Stop Shopping- The idea of being able to go to a single source and having all the resources that is needed is huge. The Y2K age has brought about the need for speed. Shippers are constantly searching for more efficient ways to get their job done. Better technology, more resources, shorter lead times are a few of the reasons that shippers have turned to 3PL's. The ability to go to an online site, have competitive rates in place from a myriad of carriers, and be able to track and trace those shipments, have taken the place of the 800 lb. shipping gorilla. As mentioned already TC's are very vanilla, and you get what you get.
4) Versatility- 3PL's allow for small, to medium size companies, the ability to align resources with business objectives. By using a 3PL, the small guys can make themselves seem larger in the market place. TC's align themselves with the larger Fortune 500 companies, and service the smaller companies as a means to an end.
5) Total Supply Chain Management- A company has the ability to control costs and efficiency throughout their whole supply chain with a 3PL. A traditional carrier allows specific lane costs cutting, but doesn't look at the customer's Supply Chain as a whole.
6) Convenience- The ability to deal with 1 company for multiple services far outweighs having to deal with multiple companies for single service.Also, your accounting department will love you. as using muliple TC's can cause much confusion in the accounting department.
7) Partners- If you can find a 3PL that is looking out for your best interest, they can become a partner of sorts. A good 3PL will be constantly looking out for their customers best interest, throughout the life of the relationship. They have no biases toward any one carrier or methods that you are used to get the job done. Traditional Carriers are heavily biased and will only help you, as long as you are doing business with them.
A third party logistics company, or abbreviated 3PL or TPL, is a firm that provides a one stop shop service to its customers of outsourced services or parts, or all of their supply chain management functions.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Earl_White


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