3PLS KEEP THE BEAT
With Ryder, Mugsy’s costs for managing returns are roughly the same, but returned products head back to stock in real time. They can be sold more quickly, and, with more accurate inventory counts, Dulany can ensure his replenishment buys are also more relevant and precise. Like many companies, Mugsy is currently strategizing how to offset the additional costs of tariffs. “It’s about cost engineering— nding ef ciencies in all parts of the business,” Dulany says. Along with streamlining returns, Ryder is helping Mugsy cut the cost of parcel services. “As a much larger company, Ryder can command better pricing with parcel carriers,” he adds. In addition, customers can now place their orders and choose their shipping time frame, and the Ryder system will, in real time, access the best possible rates. “Our parcel costs have gone down over the past three years, even as industry- wide parcel costs are going up,” Dulany says. This is due to Ryder’s ability to gain economies of scale, to shop for rates, and to bring on new partners, such as regional carriers. Moreover, by working out of Ryder’s Ohio location, Mugsy’s online orders reach a large percentage of the population in two to three days. In the rst week after the launch, Ryder dispatched more than 1,000 Mugsy orders on time. Nearly all— 99.5%—of Mugsy customers report that they were satis ed with their order and delivery experience. “Apparel and physical goods can be hard to manage,” Dulany says, given the large number of sizes and SKUs. “We wouldn’t be able to operate our business without Ryder providing the service level they do. Their team is an extension of ours.” HENRY BATH AND RJ LOGISTICS KEEP HIGH-VALUE CARGO IN PERFECT TIME AND TUNE Henry Bath, a global metal exchange warehousing company, has been handling sensitive metals cargo for more than 230 years.
In the first week after launching their partnership, Ryder dispatched more than 1,000 orders on time for jeans company Mugsy. And 99.5% of Mugsy customers reported they were satisfied with their order and delivery experience.
MUGSY AND RYDER STAY IN STYLE WITH PERFECT RHYTHM Since its launch as a direct-to-consumer brand in 2016, Mugsy has grown to offer more than 40 styles of jeans, along with shorts, chinos, and other items. In 2021, recurring issues with the logistics provider the company had been using prompted Mugsy’s management team to search for an ecommerce ful llment partner who could handle the company’s 2,000-plus SKUs as well as its need for value-added apparel services. In early 2022, Mugsy moved to Ryder System, Inc., after hearing positive comments from others in the industry. “We were much smaller then, but Ryder immediately took an interest in us,” says Scott Dulany, Mugsy’s COO. Ryder has helped Mugsy trim expenses and boost service in several ways, including by introducing ef ciencies in its reverse logistics process. Mugsy had been working with a reverse logistics group out of Indianapolis, where all its returns were processed. The returns often remained in Indianapolis for several weeks before they were brought back to Mugsy’s warehouse in Columbus, Ohio.
Given the challenges the current environment presents, many shippers have shown a “willingness to not accept the status quo and to look for new opportunities to create value,” says Jim Ritchie, president and chief executive of cer with RedStone Logistics. They might accomplish this by, for instance, reworking their network design to re ect the new environment. Logistics providers, like their clients, face a daunting, turbulent environment. Yet those that adjust their services to address today’s challenges by delivering solutions, such as advanced technology integration and real-time predictive visibility, set themselves up to gain a competitive edge. “Those who step up in these areas will become indispensable in helping clients navigate an increasingly uncertain supply chain environment,” McGuire says. The partnerships highlighted here demonstrate how committed logistics providers help shippers boost agility and resilience, streamline operations, cut costs, tackle daunting logistics challenges, and enhance customer service, all while operating in a turbulent business landscape.
110 Inbound Logistics • July 2025
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