CHE CL LOISCS ONARO
with clients to review operational data and recommend opportunities to boost ef ciency or cut costs and the environmental impact of its shipments. Say a shipper is delivering a less-than- truckload shipment once a day, several days a week. Odyssey works with the customer to examine the feasibility of sending a truckload shipment once or twice weekly.
customers’ shipments, which are valued at about $60 billion annually, arrive at their destinations safely and on schedule. “Chemical logistics is in our genes,” says Bob Boyle, vice president. Its employees possess in-depth knowledge of chemical logistics and the regulations governing these shipments. Odyssey offers end-to-end logistics services, including
Partner. An independent third party regularly audits the company’s safety, health, environment, and security principles. “We incorporate sustainability initiatives into all our logistics and supply chain strategies,” Boyle says. This might mean shifting from trucks to rail or consolidating LTL to truckload shipments when practical. Odyssey also evaluates the carriers with which it works to make sure they’re similarly focused on reliability, safety, and sustainability. Customers’ interest in visibility, reliability, and sustainability appears likely to continue. The network studies that Odyssey conducts provide “a control tower view” that allows its customers to optimize network ows. “With this level of visibility, our clients enjoy an immediate improvement in performance and environmental impact,” Boyle says. RINCHEM: SOLELY FOCUSED ON CHEMICALS For more than four decades, Rinchem Company Inc. has provided rst-class logistics management and supply chain solutions speci cally for temperature- controlled hazardous chemicals and gases. “The chemical industry is not a vertical that we serve, it is the sole focus of our business,” says Chris Wright, senior vice president, operations with the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based rm. Rinchem provides storage, handling, and transportation services covering nal mile, interstate, ocean, and air shipments. Chemical manufacturers and end users alike bene t from Rinchem’s global network. It provides the exibility needed to scale without signi cant investment in infrastructure or employee training. “Our assets, employees, systems, and expertise are customized for managing chemicals and gases on a global scale,” says Dustin Miles, director of global transportation. Chem-Star ® , Rinchem’s proprietary software, seamlessly links Rinchem’s transportation and warehousing networks, providing customers with real-time
Vis t sout on, whic e ale ipe to act to counte dea, are attract n i teest an i vetmet.
“We’re able to use data to create actionable steps forward,” Boyle says. Because Odyssey has invested heavily in API integrations, it’s able to bring in third-party information that can help in more effectively managing shipments. In 2020, this included the maps that showed COVID outbreaks across the United States. Odyssey could then identify shipments either coming from or heading to highly impacted areas and plan alternative routes as needed, Boyle says. Odyssey’s sample ful llment service boasts a 99.99978% accuracy rate in safely storing, packaging, and shipping more than 12 million samples of both hazardous and non-hazardous materials. Odyssey has earned acceptance into the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) Responsible Care partnership program, and also is an EPA SmartWay
shipment planning and execution, managed logistics services, intermodal and truck services, among others. When Odyssey deploys these services, its customers look for several attributes: visibility, along with education and information, Boyle says. To provide these, Odyssey has invested in real- time data acquisition and business intelligence solutions, as well as network modeling software and GPS- enabled tracking. With these tools, data isn’t merely collected; it’s also made available to customers, who can leverage it to inform and improve their decision-making. If the technology shows shipments are at risk, Odyssey’s clients can work with their customers to mitigate any repercussions. Members of Odyssey’s continuous improvement program regularly meet
Rinchem Logistics provides logistics management and supply chain solutions specifically for temperature-controlled, hazardous chemicals and gases.
76 Inbound Logistics • June 2021
Powered by FlippingBook