CHEMICAL LOGISTICS
to its—and its clients’—continued success. The logistics experts within CLX Logistics truly partner with their clients to strategize and craft informed, custom plans that increase performance and reduce costs. As the chemical logistics sector evolves, CLX does as well, continuing to help its clients cut costs, boost service, and improve their performance. “We’re expanding our global freight forwarding operations, our project cargo program, our artificial intelligence capabilities, and our European operations outsourcing,” Vieira says. “At CLX, we are always innovating to help shippers and manufacturers succeed.” IFS Freight: LOGISTICS PROBLEM SOLVERS About 18 years ago, Dan Witt started IFS Freight after a long career in logistics, much of it managing transportation with large corporations. His experience offered him an inside look at the dearth of solutions available to help small and mid-sized businesses better manage their transportation costs and systems. “I wanted to help small businesses save money, make their processes more efficient, and make a little money for myself,” he says. Among other services, IFS offers truckload (TL) brokerage, less-than- truckload (LTL) freight management,
and connections to intermodal options, Witt says. Witt started by evaluating the transportation profile of his first client, a small metal distribution company, and then helped it shift from using one LTL provider exclusively to considering additional carrier options, to both improve service and cut costs. “We were able to save this small business 25% in annual transportation spend by implementing our logistics platform,” he says. Since then, IFS Freight has grown by helping clients of all sizes address their challenges with comprehensive over-the- road shipping services. Most smaller companies have similarly small transportation departments. Trying to identify which of the many LTL carriers is best for a particular shipment can be next to impossible. IFS’ Intelli- Freight ™ system allows these businesses access to all carriers in their market. Once logged into Intelli-Freight ™ , a shipper can enter its shipment parameters, such as origin and destination, and time frame. Intelli-Freight ™ reaches out to carriers to ask them if they service the lane in question, and the estimated transit time and cost. Based on the responses, the shipper can identify the carrier that best meets its needs. “Within seconds, shippers can get rate quotes and book a shipment. The technology streamlines the process and
helps companies make intelligent freight decisions,” Witt says. One reason IFS entered the chemical logistics space was because Witt noticed the troubles his existing clients were having getting timely deliveries. One customer said he had to send home about 100 people working in its manufacturing plant, because a bulk shipment of materials didn’t show up as promised.
A FOCUS ON SERVICE IFS is a service-oriented, non-
hazardous material carrier that offers stellar on-time performance. “We’re very service-sensitive,” Witt says. “When a customer says ‘we need it delivered tomorrow at 10 a.m.’ we deliver at 10 a.m.” At the same time, Witt knows these trips aren’t worth doing unless they’re done safely. IFS drivers generally run the same routes across the southeastern United States. The drivers know the routes, which helps boost their safety performance. In 2014, one of IFS’ customers, a producer of arts and craft paint, was having difficulty obtaining the raw materials it needed for its production. IFS went into action. It began handling logistics for the company, including TL brokerage and LTL freight management, as well as transporting their raw materials as a liquid bulk non- hazmat carrier. “The manufacturers have a lot of moving parts. IFS coordinates inbound and outbound shipments, making it easier for the company to manage,” Witt adds. The changes improved service to their production plant and to the company’s customers, while also cutting annual transportation spend. As a smaller logistics provider, IFS can move quickly to help clients not only with day-to-day operations, but in navigating emergencies and sudden changes. “We’re available to customers,” Witt says. “And we’re small enough that we actually answer the phone when people call.”
IFS Freight helps companies of all sizes address shipping challenges with comprehensive over-the-road services. From left to right: Dan Witt, CEO; Jason Turley, vice president, sales and operations; and Ronnie Glover, professional driver.
92 Inbound Logistics • June 2023
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