A ny iced coffee fan can attest that a large straw is a must- have for enjoying a cold hit of caffeine. Rarely do customers think about a straw shortage when placing their beverage order—it’s just a given. But that’s exactly what was at risk when COVID-related capacity shortages at the ports hampered a leading international coffee company’s ability to get ancillary products, like straws and napkins, to some of its stores.
for A. Duie Pyle, a transportation and logistics solutions provider based in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Other times, critical industry knowledge enables a carrier to shine. That’s the case with Syfan Logistics, which has been serving shippers in the poultry industry since the 1980s. Based in Gainesville, Georgia— known as the chicken capital of the world—the company “started by hauling chicken, and will always have a special place in our business for chicken,” says Sean Moore, a division manager for Syfan. “We have all the relationships necessary to serve that particular industry at the highest level.” Here, these three carriers share stories that demonstrate their success philosophies in action. SHIPPING NATIONAL AS IF YOU ARE LOCAL When a large Midwestern manufacturer of glass shower doors and enclosures rst began working with Cardinal Logistics to improve its overall transportation strategy, the company used its own eet of 125 drivers, running from its central manufacturing facility to points all over the country. Every shipment was a round trip. The manufacturer’s goal was to ship products nationwide to its customer base of dealers, contractors, installers, and homebuilders with a service level that could rival what a customer would expect from a local facility.
Cardinal Logistics, a Concord, North Carolina-based integrated transportation management provider. “Number two is providing continuous improvement for your customers.” The ability to innovate and offer creative solutions is another key success factor for carriers. “It’s crucial for carriers to have a solid, fundamental understanding of how their customers operate and what goals and challenges are important to them,” adds Chip Robinson, Cardinal’s area vice president of operations. “The carrier really has to become ingrained in the customer’s business,” he says. “With that knowledge, carriers gain the right perspective to help customers achieve their goals through innovative strategies.” Technology solutions, and the ancillary bene ts they enable, are also critical. “Technology helps us to make the best, most optimal decisions for our customers, and enables us to remain agile and exible in order to meet customer needs,” notes John Luciani, chief operating of cer of LTL solutions
To save the day, Candor Expedite, a woman-owned, Plano, Texas-based expedited carrier, stepped in with a strategic workaround. The carrier served as a pop-up distribution provider for the coffee company, doing “milk runs” to collect products from various suppliers and get them to the coffee shops each day. Using expedited as a ll-in for its regular transportation supply chain allowed the coffee conglomerate to continue serving its in-store customers effectively despite the port backups. The project was so effective that it was expanded to additional cities. For Candor, it was just business as usual. “Our goal as a carrier is always to bring new ideas to customers, help them think about and use expedited transport in ways they didn’t realize they could, and nd opportunities throughout the supply chain where expedited can make a positive impact,” explains Nicole Glenn, founder and CEO of Candor. THE KEYS TO CARRIER SUCCESS Dig into any carrier success story and you’re likely to nd that same can-do attitude. Carriers build and maintain successful businesses based on their ability to serve shippers in good times and bad—by offering services, solutions, technology, and people that do everything in their power to meet customer needs as strategically, ef ciently, and cost- effectively as possible. While there’s no one-size- ts- all roadmap to success, a few shared characteristics are hallmarks of the industry’s leading carriers. “The number-one element of being a successful carrier is offering world- class service,” states Fred Virga, vice president of business development for
To build strong partnerships with its shipper customers, A. Duie Pyle brings proactive communication paired with strong technology resources to the table.
192 Inbound Logistics • January 2023
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