n early 2021, when Texas and surrounding states endured the Great Texas Freeze, Gary LeBlanc, founder of Mercy Chefs, faced one of his most intense disaster relief logistics
situations. The head of the faith-based organization that provides hot, nutritious meals in disaster zones encountered a not-so-uncommon challenge in such weather-related situations: impassable highways. LeBlanc was following a tractor-trailer full of supplies out of Mercy Chefs’ Huntsville, Alabama, warehouse when icy highways eventually made travel impossible. The small caravan spent the night parked in a cornfield before LeBlanc returned to Birmingham so he could fly to Dallas instead. The chef wanted to be on-site quickly to supervise an improvised relief plan that relied on local supplies rather than those temporarily stranded on the Alabama truck and others like it. “You do whatever you have to do to get the job done,” LeBlanc says. “It’s not always convenient. It’s not always easy. It’s not always inexpensive. But you do whatever you have to do.” In addition to impassable highways, common challenges faced by companies transporting equipment and supplies to communities when disaster strikes include unpredictable weather, physical infrastructure damage, and lack of transportation assets. Here’s how they overcome them. PLAN IN ADVANCE. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that climate change will likely increase the number and intensity of extreme weather events that include large, dangerous storms. That means it’s not if Buffalo will receive massive amounts of lake-effect snow or the Florida coast will be devastated by a powerful hurricane, it’s when . Those responsible for delivering aid know that and plan for it. “The most important thing in disaster preparation is to have a plan in place ahead of time, even if you have to add to
In some regions, drones provided by companies such as Swoop Aero are used to deliver supplies and monitor weather and road conditions in disaster areas.
who have an agenda, are ready to go, and are engaged.” With a business centered around disaster relief, LeBlanc needs well- established relationships with both national and regional food suppliers, among others. “We just need to notify them ahead of time,” he says. “Most of the deliveries come to us through the suppliers’ corporate channels with their drivers and trucks. But we often order in such high volume that we have shipments come directly. That’s when we use independent trucking companies and drivers whenever possible.” The disaster relief team in the command center at The Home Depot’s Atlanta headquarters counts on vendor relationships for pre- and post-strike merchandise, ranging from plywood for boarding up windows to roofing tarp. “I can’t stress enough the impact of partnerships with our vendors and transportation providers,” says Paul Larkin, the home improvement retailer’s vice president, supply chain. “They jump through hoops for us, and they’re right there by our side, doing everything they can to get merchandise into our distribution network in time for it to get to our stores.” USE TECHNOLOGY. The Home Depot relies heavily on technology to monitor weather
it or change it a bit,” says Ann Campbell, a professor of business analytics at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business. “You’re setting up a whole supply chain in the blink of an eye and
you don’t have a lot of time.” One smaller example of why
planning ahead is crucial comes out of the American Red Cross’s experience with Hurricane Katrina. “The Red Cross distributed debit cards so people could purchase basic needs. But they needed more and the blank cards they used for printing were made in China,” Campbell says. “The quantity they needed was way larger than what they could get quickly at the time, so they now store a supply of blank cards.” ESTABLISHSUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS BEFORE YOU NEED THEM. Whether it’s with carriers that transport relief supplies or manufacturers that provide equipment or merchandise, you want to be in good standing with providers that need to respond quickly. In fact, Chandler Magann, founder and president of Next Exit Logistics, a third-party logistics provider specializing in disaster relief transportation, requires pre-existing relationships with companies needing to respond to a crisis. “New clients don’t yet know exactly what they want to do,” he says. “Trying to figure all of that out in the middle of a storm distracts us from existing clients
42 Inbound Logistics • February 2023
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