AMERIT FLEET SOLUTIONS AND FLEET FINANCIALS PRESENT
EXCLUSIVELY FOR TOP FLEETS IN NORTH AMERICAVOL. 4, 2014
AMERIPRIDE TESTS IT ALL IN ALT-FUEL PILOT PROGRAM
GOING BEYOND THE OIL CHANGEFOR BEST FLEET PERFORMANCE
Averitt Forms Specialized LTL Service
CLIMATE CONTROL:
WHAT TO EXPECT WITH PROPOSEDFDA FOOD TRANSPORT RULES
Amerit belief #1:Your trucks belong on the road, not waiting in the yard to be serviced.
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WORRY-FREE FLEET MAINTENANCE
We believe that the less time your fleet spends waiting for service the better: better for your profitability, better for your customers, better for your drivers, better for everyone. That’s why every Amerit Fleet Solutions service programoffers you priority, dedicated services that focus on no one but you.
We will get them in, out and back on the road where they belong.$�FHUWLILHG�'9%(���ZZZ�DPHULWIOHHWVROXWLRQV�FRP
2 LEADING FLEETS VOL 4, 2014
CONTENTS
10
4
8
16
4 Leading Highlights
8 Preventive Maintenance:
Ití s More than an Oil Change To keep your fleet well-maintained, doní t
live by the misconception that regular maintenance is just about the oil change.
10 Averitt Express Forms New
Climate Control LTL Service In an industry first, Averitt Express has
launched a new less-than-truckload service, providing hot to cold temperature controlled shipping.
14 Q&A: Inside Amerit Fleet Solutions As a custom maintenance provider, Amerit
often gets questions from fleets on how their service works exactly. Can they really go anywhere in the country?
16 AmeriPride Starts All-Inclusive
Alternative Fuel Pilot Program Deciding on one alternative fuel to test in a
fleet can be tough. Thatí s why AmeriPride is testing them all.
18 FDA Food Transport Rules
Focus on ë Track and Traceí With the proposed rule from the FDA that
would regulate the food transport industry, what should fleets prepare for?
20 Technicians: Finding and
Recruiting Top Talent Amerit Fleet Solutions talent acquisition expert
provides insights on how to find, recruit and retain top technicians throughout the U.S.
3LEADINGFLEETS.COM AMERITFLEETSOLUT IONS.COM
CEO VIEWPOINT
There’s No Time for Downtime
By Dan Williams
CEO, Amerit Fleet Solutions
The trucking industry never stops moving; it is truly the backbone of our country, moving more goods
than any other mode of freight trans-portation. And this only seems to be growing.
In a recent report from the American Trucking Association, American Truck-ing Trends, the facts show that trucks moved 69.1% of all domestic freight tonnage in 2013 — up from 68.5% in 2012. Even more, the industry collected 81.2% of all freight revenue in 2013, which is a similar figure from 2012.
Outside of freight figures, the industry employed more than 7 million people in 2013, and paid $37.8 billion in state and federal highway user fees.
With a major dependence on the trucking industry, it’s important that we continue to support the industry’s needs. What is one way we can do that? By keeping well-maintained fleets and en-suring there as many tires on the ground as possible. Too many companies are stuck with long downtimes when getting trucks repaired or are caught ill-pre-pared when a truck has a major break-down while en route. The trucking indus-try has no time to spare when it comes to moving goods, and it really has no time for over-the-road interruptions.
On Page 8 of this magazine, you will find an article with recommendations on what a quality PM program entails and what preventive maintenance re-ally means. Amerit Fleet Solutions can
provide those much-needed mainte-nance services and can tailor them specifically to your fleet. We take pride in these custom services because we are well aware of the hidden costs that quickly accumulate when you’ve got ve-hicle breakdowns or when using shops that don’t give your fleet the attention it needs — and deserves.
The American Trucking Trends facts listed here show that the trucking indus-try really does deserve more attention to fleet maintenance as an important way to drive better efficiencies. Wheth-er using local service providers or your own network of in-house maintenance shops, neither ever seem to be enough.
And the same rule applies regardless of the industry. Utility fleets keep the country’s lights on and heaters running. Construction fleets help keep the econo-my going. Transit fleets play an integral role in public transportation. And so on.
At Amerit Fleet Solutions, we under-stand the challenges of downtime and the incalculable effects on a company’s bottom line, which is why we’ve tailored solutions to fleets with a wide-range of maintenance needs, including nation-ally operating fleets. You can read on Page 14 some frequently asked ques-tions we get about our custom services. From our Mobile Service Centers to pur-pose-built Amerit Fleet Service Centers and provided on-site labor solutions, we are up for the task of keeping those tires on the ground. LF
Business and Editorial Office
3520 Challenger St., Torrance, CA 90503
Phone: 310-533-2400 Fax: 310-533-2503
E-mail: [email protected]
4 LEADING FLEETS VOL 4, 2014
LEADING HIGHLIGHTS
From left to right, the 2014
HDT Truck Fleet Innovators are
Shelby Green, Mike O’Connell,
Bill Bliem, and David Hoover.
HDT Awards 2014 Truck Fleet Innovators
Shelby GreenSenior Fleet Director
PepsiCo North America Beverages
Somers, N.Y.
Green, who has been the fleet direc-
tor for eight years, manages a fleet
with approximately 14,500 power units
and 11,600 trailers. PepsiCo’s commit-
ment to environmental sustainability
is a major factor in equipment spec’ing
decisions, resulting in specs such as
low-rolling-resistance tires, idle time
limits, and alternative fuel and elec-
tric/hybrid vehicles. One of the biggest
changes he has spearheaded is moving
away from the traditional beverage de-
livery trailer to a tandem-axle dry van
using automatic axle lift suspension
systems that transform the trailer from
a tandem axle to a single axle.
Mike O’ConnellSenior Director, Supply Chain Fleet
Frito-Lay
Plano, Texas
O’Connell, after eight years in fleet
operations, has worked with his
team to drive a significant cultural
change when it comes to improving
fuel efficiency and operational ef-
fectiveness. Corporate fleet fuel con-
sumption amongst the 18,000 power
units and 4,000 trailers has dropped
by almost 20% over the past five years.
Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, has
the seventh largest fleet in the U.S.
and the largest all-electric commer-
cial fleet in North America, and is
deploying 208 CNG tractors. The com-
pany has been shifting delivery truck
specs to lighter weight and more aero-
dynamic vehicles.
Bill BliemSenior Vice President, Fleet Services
NFI
Vineland, N.J.
Bliem has led the charge on several
of NFI’s initiatives on fuel effi-
ciency. Bliem has been with NFI — the
for-hire dedicated logistics company
— for five years. He manages internal/
external maintenance of the 2,000
power units and 7,500 trailers in the
fleet along with all corporate mainte-
nance functions, fuel management,
asset management, NFI Trailer Leas-
ing, tolls, licensing, permits and the
corporate purchasing department. In
the past three years, NFI’s mpg has in-
creased over 10% while idle time has
been reduced to 4.5%.
David HooverDirector, Outbound Logistics
Meijer
Lansing, Mich.
Hoover has been Meijer’s direc-
tor of outbound logistics for 11
years and manages 200 power units
and approximately 2,300 trailers. The
company is a Michigan-based retailer
with more than 200 supercenters and
grocery stores in five states. Hoover
is constantly researching and testing
new technologies to increase sup-
ply chain efficiencies, making Meijer
one of the first in North America to
implement the EPA’s 2010 emissions
standards. Hoover focuses on a high
level of collaboration, not only with
manufacturers but also with Meijer’s
for-hire carrier partners.
Every year, Heavy Duty Trucking magazine recognizes the country’s most forward-thinking fleet profes-sionals with the title of “HDT Truck Fleet Innovator.”
These fleets are all heavily focused on sustainability and fuel efficiency, including increasing their fleet’s average miles per gallon and incorporating alternative powertrains such as electric and natural gas.
This year’s winners, who are chosen among nominations from the industry, operate vehicles ranging from cargo vans through Class 8 trucks. Of 2014’s four honorees, three are from private fleets, and one is from a for-hire trucking and logistics company.
The 2014 HDT Truck Fleet Innovators
LEADINGFLEETS.COM AMERITFLEETSOLUT IONS.COM 5
Airgas Wins CGA Safety Awards
Announced this spring, Airgas re-
ceived two Fleet Safety Excellence
Awards for 2013 by the Compressed Gas
Association (CGA). The first
award honored Airgas’ cylinder
vehicle fleet for the fifth con-
secutive year; the second award
recognized Airgas’ bulk vehicle
fleet for the fifth time since
2005.
The CGA calculates its Fleet
Safety awards by taking a
member company’s total vehi-
cle accident frequency rate per
million miles driven during
the year. The CGA recognizes
one small fleet and one large
fleet in each of the Bulk Vehicle
and Cylinder Vehicle categories. Air-
gas won the large fleet award in both
categories with 5,200 drivers. John
Anderson, Airgas’ director of DOT op-
erations, accepted the Cylinder Vehicle
Fleet award and Rafiq Huq, regional
manager for Airgas Dry Ice and
Carbonic, accepted the Bulk
Vehicle Fleet award.
“We are honored to be rec-
ognized by the CGA for hav-
ing the lowest vehicle accident
frequency rate among large
cylinder gas and bulk fleets,”
said Airgas President and CEO
Michael Molinini. “Our driv-
ers continued to raise the bar
in 2013, covering more than
130 million miles while safely
meeting the needs of our cylin-
der and bulk gas customers.”
C.R. England, one of the nation’s
largest refrigerated carriers, cel-
ebrated the June opening of a new ter-
minal in Colton, Calif., and announced
the addition of 10 new liquefied natural
gas (LNG) powered trucks to the com-
pany’s Southern California fleets.
This 34-acre facility is the second
largest C.R. England facility nation-
wide and will feature the following
amenities:
eight service bays and a truck wash.
-
C.R. England Opens Company’s Second-Largest Facility
source center including laundry, TV
lounge, game room, an exercise facil-
ity and driver training facilities. Ad-
ditional space is allocated to a non-
driver support staff office, including
operations for several key dedicated
fleets.
and 350 trailers.
The ribbon-cutting event also fea-
tured the display of two of 10 new Mack
Pinnacle 12-liter LNG tractors that will
operate out of the new Colton terminal.
The company also hopes to open an
LNG fill station there as well.
“C.R. England is a strong advocate
of sustainable transportation and is
aggressively implementing and test-
ing new technology, equipment and
training to provide our customers and
our environment with greener trans-
portation,” said COO Zach England.
“Although there are still challenges
with utilizing natural gas tractors in our
fleets, such as equipment costs, main-
tenance, and degradation in mpg, we
have made the commitment to contin-
ually test this equipment and introduce
them into strategic areas where the
freight and fueling networks fit best.”
As LNG technology has improved
over time, England expects better
maintenance results from the 12-liter.
In 2011, C.R. England introduced
15-liter LNG tractors into its fleet. Two
years later, England introduced a com-
pressed natural gas fleet in Utah.
C.R. England COO Brandon Harrison kicks
off the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the com-
pany’s new terminal in Colton, Calif.
Airgas was recognized for two Fleet Safety Excellence Awards for
2013: the company’s Cylinder Vehicle Fleet and Bulk Vehicle Fleet.
6 LEADING FLEETS VOL 4, 2014
LEADING HIGHLIGHTS
Atmos Energy Corp., together with
ZeitEnergy, introduced its new-
est Ford F-150 and Ford F-250 natural
gas fleet, which will work directly with
ZeitEnergy’s new public compressed
natural gas (CNG) fueling station in
Arlington, Texas.
John Paris, Atmos Energy president
of the Mid-Tex division explained,
“We are thrilled to be introducing 67
new natural gas vehicles (NGVs) to
our existing NGV fleet, which will also
benefit ZeitEnergy’s newest CNG sta-
tion in Arlington.”
According to Paris, Atmos Energy
has been replacing service vehicles
with NGVs since 2010, when the com-
pany first purchased more than two
dozen Honda Civic GX NGVs for its
meter readers. He said the compa-
ny’s growing natural gas fleet dem-
onstrates Atmos Energy’s commit-
ment to the environment by reducing
harmful emissions and the natural
gas supply.
The announcement comes on the
heels of a banner year for CNG vehi-
cles in Texas. According to the Energy
Information Administration, CNG ve-
hicles consumed 2.5 billion cubic feet
of natural gas in Texas in 2013.
Two major companies continue fleet adoption of compressed natural gasfor both environment sustainability and fuel efficiency.
Making Room for More CNG
(From left) John Paris, Atmos Energy
president of the Mid-Tex Division, Arlington
Mayor Robert Cluck, and ZeitEnergy Founder
Clint Beauchamp break ground on the new
CNG station, which is expected to open this
summer.
CHS Builds CNG Fueling Station
CHS Inc., a Fortune 100 energy,
grains and foods company and a
farmer-owned cooperative, announced
the construction of a CNG fueling sta-
tion in Fairmont, Minn. CHS Trans-
portation operates one of the nation’s
largest private truck fleets, logging
nearly 35 million miles each year. The
company said that building the station
is an excellent opportunity to leverage
an existing property and maximize the
utilization of current assets.
“CHS is embracing alternative fu-
Atmos Energy Adds 67 CNG Pickups
eled vehicle technology such as CNG
and propane autogas to cost-effectively
serve some of its customers and to help
achieve our aspiration to have a best-
in-class transportation business,” said
Paul Herskind, the business develop-
ment manager. “We are committed
to helping build the natural gas infra-
structure and making this alternative
fuel more accessible to fleets, farmers
and consumers.” In addition to add-
ing trucks powered by natural gas to its
fleet in 2013, CHS is currently testing
propane injection systems on some of
its tractors as well.
The new CNG fueling station will be
built adjacent to the CHS soybean pro-
cessing plant in Fairmont. Construc-
tion is expected to be completed by
September 2014.
CHS Inc. is building a CNG fueling station in
Farimont Minn., with expected completion in
September 2014.
7LEADINGFLEETS.COM AMERITFLEETSOLUT IONS.COM
275 New Ways to Work for Schneider
Based on its new relationship with
Harley-Davidson, Schneider has
opened up 75 new jobs for professional
truck drivers. The freight consists of
Harley-Davidson’s engines and parts
from Missouri, Wisconsin and Pennsyl-
vania to various points across the U.S.
The Wisconsin-based carrier is hir-
ing experienced drivers in Kansas City,
Mo., Menomonee Falls, Wis.,
and York, Penn., while offering
signing bonuses of $7,000 for
teams and $3,500 for solo driv-
ers, in order to incentivize the
hiring process. Team drivers can ex-
pect to drive between 5,000 and 6,000
miles per week, earning up to $80,000,
with predictable schedules and week-
ly home time, explained Rob Reich,
Schneider’s vice president.
In another hiring swing, Schneider
is also adding 200 professional truck
drivers in Houston and the surround-
ing area to meet a variety of growing
business needs. “Customer demand in
Houston is incredibly strong across all
of our divisions,” Reich said.
The greatest opportunity is within
Schneider Hits Hiring StrideSchneider is expanding its employee base and making some vital changes across the company and fleet.
Schneider has opened new job opportunities
across several divisions, with a bulk of the
openings operating out of Houston.
Since the company is often referred to simply
as Schneider, it created an updated logo with
a more contemporary look that the company
said more accurately reflects its multiple
transportation modes.
the company’s tanker division, which
is looking to add 100 company drivers
and owner-operators to its ranks. Ac-
cording to Schneider, the tanker divi-
sion is aggressively growing its chemi-
cal transportation business, adding
company drivers and owner-operators
to keep up with customer demand.
Compensation recently increased an
additional 8-10% per mile for all tanker
drivers, making their average salary
the-road opportunities for company
drivers and owner-operators. Owner-
operators may choose a percentage or
mileage lease options and may be eligi-
ble for up to a $5,000 lease-on incentive.
Company Changes
Schneider has also recently rede-
signed its logo with a more contem-
porary look. The company’s previous
logo had been in existence since 1985.
In addition to changing the
logo to one that is more refreshed
and befitting to a company oper-
ating in multiple transportation
modes, the company will now be
known simply as Schneider. “Although
we are not changing the name of our
legal entities,” said CEO and Presi-
dent Chris Lofgren, “to our associates,
our customers and the communities
we serve, we are, and have long been
known as Schneider.”
Transition to the new logo will occur
over time, including the 10,000 trucks
and 45,000 trailers/containers. Imple-
mentation will take place as trucks,
trailers, containers and other equip-
ment and materials are lifecycled out
and replaced. LF
up to $81,000 per year. The increase
comes after Schneider’s 10.5 cents per
mile compensation increase for tanker
owner-operators in April.
The other 100 Houston-area open-
ings are across Schneider’s dedicated,
intermodal, van truckload and port
dray divisions, and local and over-
8 LEADING FLEETS VOL 4, 2014
When talking with prospec-
tive clients our team often
hears the same question
when it comes to preventive mainte-
nance (PM): “My local repair shop only
takes 30 minutes for an oil change,
why does your PM take longer?” We’ve
heard this misconception enough late-
ly that we thought it warranted further
conversation.
The common mistake made is the
impression that a 30-minute routine
oil and lube change is the same as a PM
program. The second misconception
is that an oil change is enough to keep
a fleet running at peak performance.
The driving force behind this way of
thinking is a strong one: a 30-minute
oil change seems to save money com-
pared to a full PM service.
However, at Amerit we firmly believe
— and our data proves — that a full PM
program is fundamental and critical
to your fleet’s performance. A PM pro-
gram actually saves you a great deal of
money and delivers profitability when
looked at from a broader perspective.
Rule #1: Not all vehicles are created equal.When it comes to maintenance, not all
vehicles are created equal. A PM sched-
ule that works for half your fleet may
not be best for the other half. Amerit
partners with customers to create indi-
vidualized service plans that allow for
the differing composition, age, use pat-
terns and long-term plans of your fleet.
Our PM programs allow you the
maximum flexibility, visibility and
control to not only schedule routine
services during downtimes but also al-
lows you to take a more comprehensive
view of your vehicle and fleet, drawing
a direct line between PM services and
improved performance and lifespan.
Vehicles are comprised of many
unique components that keep them
running. The clutch, transmission and
tires, for example, each play a role in a
vehicle functioning correctly and are
specific to every type of vehicle. A com-
prehensive PM program goes beyond
changing the oil and lube of an engine;
it is tailored to monitor and maintain
individual needs of every component
for each vehicle type.
Rule #2: A good PM is not only pre-ventive but also predictive.It is in the name — a good PM prevents
breakdowns and undue wear and tear.
At Amerit, we go one step further. Our
technician teams are dedicated and fo-
cused solely on a very small number of
customer’s vehicles, ensuring that the
fleet receives the quality and consis-
tency of service it demands. Our techs
are also trained to go one step further
by predicting potential problems and
failures before they happen.
More than a standard oil change, our
PM covers up to 100 items. We check,
test, inspect and record the condition
of every part of the vehicle, entering
complete data on its condition directly
into the client’s fleet management sys-
tem. This may seem time consuming
and costly but in fact it could potential-
ly save on expensive repairs, unfore-
seen downtime, road calls, mitigate
safety risks, and avert the time and dol-
lars spent on major repairs that would
go unforeseen under lesser processes.
Rule #3: A PM program takes a little more time but saves a lot more money.Let’s look at three areas of savings that
the standard oil change cannot address:
Safety and Department of
Transportation Inspections
Amerit’s PM program includes all com-
ponents of a Department of Transporta-
tion (DOT) inspection to ensure safety
and compliance with DOT standards.
Many times, DOT inspections oc-
cur randomly and unexpectedly. In
the event a vehicle is not up to code,
the penalty can be extremely costly.
Beyond that, if a vehicle does not pass
inspection, it may present a danger to
the driver and those sharing the road.
By incorporating the elements of
a DOT inspection into a PM service,
Amerit ensures that the vehicle is safe
for the road and will pass any unpre-
dicted DOT inspections.
Tires
The value of tires is immeasurable for
the safety and efficiency of your ve-
hicle. Properly maintained tires not
Preventive Maintenance: More than an Oil ChangeRegular preventive maintenance is key to the performance of your fleet and to keep downtime low. Amerit Fleet Solutions outlines some misconceptions and rules to live by when it comes to understanding that preventive maintenance includes far more than just an oil change.
LEADINGFLEETS.COM AMERITFLEETSOLUT IONS.COM 9
only last longer but they improve fuel
efficiency and deliver savings as well.
For example, proper air pressure —
or lack thereof — presents the greatest
risk to a vehicle. If a tire is not inflated
properly it immediately diminishes
fuel economy. Over the long term, tires
that are underinflated are more sus-
ceptible to casing damage, a problem
that has no other solution than to re-
place the damaged tires with new ones.
If left unattended, worn and damaged
casing presents a real safety concern.
Amerit’s PM program monitors and
prevents casings from premature fail-
ure by rotating or replacing tires at
the appropriate time and checking air
pressure on each tire of every vehicle.
A task that takes only 10 minutes dur-
ing a routine PM prevents a repair that
would take as long as two hours and at
a much higher cost.
Amerit also measures tire tread to
make sure the tread depth is to legal
DOT standards, as well as safe for the
current weather conditions. If the tread
is not up to code, the casing becomes
susceptible and threatens putting the
vehicle out of service by DOT criteria.
Engine Coolant
Engine coolant plays an extremely
important role in the functioning of a
vehicle’s engine. Used to prevent both
freezing and overheating, it is made of
unique chemicals that must be checked
and replenished on a periodic basis.
In the event these chemicals are
mishandled or not attended to, they
can cause irreversible damage in a
short period of time. Correcting and re-
pairing the damage is time consuming
and costly but can be easily mitigated
with a proper, full PM service.
A PM improves profitability vs. an oil changeRecently, Automotive Fleet magazine
revealed its 22nd Annual Operating
Cost Survey (November 2013). “Stable
fuel prices and maintenance costs,
combined with a decrease in total fuel
consumption due to increased use of
more fuel-efficient vehicles, resulted in
less volatility in fleet operations during
the 12 months ending August 2013.”
In a landscape where costs are fi-
nally flat over the prior year, most of us
breathe a sigh of relief. But that does
not remove the pressure to deliver
greater profitability than in previous
years. Even in the world of flat costs,
using our thorough, comprehensive
PM program will not only drive savings
in many areas but will extend the life
of vehicles, mitigate safety risks to the
fleet, drivers and community, and re-
duce unforeseen downtime by ensur-
ing your fleet is in peak condition.
We have never met an oil change
that can say that. LF
Tire inspections are not necessarily
part of the typical oil change. Regularly
inspecting tires is a key component to
preventive maintenance and keeping
your fleet on the road.
10
COVER STORY
Averitt Express has recently launched an industry first:
self-powered climate controlled less-than-truck-
load (LTL) units that can keep freight either
cold or hot. While refrigerated trailers have long
been an option for truckload shipments, this is
the first option available to mix both tempera-
ture controlled and dry good shipments on the
same trailer using this type of shipping unit.
According to Phil Pierce, executive vice
president of sales and marketing for Averi-
tt, which is headquartered in Cookeville,
Tenn., the most common option
that currently exists for cli-
mate controlled LTL trans-
portation is an exclusive truck
Averitt Express Changes the Game with Climate Controlled LTLThis Tennessee company offers more than just refrigerated trailers through a
new climate controlled less-than-truckload service ó allowing customers to
securely ship temperature-sensitive cargo right alongside dry goods.
By Kelsey Nolan
LEADING FLEETS VOL 4, 2014
11LEADINGFLEETS.COM AMERITFLEETSOLUT IONS.COM
service. While Averittí s climate controlled LTL service is con-
sidered a premium option, it is less costly than the exclusive
truck mode. Plus, Averittí s model goes beyond refrigeration,
allowing for a range of climate controlled options.
Pierce says that Averitt had been in conversations about
starting a temperature controlled LTL service since the early
í 90s, but until recently, every product researched presented
some sort of weakness. The company was already provid-
ing temperature controlled truckload services, along with
warehousing, international, intermodal and its well-known
dry goods LTL services. However, Averitt wanted to extend
its climate controlled offering beyond truckload into the LTL
market. The market need for such a service was clear.
After Averitt discovered Climate
Controlled Containers Inc. through
a local media report, Pierce and a
few other decision makers traveled
to Port Arthur, Texas, home of the
manufacturers of the climate con-
trolled units, to find out more about
the systems. Pierce notes, ì We
didní t know them and they didní t
know us, but what came out of those
initial conversations was that we
could maybe revolutionize the mar-
ket in certain verticals.î
How It WorksUsing the units from Climate Con-
trolled Containers to transport LTL
shipments is a completely different
model than what is currently avail-
able in the marketplace. Todayí s
most common approach is for pro-
viders to pack LTL shipments in dry
ice to cool the units. Unfortunately,
this limits what providers can trans-
port and has other operational, eco-
nomic and environmental draw-
backs.
Instead, Averittí s self-powered
units are battery operated, which is
quite the departure from using dry
ice. Chuck Odom, vice president of
sales for global development at Aver-
itt, explains, ì Every hour a customer
uses the dry ice unit, it burns about
three-and-a-half pounds of dry ice. So if you have a 100-hour
journey, you need 350 pounds of dry ice. Ours burns none.î
After charging the battery for about eight hours, the units
can run for up to 150 hours. This helps guarantee a set tem-
perature for customers from departure to arrival. And not
only do these units cool cargo, they can also warm up or sim-
ply keep cargo at room temperature despite the frigid cold
or unrelenting heat outside. This is good news, in particular,
for companies transporting goods such as pharmaceuticals,
chemicals, medical supplies and technology, which often
need to remain at a neutral temperature. The units can also
handle hazardous materials.
These containers can range anywhere from -10 to 140 de-
Averittí s new climate controlled units can range from -10 to 140� Celsius and can be monitored, tracked, and adjusted by customers per their freight needs.
12 LEADING FLEETS VOL 4, 2014
COVER STORY
grees Celsius, depending on the ship-
per’s needs. “We just came out of the
worst winter in a decade and customers
were calling left and right asking if we
could keep their freight heated,” Odom
says. “We had a lot of requests to keep
things moving.”
Because the climate controlled units
are set at a predetermined temperature,
it takes the guesswork out of guarantee-
ing cargo in bad weather. “It takes the
gray area out of your distribution prac-
tice, especially for the pharmaceutical
companies,” Odom says. “Those types
of companies really like this service.”
Brad Brown, Averitt’s marketing and
communications manager, says that
environmental responsibility has also
been a positive result from the transi-
tion to these units. “We’re hearing from
more customers who are interested in
what we’re doing to be environmentally
responsible. This is one of several ways
Averitt is demonstrating vision and
leadership in that area,” he adds.
Pricing for the service varies depend-
ing on the type of freight, length of tran-
sit and level of security measures.
Before Averitt launched the climate
controlled LTL units in February, it
did extensive testing on the product to make sure it was the
right fit. For eight months prior to the rollout, Averitt officials
thoroughly tested the units to make sure they were durable
and suitable for the company’s needs. “We moved the units
around our system, beat them up, then we had our VP of op-
erations and his team make some improvements to the de-
sign to ensure maximum durability,” Odom says.
During this time, the company closely studied the vertical
markets where this service could have the biggest impact.
Some of those markets include health care, biotech, phar-
maceutical, chemicals, technology
and medical devices.
On top of the company testing,
Odom explains that Averitt had
a few select customers run trials
with the units. The customers put
them on their docks and even had
Department of Transportation of-
ficials inspect them. He says that
meeting Averitt’s pharmaceutical
customers’ quality control checks
was perhaps one of the most impor-
tant prerequisites to launching this
service.
A Secure ServiceAveritt is treating each customer who
presents a need for climate controlled
freight transportation with extra care.
Pierce explains that this service is ex-
ecuted more like an expedited service,
complete with standard operating
procedures for its operations team. Be-
cause this cargo is often of high value
and requires tight security, Averitt can
put on additional security to each unit
upon request. “If you put 1,000 iPads in
the unit, you’re going to get 1,000 out,”
Odom says.
The customer is directly involved in
each aspect of the freight transit with
these containers. Customers can even
require that the units are cleaned with
specific products, for example. Clients
can also set and control the tempera-
ture remotely, and monitor it along with
the humidity, the outside temperature,
how fast the truck is going and where it
is, and that the truck and the freight are
both in compliance at all times.
Because of the customized security, staying compliant
with a temperature controlled unit varies case by case. How-
ever, Pierce says that Averitt has a team working 24 hours a
day, seven days a week so that if a shipment goes out of com-
pliance, the group can actively recover it during the journey.
Brown explains that Averitt’s operational technology
proves helpful for the customer. If something were to change
with the shipper’s requirements for the freight, Averitt’s
operations leadership can instantly alert the driver using
on-board Qualcomm computers
available in every truck to prevent
any disruptions to the service. “We
have great infrastructure to com-
municate with the driver about any
necessary adjustments, should the
need arise,” he says.
Even the maintenance for these
units gets the red carpet service.
The maintenance is performed in-
house at shops throughout Averitt’s
distribution network.
These technicians already han-
dle the maintenance for Averitt’s
AVERITT CLIMATE-CONTROLLED UNITS
AVERITT EXPRESS OPERATIONS
BY THE NUMBERS
Due to the sensitive cargo and the nec-
essary security, Averitt’s operations team
treats each temperature controlled unit
with special care.
The maintenance of these temperature
controlled units is performed in-house
at shops throughout Averitt’s distribution
network.
13LEADINGFLEETS.COM AMERITFLEETSOLUT IONS.COM
tractor and trailer fleet, so it made sense that
they would also handle the necessary mainte-
nance for the climate controlled units.
Best PracticesWith the launch of any new product, companies
must establish standard operating procedures,
and Averitt has been working hard to create
these for its operational leadership. Every new
customer request or requirement gives Averitt
another item to add to its operational protocols
so it can accommodate every type of cargo.
Additionally, along with training across other
company services, Brown explains that drivers
are educated on their role in transporting these
units. Just like with dry LTL freight, drivers do
not have much involvement with actually han-
dling the units.
“The training we do relates more to security
and the process that the driver would need to
follow should there be an issue, such as the
battery getting low or the temperature chang-
ing,” he says. “If that happens, the customer and
Averitt’s operations leadership are automatical-
ly updated. From there, if necessary, the driver
will be notified about next steps.”
Averitt’s ability to provide quality care and information
with this service is closely related to its own operational
technology. As mentioned, Averitt uses Qualcomm units,
which are in every truck along with a GPS system.
Aside from the loading and unloading of the freight, the
entire customer service process is centralized. Because of
this centralization, the dedicated customer service team is
able to remotely monitor and control these units and ensure
their safe and timely arrival.
Expectations vs. RealityPierce says that ever since Averitt began considering the cli-
mate controlled service, they have been studying and evalu-
ating their offering, making sure they keep the target custom-
ers happy.
The difficult part of rolling out a new product like this,
Pierce explains, is convincing customers that they’re going
to get a reliable service. He says that this product is not for
everyday temperature-controlled frozen foods, but more of a
high-end vertical that has to have certification and meet gov-
ernment regulations.
According to Odom, the entire process of de-
veloping a strong provider-customer relation-
ship with this service is far more consultative
and takes longer to iron out with each customer
than other types of traditional services. Rath-
er than just providing a rate for a customer’s
freight, he says, Averitt has to go through a vali-
dation process with customers in the biotech,
pharmaceutical and medical fields to ensure
security, satisfaction and compliance.
Pierce says that Averitt has seen an over-
whelming customer response from the rollout of
the climate controlled service. For example, cus-
tomers love that the units can be programmed
to alert as many people as necessary.
Plus, the company is getting quotes every day
from all over the country and North America.
Shipping climate controlled products is a niche
service. Odom explains that identifying the in-
dustries with the most potential is key to the fu-
ture success of the service.
“We know some of the verticals,” Odom says.
“For example, transporting vaccines has huge
potential.” With the growth of the health care
market, he explains, seven of the next 10 vac-
cines require climate control during transport.
And with the beginning of vaccine season,
which runs from June to October, Averitt is hop-
ing to bring in a lot of that business.
“We’re confident other industries will identify themselves,
raise their hand and say ‘We love this,’” Odom says.
The company is also working to educate its sales team
about this new service. Odom says it’s a continuous training
process for everyone in the company.
Pride in ServiceAveritt has been moving forward with a number of other ad-
vancements as well. The company has rolled out the indus-
try’s first 100% mobile-friendly website, and will soon launch
e-notifications to automatically alert customers to changes in
the delivery status of a shipment.
The company has also received the LTL Regional Carrier of
the Year Award from Walmart for the third year in a row — a
testament to the quality of service Averitt provides. LF
Averitt Express, headquartered in Cookeville, Tenn., is training
drivers on the new service to ensure that all drivers understand
the security protocols with these units.
Phil Pierce, executive
vice president of sales
and marketing
Chuck Odom, vice
president of sales for
global development
14 LEADING FLEETS VOL 4, 2014
With the largest team of dedi-
cated fleet maintenance
experts across the nation,
Amerit Fleet Solutions is focused on
creating service programs that are cus-
tom built to improve the performance
of complex fleets anywhere in the
United States. From brick-and-mortar
maintenance facilities to mobile main-
tenance units, the company draws
upon a portfolio of innovative service
platforms to get the job done.
Recently, three executives from
Amerit sat down with Leading Fleets to
talk about their unique company phi-
losophy, detail how custom solutions
are developed and what fleet profes-
sionals can expect when working with
them.
Q: How is Amerit different from other
fleet maintenance companies?
Dan Williams, CEO: The things that
differentiate our company all boil down
to our scale and our perspective. Our
nationwide team of 1,300-plus techni-
cians and managers are currently op-
erating in most major-markets in the
U.S. This scale means we truly have the
ability to go anywhere our customers
need us. This separates us from most
local or regional maintenance provid-
ers, who are constrained in their ability
to deploy services in response to their
customers’ needs.
But our size does not mean our cus-
tomers get lost in the crowd. As a pri-
vately held company that is focused
on nothing but fleet maintenance, we
have the ability to be more nimble than
our large, publicly held competitors.
Whether it’s a minor item like how a
customer wishes us to invoice them,
or a larger need like finding the perfect
garage location within a 5 minute drive
time radius, or how we capture and
transmit maintenance data, we truly
do customize our solutions to fit each
of our customers.
The last thing I would say that dif-
ferentiates us is the fact that we truly
care about our customers. I know that
sounds hokey but I think it truly is what
has led to our success. We really do
care more than other providers — and
it shows in how we always put our cus-
tomers first.
Q: What expertise do you have main-
taining equipment and fleet assets?
Bob Brauer, President: We main-
tain more than 100,000 assets nation-
wide, everything from light to heavy-
duty, including high-mileage assets,
dry and refrigerated trailers, aerial
equipment, material handling equip-
ment and even generators. We also
service more electric, CNG, LNG and
hybrid vehicles than anyone in the
industry. Because we have over 1,300
technicians throughout the U.S., when
we start with a new customer we usu-
ally have the expertise needed for their
asset types.
Having vehicle experts on-hand
speeds the transition process and en-
sures high-quality services from day
one. On the rare occasion when we do
not have a specific technical skill, we
deploy our team of recruiters to acquire
the right technical experts and techni-
cians to ensure our clients are always
receiving the highest quality services.
Q: What are the Mobile Service Cen-
ters, and how long does it take to get
one up and running?
Amein Punjani, COO: The best way
to summarize Amerit’s Mobile Service
Centers (MSCs) is to say they are like a
garage on wheels. These aren’t garage-
based units that make short trips for
emergency services or routine main-
tenance, our MSCs are stocked with
parts, tools and wireless data systems
and are designed to be on the road for
extended periods of time, operating
completely independent of the garage.
We tend to invest a little more in equip-
ment on our MSCs, but it pays off be-
cause we are able to handle more of the
work at our customer’s location.
Another important difference is that
each MSC is a custom solution, built
specifically for each client’s fleet. We
begin by making sure it’s equipped
and stocked appropriately for the asset
types, usage and services required.
Regarding timing, we work with
each client to determine an accept-
able start-up timeframe, but generally
it takes no more than 30 days for us to
get the MSC upfitted and into service.
Because we’ve had such high demand
for these units, we are receiving new
mobile units quite frequently, which
helps us react quickly to customer
needs.
Q: The newest service is the Amerit
Fleet Service Centers. What should
fleets expect in choosing this solution?
Williams When we open an Amerit
Fleet Service Center for a customer,
the goal is for that garage to operate
just like that customer’s in-house op-
erations. While we can handle every-
thing on our own, we love it when our
customers are highly involved at every
step — from initial property approval
to start-up monitoring and monthly
performance reviews.
Once up and running our clients can
expect to enjoy priority access, excel-
lent services, hours of operation that
meet their routine downtimes, a dedi-
cated team of technicians, state of the
art diagnostics and reduced costs. In
short, we want our clients to think of
the AFS Fleet Service Center as their
own garage just down the street.
Inside Amerit Fleet SolutionsQ&A:
LEADINGFLEETS.COM AMERITFLEETSOLUT IONS.COM 15
Q: Explain the details of Amerit’s on-
site labor services and why your cus-
tomers choose this service model.
Punjani: Onsite labor is usually a so-
lution for one of two reasons: either
we’re displacing a problematic existing
vendor or we are transitioning an in-
house operation to deliver greater ef-
ficiency, quality and savings. In either
case we are there to improve the situ-
ation — not just give the existing staff
a paycheck with a different logo on it.
Our onsite workforce capabilities
bring relief from the burdens and risks
found in managing a highly technical,
specialized group of employees. We
are the experts at assessing the cor-
rect staffing levels and skills that are
required to meet the needs of each
fleet. By hiring and managing the right
workforce we deliver savings and val-
ue. For example, by hiring for the right
skills, we drive down expensive third-
party services, which reduces spend
while improving in-house efficiency
and vehicle availability.
And because we believe in total
transparency we track and report our
performance on everything from stan-
dard task times to comeback rates to ve-
hicle downtimes. We hold our employ-
ees accountable for their performance
and incentivize them to perform above
industry and client benchmarks.
Williams: Another, often overlooked
benefit to our clients is our dedicated
recruiting and HR staff. Our focus on
managing our technical workforce
means that our customers are able to
focus their time and efforts on running
their business. By offering best-in-class
safety and technical training, continu-
ing education programs, as well as
health care, financial planning and oth-
er sought-after benefits and incentive
programs, we are able to attract, retain
and reward the best in the business.
Q: So it sounds like you can you ser-
vice a fleet anywhere in the country?
Williams: Yes, that is correct. Our
national footprint means we already
have technicians working in most mar-
kets, so it is easy for us to go anywhere
in the U.S. In fact, we have yet to find a
customer location we couldn’t create a
solution for.
Because we work with a number
of large national fleets with assets all
over the country, we are able to bring
together a small number of our cus-
tomers to create service programs
even in remote locations. This allows
us to deliver higher quality services,
reduced costs and give our customers
higher priority and faster turnaround
service times than they are experienc-
ing currently. It creates a win-win for
everyone.
Brauer: To give you an example, we
are currently opening a garage in a
small city in northern North Dakota.
In a town this small, hiring becomes a
serious challenge so we put together a
solution that brings in Amerit techni-
cians from the lower states to main-
tain our clients’ vehicles. And with a
workforce as big as ours we have a lot
of technicians that we’re able to attract,
and move where they want to go. As it
turns out, for some, the North Dakotan
lifestyle is exactly what they have been
looking for.
Williams: I’ll add one more point.
Because we are in the early stages of
building out our network of brick-and-
mortar garages, we are uniquely posi-
tioned to provide an optimal solution
for our customers. Our national com-
petitors who already have hundreds
of garages, approach new customers
from the perspective of “which of my
existing garages would best meet their
needs.” We approach a new customer
from the perspective of “what is the
best location for us to open a shop to
support this customer.”
We are currently opening garages
in rural parts of Texas that will liter-
ally save our customers over an hour of
drive time — that translates to big sav-
ings in time and fuel costs.
Q: You mention fast turnaround times
and priority, how have you organized
your services to support this?
Williams: Our dedicated service
model means that our customers ex-
perience unparalleled turnaround
and service times they cannot get
from anyone else. Because our tech-
nicians focus on supporting a very
limited number of customers they are
able to respond to service requests as
quickly as they can jump in a MSC
and get to the location, or as quickly
as they can pick up a wrench and start
working on a vehicle that has been de-
livered to the shop.
Punjani: Adding to that, we schedule
the work shifts around our customers’
needs. If their vehicles are available
during the day, we’ll work during the
day. If they’re available only at night,
we’ll service them at night. Our service
solution is inherently designed to be as
responsive as possible.
Q: In closing, what would you like
our readers to take away from this
conversation?:
Williams: We are proud that Amerit is
a unique, innovative company in this
industry. We want fleet professionals to
know that when we say “we create cus-
tom service programs that solve your
problems, anywhere in the country”
that we have the infrastructure, the
processes, the talent and the experi-
ence to do exactly that. LF
16 LEADING FLEETS VOL 4, 2014
FLEET PROFILE
After 125 years in the business
and in an effort to return to the
days of lower fuel costs, Amer-
iPride has evolved from horse and bug-
gy operations to diesel trucks to now
testing out natural gas, propane, and
electric systems.
Eventually penetrating the company
fleet of almost 2,000 vehicles, a new
pilot program exploring not just one
but several technologies has taken the
reins of this fleet’s sustainability initia-
tives. “We didn’t want to limit ourselves
to one technology,” says Banny Allison,
AmeriPride corporate fleet manager.
AmeriPride is based in Minnetonka,
Minn. and has 115 production facili-
ties and service centers in the U.S. and
Canada, which include a wide range of
routes from 50-mile runs to long hauls.
Allison knew that while every technol-
ogy would work, not every application
would see a cost benefit. “That’s why we
are testing everything,” he says. “May-
be we’re crazy. It’s a lot of work but the
results and excitement it has generated
in the company has been well worth it.”
To manage the data, telematics sys-
tems and other electronic information
such as fuel card data, maintenance re-
cords, and pump monitoring at on-site
fueling stations are all used to generate
the reports. For every fuel or technol-
ogy tested, an analysis is run against
the baseline platform: diesel.
The process began back in 2012,
when the company began looking at
alternative fuels and analyzing at what
point each fuel is most cost effective.
Next, it was a matter of deciding which
locations best fit those criteria.
Starting with CNGThe AmeriPride fleet consists mostly
of step vans built from either a Ford
F-59 or a Freightliner Custom Chassis
MT45 chassis; the bodies are built by
either Morgan Olson or Utilimaster.
On the Ford chassis, AmeriPride did
the gaseous fuels engine-prep package
through Ford, and Green Alternative
Systems (GAS) did the upfit with a BAF
kit. Five trucks with this configuration
are being tested in Omaha, Neb. These
were the first AmeriPride CNG trucks
to hit the ground and already have
30,000 miles on them since mid-2013.
Overall, Allison reports no issues ex-
cept for one lesson learned so far: tank
fluctuation. “We probably needed big-
ger tanks because when it gets really
warm — like 90-100 degrees — we lose
a lot of capacity,” he says.
The Omaha CNG fleet is fueling up at
public stations operated by Metropoli-
tan Utilities District. AmeriPride will
hold off on investing any capital into
CNG stations until or if the pilot proves
it’s worth the cost.
Another five CNG trucks live in
Oklahoma City and are built on the
Freightliner Custom Chassis with a
Landi Renzo CNG package, also upfit
by GAS. Deployed after Omaha, these
trucks have bigger CNG tanks.
These two locations were chosen
due to the high-mileage routes, ade-
quate public fueling sites, and because
there’s access to mechanics familiar
with CNG vehicles.
The verdict isn’t out yet on prefer-
ence over the two truck configurations,
(Above) This is one of four 53’ double-decker trailers that AmeriPride is testing on its long-haul routes. (Left) CNG trucks make up the largest piece of the company’s alt-fuel pilot program.
AmeriPride’s Alt-Fuel P
By Joanne Tucker
With a variation of route types to service, AmeriPride is on the hunt to find which fuels and technologies are the most cost effective for
each application. Ph
otos
cour
tesy
of A
mer
iprid
e.
17LEADINGFLEETS.COM AMERITFLEETSOLUT IONS.COM
but Allison says that the company is
seeing a large savings in fuel costs and
a reduction in carbon emissions.
Filling a Branch with PropaneFor the five propane trucks in Topeka,
Kan., they are on the F-59 chassis with
a ROUSH system upfitted by GAS.
AmeriPride went ahead and had an
onsite pump installed. “Propane gives
you the flexibility of fueling in random
areas without public infrastructure,”
Allison says. “You can drop a tank, put
a pump on, and you’re ready to go.”
While some wiring issues were expe-
rienced with the upfits, the one major
pain point has been the propane price
fluctuation. With this last winter put-
ting extra stress on home heating fu-
els, propane prices increased far more
than expected. “We were paying four
to five times what we did in the sum-
mer,” Allison says, adding that they did
not lock in a fuel price because they
wanted to see what it would be like to
run the fuel in a normal cycle.
Those propane trucks were tempo-
rarily parked until the propane prices
came back down. “It’s all part of the pi-
lot,” Allison says. “What we’ve learned
from that is we will be locking in a fuel
price this summer, when it’s substan-
tially lower.”
The pricing issue hasn’t deterred the
company from moving forward with
propane though. Allison says the com-
pany is considering filling out the To-
peka location with propane trucks, and
possibly a few other locations.
California Leads in Electric For electric, Los Angeles was the se-
lected AmeriPride location to install
10 charging stations, which were com-
pleted in March. The site will receive
five Boulder EV trucks in December
and is working to source another five.
Why California? Government incen-
tives. “Because without those, electric
vehicles — at least on the medium-du-
ty truck side — are just too cost prohib-
itive to actually allow us to test them,”
Allison says.
While the company doesn’t have
much data other than the trucks get
an 80- to 120-mile range, lessons were
learned in launching the EV project
before the trucks have even been de-
livered. “We had estimated charging
infrastructure at $10,000 a station and
it has come in substantially higher,” Al-
lison says. “We weren’t really consider-
ing that you have to do trenching, extra
lighting, potentially add transformers
to bring up our power situation, etc.”
The company worked with its utility
provider City of Vernon Light & Power
and Chateau Energy Solutions, an in-
frastructure design and build firm, on
the stations, especially to ensure that
the trucks never peak out on power
by charging at the same time and are
charging during the lowest rates.
Another electric system being test-
ed is a bolt-on hybrid system from XL
Hybrids on two GM cargo vans. “The
installation went smoothly,” Allison
says. “From the drivers, they’re say-
ing there’s not much difference power
wise, so they’re pleased with that.”
Getting More on the RoadOn the company’s tractor/trailer fleet,
which operates out of AmeriPride’s 45
main distribution centers, four double-
decker trailers are being tested. Allison
says that some of the company’s ser-
vice centers have outgrown the capac-
ity of loading one, 53-foot trailer.
Instead of running a second truck
and having to hire another driver, the
company is trying double-decker trail-
ers, which are manufactured by In-
novative Trailer Design and have two
floors to store cargo with an internal lift
to maneuver between the two decks.
“Those have proven to be extremely
beneficial to the operation because we
can get so much more — about 60%
more into that trailer,” Allison says.
However, roadway conditions dic-
tate where these low-riding trailers
can travel. While the company looked
at any highway conditions and re-
strictions, AmeriPride had to move
the trailer operating out of Memphis,
where the company’s facility doesn’t
have nicely paved roads up to the
building. “It was scraping the bottom,”
Allison says, adding, “we have to do a
more diligent review of every aspect of
the double-decker route.”
AmeriPride is looking to add three
more of these in 2014. The company
also installed side skirts on virtually all
their standard 53’ trailers.
Through all these trial runs of vari-
ous technologies and products, Amer-
iPride is gathering driver feedback,
which pairs nicely with the company’s
125th anniversary.
In celebration of this milestone, driv-
ers are getting new and improved uni-
forms, and general managers and other
company leaders will have the opportu-
nity to check out some of the technolo-
gies at Ameripride’s upcoming Leader-
ship Summit and “Fleet Expo.” LF
el Program Tests It All
Starting with a handcart and moving up to a horse and buggy to today’s alternative fuel pilot program, AmeriPride is testing it all. The fleet currently has: 10 CNG step vans 5 propane step vans 5 all-electric trucks 4 double-decker trailers 2 hybrid cargo vans
FROM HORSE AND
BUGGY
18 LEADING FLEETS VOL 4, 2014
LEADING THOUGHTS
In May 2014, 11 people across four
states fell sick from E. coli found in
beef they had consumed, with the
USDA’s Goods Safety and Inspection
Service stating that stores in as many
as nine states were stocked with beef
contaminated with E. coli.
Based on data from the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention,
around 48 million people annually (or
one in six Americans) get sick from a
foodborne illness. Of these, 128,000 are
hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year.
Growing public safety concerns
about food safety prompted the
FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act
(FSMA), which was signed into law on
Jan. 4, 2011. In initial phases, FSMA fo-
cused on the regulation of food sources
and the supply chain. Now in 2014, it is
broadening its focus to the transport
of food as the seventh and final major
rule in the implementation of FSMA’s
overall food safety framework. The
proposed rule has been extended for
open comment until July 30.
Who Would It Affect?The new food transportation measures
would set criteria to ensure sanitary
transportation practices for food, such
as proper refrigeration, the cleaning of
vehicles between loads, and other pro-
tective food measures during transport.
It would be universally applied to ship-
pers, carriers and receivers engaged in
the transport of food consumed or dis-
tributed in the U.S. This means that the
regulations would cut across the supply
chain and require granular tracking,
tracing and visibility.
In such scenarios, shippers would
be expected to inspect vehicles for
cleanliness prior to loading food that
is transported in containers not com-
pletely enclosed, such as fresh produce
in vented boxes. Likewise, interna-
tional shippers that transport food to
the U.S. in international freight con-
tainers by air or oceangoing vessel and
then arrange for the transport of these
containers onto motor or rail vehicles
in the U.S. for domestic consumption
or distribution would also be subject to
the new guidelines.
Who Would Be Exempt?Domestically, the guidelines would not
apply to shippers, receivers or carriers
engaged in food transportation opera-
tions with less than $500,000 in total
annual sales. Nor would the rule apply
to transporting fully packaged shelf-
stable foods, live food animals, and raw
agricultural commodities when trans-
ported by farms.
Internationally, the guidelines would
not apply to shippers, receivers or carri-
ers engaged in operations in which food
is shipped through the United States to
another country, but not consumed or
distributed in the U.S. Similarly, the
guidelines would not apply to food
imported to the U.S. for future export,
again as long as it is not consumed or
distributed in the United States.
The FSMA’s food safety transporta-
tion guidelines could have dramatic
impacts on the food and beverage in-
Phot
o: iS
tock
.com
FDA Food Transport Rules F
19LEADINGFLEETS.COM AMERITFLEETSOLUT IONS.COM
dustry, as well as food distribution and
supply chain logistics. Here are three
potential and significant areas of im-
pact that operators should prepare for:
#1: Track and trace visibility
More granular visibility of food ship-
ments would be expected in the sup-
ply chain — the type of granularity
that can track and trace a shipment of
food back to its originating farm if food
contamination breaks out. True track
and trace would follow food shipments
from their points of origin through the
logistics network and into warehouses,
distribution centers and retail outlets.
For carriers, it means track and trace
of shipments from shipper to buyer/
recipient. If the foods are “cold chain”
goods that require refrigeration or oth-
er types of strict environmental con-
trols, such as maintenance of the goods
in specific humidity ranges during
transport, sensors for temperature and
humidity would be expected in trans-
port vehicles and in the containers.
Sensor-based technology that con-
trols the quality and safety of food
works in two ways: It can provide GPS
data that delivers real-time informa-
tion on the location of the transporter
carrying the goods, and it can monitor
the temperature and humidity param-
eters of food containers — immediately
sending out alerts if a particular con-
tainer’s environmentals begin to fail.
Large logistics providers with com-
prehensive Internet-based networks
already have sensor-based technolo-
gies, automated alerts and mitigation
practices in place. This puts pressure
on smaller logistics providers that do
not have this full network management
capability. The implementation of new
FSMA standards might give smaller lo-
gistics companies extra time to comply,
or in some cases exclude them — but
these companies would still run the
risk of losing shipper-customers who
already know there are logistics provid-
ers “out there” with the supply chain
sophistication that will enable them to
comply with new FSMA standards.
#2: Plugging existing “holes” in
the supply chain
Supply chain and transportation man-
agement systems should be evaluated
for completeness, with an eye toward
making adjustments for “holes” in
end-to-end logistics visibility that can
potentially expose food shipments to
safety hazards.
One prime example is yard manage-
ment, where loading, unloading and
managing truck schedules is still often
handled with clipboards and walkie-
talkies, while warehouse management
(WMS) and transportation manage-
ment (TMS) systems have soared to
next-generation technology. Yard ac-
tivities outside a warehouse or a distri-
bution center are often inefficient. The
hazards range from “misses” in sched-
uling and tracking carrier appoint-
ments, to even forgetting about a trailer
that is already in the yard — and full of
a perishable food product.
#3: Movement to cloud-based
networked supply chains
Historically, companies have used in-
ternal enterprise resource planning
(ERP) and supply chain systems. While
these systems can achieve optimal in-
tegration between corporate internal
functions like finance, distribution,
customer service and marketing — the
systems don’t fare nearly as well when
it comes to directing business transac-
tions and communications that occur
outside the enterprise.
It is also difficult for traditional ERP
systems to facilitate communications
between more than two business part-
ners at once. Directives like FSMA will
require greater collaboration and bet-
ter communications between trading
partners and their logistics providers.
To facilitate these working rela-
tionships in the safe transport and
management of food products, supply
chains would need to be networked
and capable of creating opportuni-
ties for collaboration and multi-party
problem solving in much the same
fashion that social media does.
Newer, cloud-based supply chain
networks provide this functionality. It
would be important for logistics provid-
ers, as well as other supply chain partic-
ipants, to subscribe to these networks.
Satisfying RequirementsWhenever new legislation and regula-
tions enter the pipeline, there is sure
change for companies and concomitant
costs. Accordingly, monitoring food
containment environments during
transport, knowing where shipments
are and where they came from, and be-
ing able to take prompt steps whenever
a breach in food safety occurs, would
all be needed to conform to new FSMA
requirements for food safety in transit.
It would take capital to invest in these
new information, automation and sup-
ply chain technologies. Most logistics
providers understand though that
these technologies are the hallmarks of
the global, more visible and more agile
supply chains required to not only com-
ply with FSMA, but to keep pace with
the expanding markets and customer
requirements that they must satisfy to-
day and in the future. LF
About the AuthorMary Shacklett is president of Tran-
sworld Data, a technology and
market research firm. She has been
actively involved in the publishing
industry for more than 20 years as
an editor and writer, with a focus on
topics such as supply chain, logistics
and manufacturing/distribution.
es Focus on ‘Track and Trace’By Mary Shacklett
20 LEADING FLEETS VOL 4, 2014
LEADING EXPERTISE
There is no doubt that finding, hir-
ing and retaining the right talent
is critical to the success of every
company and every fleet. Hiring hun-
dreds of qualified technicians every
year, Amerit Fleet Solutions has first-
hand experience with the challenges
present in filling the needs of a grow-
ing workforce.
Through this experience, Amerit
has found the following four keys to be
important in the successful recruiting
and retention program.
#1: Build a strong recruiting organization. A recruiting team brings specialized
skills, insights and focus to the hiring
process that go beyond the realm of
the average human resources profes-
sional. Trained and certified recruiters
are focused on both the hard and soft
skills that make the candidate success-
ful in your culture. Amerit’s in-house
recruiting team also conducts all first-
line interviews, passing along only the
candidates that clear the team’s bar —
saving the hiring manager a great deal
of time and energy.
Another component of a strong re-
cruiting team is technology. Utilizing
the latest job-board technologies not
only gives you access to a nationwide
pool of candidates but also provides
important data such as time-to-hire,
wage ranges and size of candidate
pools that will help your organization
manage expectations and risks.
And let’s not forget the power of social
media. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twit-
ter are important tools that a recruiter
should use to build broad networks and
drive candidate engagement.
#2: Referral programs work.An employee referral program lever-
ages the power of employees’ existing
relationships with friends and associ-
ates. Referral incentives go a long way
to vesting employees in the process.
In Amerit’s experience, a referral is
much more likely to succeed than an
external candidate. It could be that
the employee acts as a mentor or that
friendships motivate candidates to
perform — but whatever the reason,
Jennifer Toll brings years of experience in managing organizational design, tal-ent acquisition, and succession planning from multiple Fortune 500 companies. She currently leads Amerit’s talent management strategy, with the goal of attracting, developing and retaining the company’s most valuable asset: the em-ployees. Toll is an influential, strategic business partner, engaged in all levels of the organization. She holds a B.A. from California State University, Chico.
4 Keys to RecruitingSuccess: An Inside ViewBy Jennifer Toll, Vice President of Human Resources, Amerit Fleet Solutions
when employees have “skin in the
game,” your company benefits.
#3: Educate your managers.The more involved a manager is in the
hiring process, the fewer headaches
they will have down the road. Howev-
er, managers may lack the proper inter-
viewing skills to properly assess can-
didates’ capabilities, capacity and fit.
Ensuring your managers know the ins
and outs of interviewing, what types of
questions they can/can’t ask and how
to both promote your company while
assessing the candidate will net great
rewards in finding the best employee
and in alleviating potential legal chal-
lenges.
#4: Have a focused HR team.The HR department at Amerit is fo-
cused on the quality of life of techni-
cians. We don’t hire many web devel-
opers or marketing people — we hire
techs. Therefore we design our benefits
and incentives to align with the needs
of technicians. A benefits package that
includes career path development,
training and certification manage-
ment, as well as encouraging on-going
education in areas relevant to the po-
sition will go a long way to letting can-
didates know that your company is the
place where they should hang their hat.
Amerit’s experience and success in
attracting and hiring the best techni-
cians is unparalleled in the mainte-
nance industry. Finding the right per-
son for the job is never easy but using
these four tactics will help bring rapid
and successful talent acquisition to
your company. LF
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Amerit belief #3:Good decisions start with good data.