Agrochemical supplier improves bottom line and service with customized, flexible shipping solution

When the rooster crows on today’s farms, it’s rousing people who are worried and restless. Falling milk prices. Changing consumer trends. And debt that grows by frightening amounts each year. In light of all they face, farmers continue to get out of bed and toil all day, every day to grow the products people need.

Inspired by its heroic customers, a supplier that supports farms with agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology set out to help these committed cultivators by eliminating one big headache from their lives.

The good news: Many farmers need the supplier’s agrochemical to maintain their crops through growing season. The bad news: They often don’t receive it on time and in the right amount.

Delayed deliveries and poor communication between carrier and supplier created unhappy customers. The equipment carrying the product created serious issues, too. Chemical tankers bringing the product from plant to farm require special meters that don’t come standard on most transportation equipment. These meters ensure the chemical is accurately dispensed, so farmers don’t pay too much for a shorted amount or receive too little product to meet their needs. Either way, it’s a bottom line buster for farmers who survive on razor-thin margins and puts them at odds with their agrochemical supplier.

What’s more, farmers only need the agrochemical during priority growing seasons and need dry van truckload options during off-season. Very few carriers are willing to provide a flexible solution that switches between dry van truckload and metered trailers to help these farmers maintain their businesses.

The agrochemical supplier heard its customers loud and clear. It set out to transform this less-than-impressive status quo into a blue-ribbon delivery experience.

The chemical supplier realized its current multi-regional carrier model might be the source of much of the angst. It quickly sought to consolidate bulk shipping carriers to transport the chemical to farms nationwide. The company knew it also needed a carrier that could switch its drivers between dry van truckload and bulk. It looked for chemical tanker providers with a flexible network, financial strength and seasoned bulk transport professionals – and found Schneider to be among its top choices.

The supplier soon saw that farmers aren’t the only ones willing to get their hands dirty and work sunup to sundown. Schneider matched this work ethic as it dove into the task at hand. The chemical transportation team analyzed both the farmers’ expectations and locations. It also fully evaluated the supplier’s current delivery processes and network. Armed with insight, Schneider uncovered and implemented smarter, smoother ways to get the supplier’s products to the farmers’ fields.

• Retrofitted 34 trailers with meters to begin safely delivering the chemical in the precise quantity each farm needed.
• Implemented a dedicated solution that leveraged Schneider’s equipment expertise and network of professional drivers. With a fleet of nearly 15,000 safety-tested professional drivers already in place, a dedicated team was promptly deployed to helm the new equipment. The supplier’s farming customers soon came to rely on the professional, friendly and timely service they were now getting.
• Realigned the supplier's network to provide the flexibility of switching between metered trailers and dry van transportation. Schneider’s adaptable service offerings allowed it to serve farms during the off-season by hauling seeds.

By leveraging Schneider’s portfolio of service offerings and network, the supplier could finally – and confidently – promise accurate delivery of agrochemical products to its farming customers during growing season and seeds during the off-season.

Schneider’s Reliably Flexible Network Enabled the Supplier to Make On-Time Deliveries and Positive Experiences the New Norm.

Since the chemical supplier began leveraging Schneider’s network strength, equipment expertise and professional drivers, the company and its customers have seen improved bottom lines and service experience.

Other key results include:

• Farmer satisfaction that led the supply company to increase Schneider’s 32 loads per week and 15 drivers to 78 loads per week and 30 drivers.
• Increased on-time delivery at farms with Schneider drivers behind the wheel of bulk or dry van trailers.
• A customized solution providing reliable capacity through all seasons, distances and container needs.

By working with Schneider, the supplier is delivering a differentiated customer experience – one that is strengthening its reputation and relationships with its farming customers. Schneider’s collaboration enabled the supplier to make on-point, on-time delivery expectations and experiences the new norm. Farmers who need agrochemical to maintain their crops through growing season are now doing less fretting and more harvesting, thanks to their supplier’s decision to trust Schneider as one of its core carriers.