Pet food manufacturer achieves capacity and cost control for predictable transportation management

The smallest wrinkle in the supply chain can disrupt a shipper’s equilibrium and leave chaos in its wake. Regaining control often requires all hands on deck — pulling significant time and resources from other core areas of the business. If the problems persist, it’s a clear sign that there’s a greater need to evaluate — and likely overhaul — the current supply chain processes. This was exactly the case for one manufacturer that couldn’t seem to get a handle on its shipping hardships. Complications across its intermodal transportation base negatively impacted the business and left customer relationships hanging in the balance.

The culmination of those errors meant that missed and delayed freight left the manufacturer constantly scrambling to find new carriers to move loads, and lack of visibility routinely left it wondering where its freight was. In addition, consistently late freight accrued on-time, in-full (OTIF) fines amounting to thousands of dollars in unexpected transportation costs. Ready to do right by its customers and regain complete control of its supply chain, the manufacturer sought to find a worry-free solution that checked all the boxes.

To help the trains get back on track, the manufacturer knew it needed to fix its transportation problems. It issued an RFP to evaluate providers that could offer a seamless, strategic approach to fixing its supply chain troubles.

Schneider had experience working some of the manufacturer’s intermodal lanes and was aware of the frustration the company was experiencing within its extended network. While Schneider Intermodal expertly managed its lanes, it saw the opportunity for a supply chain management upgrade and elevated the situation to Schneider’s Managed Transportation Services, which has unparalleled experience managing capacity generation and cost control. Schneider’s Managed Transportation Services experts worked with Schneider Intermodal to expertly assess the opportunity—demonstrating the value of a one-stop solution for capacity, cost control and communication.

Schneider immediately stepped in as the single point of contact to monitor and manage all outbound intermodal loads from the manufacturer’s Pacific Northwest facility. Using its robust third-party carrier network to move freight, Schneider vetted intermodal providers to build the capacity needed to service the lanes. These efforts resulted in the manufacturer’s supply chain becoming more predictable, alleviating stress and positively impacting the bottom line.

Feeling a renewed sense of control over its intermodal transportation gave the manufacturer much needed peace of mind. It was now managed reliably and predictably, eliminating the stress of day-to-day lane management and navigating tenuous customer relationships. The flexible transportation solution meant that the manufacturer was no longer forced to manage mistakes and could get back to the big picture of its business — all the while knowing its freight was finally in good hands.

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