Shipping Industry Going Greener
Innovations Seek to
"Reduce-Reuse-Recycle"

The environmental cost of moving goods can be significant. A growing focus on climate and energy has brought the shipping industry’s environmental impact to the forefront. More and more companies are beginning to take action, and many have embraced the “green” principle of “reduce-reuse-recycle.” Two of Unishippers’ national carriers are leaders in this regard.

Roadway Promotes Environmental Sustainability
Roadway aggressively promotes pollution prevention, waste reduction, and conservation across its daily operations. Among these is the prevention of unwanted products from entering the waste stream or disposal process; chemical shipments deemed unacceptable by a shipper or consignee are recovered, repackaged, and offered for sale to the public through a physical location in Missouri and a virtual location on the Internet. All tires are disposed of through EPA-registered disposal agents. Many go to tire recycling companies for further use as energy sources, playground mats and chips, mulch for landscaping, and road construction material.

Roadway voluntarily uses biodiesel fuel at select locations across the U.S., in addition to locations where use of biodiesel is mandated. It continues to evaluate fuel-savings initiatives and policies such as the use of computers to automatically shut down an idling engine, tractor speed governance, fuel-efficient tires and tread designs, and aerodynamic modifications to tractor and trailer configurations. The company’s practices to reduce emissions include limiting on-duty idling to 5-15 minutes, eliminating overnight idling by lodging drivers in hotels, and capping tractor speed at 62 mph. Roadway participates in the SmartWay Transport Partnership, a voluntary program between various transportation industry sectors and the federal Environmental Protection Agency which addresses key national concerns to improve energy security and energy savings.

DHL Express Commits to 30% Improvement in Carbon Efficiency by 2020
DHL is the first company in the logistics sector to set a specific carbon efficiency target. In an article published on April 29th in Traffic World, the company announced it would improve its efficiency by 30 percent by 2020. The company has set strict targets, reducing emissions per package sent, ton transported and square meter of real estate used initially by 10 percent by 2012, and by 30 percent by 2020 when compared to 2007 levels.

In addition, DHL Express has brought all of its climate change initiatives - both internal and customer facing - together under its GoGreen Program to build a comprehensive range of environmentally sustainable logistics solutions. The GoGreen Program will also help DHL Express formally track and monitor the company's progress against its carbon efficiency goals.

To help achieve its emissions goal, DHL Express will progressively modernize its air fleet. Approximately 90 percent of the company's air fleet will be replaced by modern, more fuel-efficient aircraft such as the Boeing 757 Special Freighter, which consumes around 20 percent less fuel per transported ton than its Boeing 727 predecessor.

DHL Express will expand the use of innovative technologies such as alternative fuels and drive systems. The company will also introduce IT-assisted route optimized, telematics and fuel-efficient driving to increase the carbon efficiency of the company's 72,000 vehicles in its ground fleet.

Customer Chronicles
Granite Transformations Offers
Easier, Less Expensive
Granite Countertop Solution

Some things really are as easy as 1, 2, 3. And at Granite Transformations, improving the look and quality of kitchens and bathrooms is a simple three step process using a special material which is a fusion of some of the world's finest granites:

1. Certified personnel carefully measure their customers’ existing surfaces and build a template to get every detail correct.
2. New countertops are fabricated in their shop so that none of the time-consuming mess occurs in the home.
3. On installation day, they bring them finished and ready to install.

In just a day or two, beautiful new countertops are fitted into place and glued directly on top of old ones, adding a sleek, sophisticated look to kitchens, bathrooms, fireplaces and bars. And the experts at Granite Transformations do it in a way that makes sense and saves money. Since they place the material on top of existing surfaces, there is no messy demolition of old countertops and projects completed in considerably less time, resulting in many years of superb performance because the material is heat, stain and scratch resistant. Other common surfaces, including some laminates and tiles, have disadvantages such as scratching and staining, and are not known for withstanding heat.

Leonard Harris, distribution manager at the company’s West Coast warehouse in Santa Ana, California, says that the company’s unique product and value proposition has really resonated with customers. The parent company, Rock Solid Granite, has nearly 100 franchise locations throughout the United States under the name Granite Transformations, and plans to continue to expand as more and more people see the value they can add to their homes without spending a fortune on traditional granite surfaces.

Of course, shipping is an essential part of the company’s success. Getting the slabs of manufactured granite from the manufacturing plant to distribution centers and then on to individual franchise offices can be tricky logistically, especially due to the weight and size of the product. That’s where Unishippers comes in. Leonard says they use Unishippers to coordinate the shipping of full truckloads of products from the manufacturing plant in Florida all the way across the country. Then, as the company’s franchisees order materials, Leonard and his team pull the desired product from a massive warehouse full of all types and colors of the manufactured granite. The quarter-inch thick slabs are then loaded onto skids and prepare for shipments via less-than-truckload (LTL) through the most appropriate freight carrier partner.

Leonard says having Unishippers on their team is so useful that it’s like having an extra employee in their shipping department. He adds the service provided by the Unishippers office is invaluable, and the Freight Manager online software makes his job of selecting the right carrier, at the right price for individual shipping lanes, much easier. “Freight Manager lets us choose the right carrier and fill out the paperwork online,” he explains. “It also allows us to track our shipments’ progress and communicate shipment status information to our franchisees.”

Granite Transformations also utilizes Unishippers’ partnership with DHL to send smaller packages, including paperwork and product samples. Jim Courtwright is the company’s main contact at Unishippers and works with them regularly to make sure that their shipments are arriving at their destinations on time without damages. He says the company has been great to work with and looks forward to a strong business relationship for years to come.

Did U Know?
You Can Access 40+ Freight Carriers with Unishippers' Freight Manager

As a customer of Unishippers, you benefit from instant access to national and regional carriers at substantial discounts, regardless of your shipping volume. There’s no need to negotiate with numerous carriers per shipment when we have relationships with more than 40 companies including:

• A. Duie Pyle Inc.
• AAA Cooper Transportation
• Alvan Motor Transport
• BAX Global
• Bullet Freight Systems
• Central Freight Lines
• Central Transport International
• Daylight Transport
• Dayton Freight
• Dependable Highway Express
• Dohrn Transfer Company
• Estes Express Lines
• Lakeville Motor Express
• Midwest Motor Express
• New England Motor Freight
• N & M Transfer
• Oak Harbor Freight Lines
• Old Dominion Freight Line
• Panther Expedited Services
• R & L Carriers
• Roadway
• SAIA
• Southeastern Freight Lines
• Southwestern Motor Transport
• Standard Forwarding Company
• UPS Freight
• USF Holland
• USF Reddaway
• Vitran Express
• Xpress Global Systems

Distinctive to Unishippers, Freight Manager, our premium freight management tool for your LTL (less-than-truckload) shipping, is your one-stop solution for quoting, booking, tracking and overall freight management. “Freight Manager is the magical tool that takes away the confusion,” says Carl Loge, a Unishippers franchisee. “It removes all the mitigating pricing factors and gives real dollar to dollar and transit time comparisons, allowing each carrier to specialize in the areas they want to serve.”

Freight Manager…

• Provides multiple quotes in seconds
• Compares costs and timing at a glance
• Eliminates phone calls or negotiations
• Manages both inbound and outbound freight of all types
• Converts quotes directly to BOLs
• Provides flexible tracking options
• Streamlines visibility for all company departments
• Maintains online lists and addresses
• Creates customized reports
• Provides one, consolidated invoice
• Provides Unishippers support 24/7 from anywhere

This month Update highlights two carriers with a long history in the shipping business – Estes and Saia. Dan Lockwood, Unishippers’ president, says Unishippers has established great working relationships with both carriers. “Each company has dedicated a seasoned industry veteran to be our national account manager,” explains Dan. “We have direct access to operations and billing personnel, and at the executive level we frequently meet with vice presidents and owners. These relationships can be leveraged, when necessary, in order to resolve customer issues in a timely and efficient manner.”

Founded in 1931, Estes Express Lines has evolved into one of the fastest growing multi-regional, LTL and truckload transportation systems in the U.S. The company’s most recent growth spurt came with the acquisition of California-based G.I. Trucking. Estes’ territory in the west allows it to provide customers with coast-to-coast shipping – all under one large umbrella. The company has a network of 185 terminals extending to 46 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as major commercial markets in the Caribbean and Mexico. Its affiliation with the ExpressLINK network adds comprehensive coverage throughout the rest of the U.S. and all of Canada.

Through its Five Core Services program, Estes is equipped to handle the following:

• Delivery of truckload or LTL, difficult shipments and dedicated shipments
• Consolidation or distribution of product
• Guaranteed shipment delivery time or expedited midstream if needed
• Warehousing of product and product fulfillment
• Expedited air freight forwarding services virtually anywhere in the world through Estes Air Forwarding

Saia was founded in 1924 with much of the company’s growth accomplished through mergers and acquisitions. In 2007 Saia integrated The Connection Company into its operations, expanding to Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. The company now serves 34 states with 148 terminals. In 2003 Saia conducted market research to identify what was most important to its customers. As a result, the company introduced its industry-exclusive Customer Service Indicators (CSIs) and launched its Xtreme Performance campaign.

“From a price point, Estes and Saia are two of our most favorable pricing options,” says Carl, who runs franchises in Omaha and Lincoln; Wyoming; South Dakota; Fargo, North Dakota; St. Cloud and Minneapolis. “Both companies have also been responsive to any operational challenges.”

When you look at all the carriers a customer has access to when he uses Unishippers and Freight Manager to move his freight, that’s what makes us unique and what makes moving all of your shipping with us so easy and worry-free.

Saving U Time, Trouble and Money

You Can Reduce the Likelihood of Split Shipments
By following DHL’s standard processing procedures for multi-piece shipments, you can reduce the likelihood of frustrating split shipments. A multi-piece shipment is defined as a shipment containing more than one piece consigned under a single shipment waybill. To reduce the likelihood of split shipments, we recommend the shipper does the following:

• Ensure that the number of pieces tendered to DHL must correspond to the number of pieces mentioned on the waybill.
• Clearly number each piece (i.e., 1/3, 2/3, 3/3…)
• Attach a valid waybill to each piece.
  • If a manual waybill is used, a photocopy of the waybill must be attached to each piece.
  • If an automated waybill/thermal label is used, the application (such as Express Manager) will allow you to print a label for each piece of the multi-piece shipment as entered. Place one label on each piece. Use a plastic window to affix.
• Internationally, to ensure all pieces travel together, customers have the option of shrink-wrapping all international multi-piece shipments on a skid for transit to final destination. Note: shipment waybill must specify the total number of pieces and NOT state “1 skid or 1 pallet” as the total quantity.
• Domestic multi-piece shipments must be within standard size/weight guidelines and cannot consist of any oversize pieces.
  • Length cannot exceed 108 inches.
  • Length plus girth cannot exceed 165 inches.
  • Actual weight per piece cannot exceed 150 lbs.
• International oversized pieces cannot pass through the DHL hub autosort belt system. Therefore, they are handled through a separate process than standard size shipments. Any international multi-piece shipments containing an oversize piece will increase the chance of the shipment being separated because the oversize shipment will be segregated during the hub sort.
• It is recommended that an international piece that qualifies as an oversize should be processed under a separate DHL waybill as a one piece shipment. This is not necessary if all shipments will be shrink-wrapped together and placed on a skid.

Cut Costs Without Cutting Value
As the economy continues to struggle in many parts of the country, many businesses are looking for ways to cut costs without affecting quality and productivity. However, businesses often make the mistake of cutting back on the products and services that are most essential for survival and ongoing growth. Before taking steps to curb costs, take a critical look at where your money is being spent and exercise restraint, because hasty cutbacks could end up hurting your business in the long run.

Do your homework, exercise a little creativity, and you’ll probably be able to make significant reductions without pain. These tips and ideas should get you started:

• Use virtual communication. Do all of your meetings need to be in-person? With the influx of internet-based technologies, there are plenty of alternative ways to communicate with customers. Look into Web conferencing and video conferencing tools, which allow you to make presentations and minimize travel costs. Most tools will pay for themselves in just a few saved trips.
• Cross-train employees. Instead of looking for temporary help outside of your business, train current employees in other areas so they can step in when workloads are heavy and staff is low. By allowing employees to “job shadow” and utilize online resources to learn new skills you’ll reduce costs and boost the morale of your workers.
• Compare service offerings. Eliminate extra subscription costs by assessing the value of each of the services and resources you subscribe to. Are you paying for two products that do the same thing? Is there a product available that performs multiple functions? Reducing software and product subscriptions will cut expenses and management headaches in one easy move.
• Reevaluate your insurance investments. Make sure your insurance coverage is up to date and that you are not being charged for vehicles or appendages that no longer exist. Compare your current business insurance rate to market competitors and make sure you’re getting the best rate.
• Outsource when possible. Increase your flexibility and better manage resources by subcontracting out specific tasks that are critical, but not the core of your business. By hiring outside companies to manage these tasks you will free up both time and money to focus on your core business.