Distributions & Retail Roll Outs

We are the ‘go to’ guys for 3PL’s and Forwarders controlling national and/or regional distributions to multiple cities in the South Eastern US, and our experience goes back a full decade on these demanding programs.

3PL’s/Forwarders require certain abilities and proven competencies from regional carriers/last-mile providers because these programs tend to be for Fortune 500 end-user customers, and are compressed into short time periods.

Requirements Capabilities
Fast response to RFQ Well managed ‘hub’ warehouses
Significant prior communication/review of task needs Ability to transfer internally through the network
Cost consciousness Multiple vehicle assets and 2/3/4 man teams
Transparency throughout the process Flexibility to handle any size/type of shipment
Minimal handling of goods Full set of tools/equipment/blankets/straps
Training of teams for specific fixtures etc. Ability to do pre-assy in warehouse before delivery
Communication and Timeliness on execution Meet Tech Installers & assist unpack/positioning
Professionalism with Consignee/Tech installers Debris removal
Clean billing and audit trail Returns or reverse logistics as required

Every distribution and roll-out tends to have different inbound receiving processes, warehouse sort/segregate/stage and handling instructions and delivery and reporting requirements. Some may just be a simple daytime drop to a dock, but others can be very specific and complex, and some delivery programs may be to hundreds, or even thousands, of retail locations during a short period of time.
Your agent must be well prepared to handle shipments of various products, such as cosmetic displays, store fixtures, mannequins, POP displays, and kiosks all the while knowing how to move the products efficiently and as quickly as possible.

We offer:
1) A corporate based single Point of Contact which analyses the task, breaks out all the distribution points and disseminates the relevant information to each city in the network, works on consolidating discussion questions into focused queries back to the 3PL/Forwarder, provides pricing for all locations – all in a timely manner.
We also establish direct EDI or email reporting as each inbound shipment is received and each delivery is made, and consolidated billing into a single invoice.
2) A broad last-mile network connected with our own internal dedicated line haul, utilizing key hub warehouses which facilitates simpler and more cost-efficient shipper pre-built loads coming into our designated points for break-down, reporting, sort and redistribution to last-mile terminals.
3) Local last mile white glove teams with substantial assets able to service multiple points in a concentrated and timely fashion.  All locations are on the same Freight Management System, report through a single point of compliance, and centrally invoice.
We also know when to say “No, this is not something that we can do well”, and commit to provide a quick and honest response if it does it fit within our wheelhouse.

A sample of the tasks we have handled in a cost efficient and timely manner:
1) Large, costly and heavy cabinets for Cell Tower refits in Urban and rural areas for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobil;
2) High security, expensive and unwieldy TSA Millimeter Wave AIT scanners and hand baggage x-ray conveyer systems going into airports in the middle of the night;
3) Hundreds of large coffee machines shipped into Starbucks locations in a very short space of time;
4) Thousands of wheeled trays of Orchids coming off refrigerated trucks in the heat of August into our warehouses in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida for immediate last-mile distribution into Lowes garden centers;

Special Service Freight services 2500 zip codes and distributions may run from as few as fifty locations and in excess of six hundred.
The task may be as simple as a dock delivery, or it may require pre-storage and building of consolidated loads, with prior or on-site pre-assembly, debris removal, return of replaced assets etc.
Listed below is a selection of recent distributions we have worked on throughout our service area:

Retail:
B&N, Belk-Macy’s, BestBuy, CVS, Dicks Sporting Goods, Disney stores, Dollar Store, GameStop, Goodyear Tire, J Crew, JC Penney, Lowes, McDonalds, USPS, Rack Room shoes, Ross Stores, Sam’s Club, Starbucks, Stryker, ULTA, Vans, Walgreen and Walmart.

Tech/Ind projects:
American Security Safes (AMSEC), AT&T, Bank of America, Cree Lighting, Fujitsu, Kangaroo gas stations, Life Sciences/Thermo Fisher, MetroPCS, Nokia, T-Mobil, SECU, Sprint.

Call the Corporate Office on 704-587-0001 and ask for Steve Perriman or Chip Popovici to discuss any of your needs.