McClain and Associates’ location in the St. Louis region provides another advantage to its customers, no matter where they are based. “We’re able to expand our network,” McClain says. “Because we’re right in the middle of the country, that gives us access to carriers everywhere, on all coasts, and moving in all directions. We can be more competitive with our rates, because our network is larger.”

Don’t let truckload capacity derail your supply chain

We live in a world where CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, COOs, Presidents, VPs, Managers (you get the point) are pressuring logistics managers to cut costs, improve customer service, and utilize data to implement cost saving strategies. Intermodal transportation is a strategic solution that helps to solve these problems and many more, that is often overlooked due to its less than [trustworthy, reliable, competitive, efficient] reputation that it earned in the past.

What you may not know, is that the intermodal transportation industry has invested billions into:

Augmenting Safety Procedures
Improving & Maintaining Infrastructure
Expanding Network of Lanes
Strengthening Regulations
Advancing Technology
Training Employees
Damage Prevention

These efforts have allowed railroads to reposition themselves as an effective and trusted alternative to OTR Transportation. In fact, railroads have invested their own capital (with no help from the government, as in other sectors or modes of transportation), approximately, $600 billion since 1980, and $25 billion annually over the last 5 years, to accommodate the 45% expected increase in freight shipments by 2040, according to the US Federal Highway Administration.

Benefits of Intermodal Transportation

Converting truckload shipments to intermodal with a trusted IMC has cost benefits, service benefits, and environmental benefits, however, we have found that many shippers still have a (false) negative perception of intermodal transportation. As a result, we have created our Intermodal Myth-Conceptions info-graphic, putting shippers minds to rest and ensuring them that rail is a viable alternative to OTR transportation.

1 Train can take 280 trucks off the highway
Intermodal loads boast 98% accuracy for on-time deliveries
Trains, on average are four times more fuel efficient than trucks
A train can move freight 450 miles on ONE gallon of fuel
If just 10% of OTR freight was converted to rail, fuel savings would exceed 800 million gallons, per year and greenhouse gas emissions would fall by more than 9 million tons
Removing 10% of OTR freight is equal to taking 1.8 million cars off the road or planting 215 million trees

For More Info on Intermodal Transportation

Download our Intermodal Myth-Conceptions Infographic or Check out our website or contact McClain for a quote/consultation!

Many companies question their need for a Transportation Management System (TMS). Maybe you have an in-house TMS built years ago that works “just fine”. Maybe you think it will be expensive and the ROI doesn’t seem worth the time and effort it would take to implement, and you wouldn’t be the only one. Maybe you think no company will be able to meet all of your complex needs. Whatever it is that’s holding you back, it’s costing you cash, inducing employee burnout, wasting time, and probably having negative effects on customer service and possibly JIT inventory.

Implementing a TMS helps you look at your transportation program as a whole, not just the flat cost of the freight. Decisions that you make surrounding your freight have not-so-obvious costs that are often not quantifiable. For example, do you know how long it takes for your accounting team to audit freight bills and request corrections? How do you know they are catching all the mistakes? LTL invoices are incorrectly billed 3% of the time by an average of $119.36! Wouldn’t it be nice to have this process automated!?

Keep reading to the top reasons to implement a TMS.

By implementing a TMS, all of your transportation data and information is in one place allowing all members of your organization quicker access to quoting, scheduling, and tracking tools. For example, when a customer calls a CSR, Sales Rep, really anyone in your company, wondering where a shipment is, a quick TMS search will give you real-time tracking info instantly. Additionally, modern transportation management systems can send automated notifications when an order ships, providing a link for customers to access real-time tracking without even having to contact you.

A TMS reduces the time spent managing freight, and increases the time spent on more important tasks/projects. Furthermore, with visibility of inbound shipments, you can schedule receiving staff accordingly and reduce wait time.

If your TMS is integrated with your ERP system, you spend less time manually inputting data (and less time correcting errors). Plus, with integrations, PO and transportation data are contained in a central repository, which allows for more informed decision making and decreases risk.

If current situations have triggered an assessment of your transportation needs, you’re operating with a reactive design. If you are looking into the future and considering events that aren’t in the process of happening right now, you are (luckily) operating proactively.

When historical incidences of problems and the factors leading up to and causing them are analyzed, processes and procedures can be put in place to prevent them from happening in the future. By implementing an exception-oriented process to trigger alerts to stakeholders in the cases of potential problems, the effort and financial costs of uncertainty are drastically minimized.

When shipment and order information is stored in a centralized location, the metrics rendered are invaluable. Not only is time saved, but errors caused by manual entry are avoided allowing clients to accurately manage and analyze transportation costs and execution performance data.

When assessing the transportation systems of a potential client, we always as them to provide 30-90 days worth of shipment data. For some customers this is almost impossible and a daunting task. These are the customers who need a TMS the most. Without the ability to analyze historical shipment data, they are unable to (at minimum):

Leverage carrier/vendor compliance data to negotiate better rates
Uncover opportunities for route optimization
See if transportation costs are rising and determine the underlying issues
Have an accurate P&L

Long story short, companies of all sizes benefit from transportation management systems. Good 3PLs will provide you with some options, force you to modify processes, and maybe save you some cash. GREAT 3PLs will become your partner. GREAT 3PLs will work with you to analyze your processes for potential improvements, mold their processes to match yours, and customize their technology to match your unique needs.

If you want more information on a GREAT 3PL, give us a call or shoot an email to maeze@mcclainltd.com.

Intermodal Transportation

In a recent article posted by Logistics Management, “2017 Rail/Intermodal Roundtable: Volume stable, business steady” Intermodal experts shared what we already knew, but what many shippers aren’t taking advantage of: Railroads have re-positioned themselves as an effective and trusted alternative to OTR Transportation. As a good rule of thumb, we like to say:

If you’re not shipping local, consider intermodal!

We are taking full advantage of the improvements of rail infrastructure, and our clients that are doing so are reaping the benefits. Converting truckload shipments to IMD with a trusted IMC has cost benefits, service benefits, and environmental benefits, however, we have found that many shippers still have a (false) negative perception of IMD. As a result, we have created our Intermodal Myth-Conceptions info-graphic, putting shippers minds to rest and ensuring them that rail is a viable alternative to OTR transportation. Check out our McClain’s Intermodal Guidebook for more information!

Each year, Inbound Logistics publishes regionally-focused supplements informing shippers in all industries of economic trends in their respective areas. This year, McClain & Associates will be featured with an advertisement, an interview with McClain Director of Business Development, Dan McClain, as well as a segment outlook of the St. Louis Economy. Check out the attached article: “The St. Louis Region: Big Developments, Bright Future”, and stay tuned for a copy of the May Editorial!

For many years, the St. Louis region has offered outstanding logistics advantages to companies that located on the Missouri or Illinois side of the Mississippi River. With a wealth of multimodal transportation options, plenty of available real estate, and a position within one day’s drive of 30 percent of the U.S. population, the bi-state area has drawn interest from manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who need efficient access to domestic and international markets.

The article goes on to say,

As a non-asset-based 3PL, McClain and Associates provides transportation services for truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal shipments, using a proprietary transportation management system. For truckload moves, the company can provide flatbed and oversized equipment as well as dry van and temperature controlled trailers. The company manages intermodal moves using 53-foot containers and 40- or 45-foot containers owned by steamship lines.

Logistics and Transportation in the St. Louis Region

Economic Development Supplement