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Keep Trucking Through the Holidays the Healthy Way: Food for Thought

Palmer LogisticsIt’s hard to believe the holidays are approaching so quickly! If you are like most Americans, you can already taste the turkey, stuffing, and delicious pastries soon to come. You can also probably anticipate the extra pounds that inevitably creep up on you.

Being on the road can make it particularly challenging to stay healthy. Whether you are driving an 18-wheeler across the country, or driving your kids to basketball practice, we hope that these tips can help you and your family stay on a healthy eating road.

Check out this infographic recently release by Atlas Van Lines. It provides some helpful tips on how you can stay healthy while on the road.

  1. Have stores and stops in mind that provide healthy choices! Check out this article from CNN that highlights some of the healthiest fast food options.
  2. Choose healthy snacks. Some great options include nuts, fruit, and jerky.
    Keep moving! Don’t forget to stretch. Sparing 10 minutes to take a quick walk can make a big difference.
  3. Catch some Z’s. Sleeping is not only healthy for you, but vital for the safety of other around you. Don’t push your limits remember to get 7-9 hours per night.
  4. Enjoy the ride! If you’re on the go a lot, be sure to take in the scenery and make the most of your trip. Have a positive attitude can go a long way in keeping that need for comfort food at bay.

Don’t forget to plan ahead. Having a healthy diet will bring more energy and better focus to combat the busy, sometimes stressful nature of the holidays and allow you to cherish well deserved time with family and friends.

Moving with Change

Check out the following infographic highlighting trends and changes in the transportation sector.

Palmer LS is here to assist organizations like yours navigate this whirlwind of change.

Economic Trends Fueling the Trucking Industry

Economic TrendsThe trucking industry continues to feel the impact of current improved economic trends. The ripple effect of near-full employment, increased wages, increased consumer goods spending, strong new housing market (strongest since 2007) and increased factory output is propelling the industry to offer nationwide-distribution services and adopt new technologies. Corporate and retail store remodeling are also on the rise as a result of the upswing in the economy.

Shippers are increasingly relying upon regional distribution networks to quickly fulfill their eCommerce orders. A strong first/final mile delivery supply chain, diverse in product specialization, is imperative. Consumers expect rapid delivery of their online orders as the ”I want it now” culture continues to permeate our society as a result of constant internet connectivity.

Brick and mortar retailers are remodeling as they look to their future viability. Providing a new customer experience (Target calls this “reimagining”) is crucial to driving foot traffic and foot traffic is crucial to brick and mortar retailer existence. Retailers need project logistics services including fixture distribution, handling, and installation services as they upgrade and remodel.

With factory output growing at 3.5% this year (up from last year’s growth of 1.5%), demand for TL and LTL is booming, putting additional stress on the trucking industry.

And on top of all of the above, transportation partners need to ensure safety and provide quality service, system integration, tracking, and reporting, all while being good stewards of our environment. That’s a tall order!

Palmer Logistics Services meets such needs for our diverse client base including retail, healthcare, manufacturing, sensitive equipment, and events/exhibits, to name a few. We offer asset-based, supply chain solutions through our exclusive network of industry-leading partners. Quality delivery, service and end-to-end visibility is what our clients demand and what Palmer Logistics delivers. No matter what the economic performance or outlook, Palmer Logistics Services is here for the long haul.

The Impact of the ELD Mandate

ELD MandateWhile the impact of ELDs implementation on trucking productivity and capacity has been felt since last fall, the mandate’s effect is proving to be of greater significance than the industry anticipated.

Equipment utilization, efficiencies of communication and ease/term of payments are contributing factors for carriers managing rising operational costs. Trucks are not being pulled off the road, but, the 500-750 mile former one-day, lanes are now mandated to two-day lanes. Drivers and carriers also need to address their parking situation as units are reaching the end of their allotted time cycle (this impact felt strongest in traffic-congested, major metropolitan areas). These changes are increasing costs and amplifying the industry’s driver shortage. The estimated 10% capacity reduction as a result of ELD’s coupled with low unemployment increasing competition for labor from other industries ensures tightness in the trucking market won’t ease anytime soon.

Palmer LS is committed to managing our cost structure and strengthening our operations post ELD mandate by working with our customers to:

  1. Strengthen partnerships – understanding our capacity and customers’ needs and our fit within their network ensures alignment. We remain focused on being an innovative, high quality, creative partner.
  2. Leverage technology – Utilizing the industry’s leading transportation management system, we bring transparency of strength, capacity potential and metric performance excellence.
  3. Effective communication – Procedural enhancements ensure timely and accurate communication with our customers and their supply chain regarding driver hours and dock time restraints.
  4. Quality recruitment – Palmer LS’s commitment to quality driver recruitment continues. Providing transportation solutions for over 100 years, Palmer understands that drivers are our most important asset; fostering a customer service-based culture to managing our fleet is key to our success.

Over time, the industry will adapt. Carriers will be more efficient as data available from the ELDs is incorporated into operations for better utilization of drivers and equipment. Palmer strives to be a leader throughout the industry’s many changes.

Change for the Better. Change for the Future.

Palmer LSCreating significant change within a business is one of management’s most challenging tasks. Planning and most importantly, communicating the; who, what, where, why and when is critical in getting all team members to commit to the change. Our recent experience taught us the importance of identifying key staff who are motivated, open minded, and dedicated to the challenge of managing change.

We are proud of having successfully accomplished the challenge of changing a 60-year van lines partnership to becoming Atlas Van Lines newest agent as of 1/1/18. This undertaking has been a combination of perplexing, fear provoking and exciting and is already proving to be helpful in growing our business as well as improving quality and strength to our household moving division.

Palmer LS and Palmer Moving Services, agents of Atlas Van Lines, bring the industry’s largest fleet of assets dedicated to corporate relocation customers. Atlas is an industry leader in developing innovative technology solutions, which drive efficiency and provide answers for the for the heightened expectations of today’s corporate relocation customer.

Atlas is gaining Palmer’s 110-year commitment to quality service, our prideful enthusiastic team members and quality professional van operators. A perfect fit for the next 110 years of providing exceptional service and reliability!

Cheers to a healthy and prosperous 2018!

2017 NEI Partner of the Year Award

NEI Award

Partnership…

Consistent service excellence. Communication. Collaboration. These terms define a successful partnership and are what drive the Palmer Companies.

NEI Global Relocation has recognized Palmer Moving and Storage for its dedication to excellence by awarding Palmer with the 2017 NEI Partner of the Year Award. There were more than 150 partners from 5 continents at the recent NEI Global Partner Summit. Palmer Logistics Services manages close to 500 household relocations annually for NEI through our exclusive service delivery partnership with Palmer Moving and Storage. We are honored to receive the award. Click here to read the press release announcing the award.

Palmer Logistics Services operates on the principles required to nurture strong partnerships with customers and service partners. We are committed to excelling as a partner in global household relocation, asset-based truckload transportation, turnkey commercial relocation, truckload, and LTL sensitive equipment transportation.

Happy Labor Day from Palmer Logistics

Check out our latest fact filled infographic about Labor Day.
Palmer LS Labor Day

Fruehauf and the First Tractor-Trailer

Palmer Logistics Tractor TrailerDid you know that Fruehauf was the pioneer of the tractor-trailer? In 1914, August Fruehauf (a blacksmith and wagon builder) was asked to transport a boat by a Detroit lumber tycoon named Frederic M. Sibley Sr.

Sibley wanted to transport his boat on dry land behind his Ford Model T. Fruehauf took on the challenge and successfully transported the boat allowing for a much faster delivery. Orders began flowing in and Fruehauf continued to improve the trailer. One notable improvement was the additional of the fifth wheel which led to the automatic coupling of today’s trailers.

Not only did Fruehauf develop the tractor-trailer, but he designed the modern shipping container as well! You can learn more about Fruehauf by visiting the Fruehauf Trailer Historical Society website.
On July 20th, the Automotive Hall of Fame inducted Fruehauf into its 2017 class of honorees.

Palmer Logistics Services tips our hat to Fruehauf and his many innovations. Who knows…If it weren’t for him, we might still be transporting household goods, automotive parts, sensitive equipment in wagons!

2017 WBENC Conference Recap

 

The national WBENC conference was extremely motivating. Great breakout session content, great corporate and WBE connections at the business fair and truly inspirational key note speakers, time well spent. Palmer Logistics Services is proud to have formed a strategic alliance with another family owned WBE to leverage our strengths and succeed together.

A recent Fortune article discusses how Walmart is spearheading a new initiative to support Women Owned Businesses. Walmart along with Campbell Soup, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Mondelez, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble are joining forces to source more from WOBs. Walmart has launched similar initiatives in the past resulting in more than 1,500 WOB suppliers across various product categories. This initiative opens the doors for so many entrepreneurs presenting them with the opportunity to take their business to a new level and brings awareness to the benefits of partnering with Women-Owned Businesses.

Inspired by the solidarity of our WBENC community and excited to grow together. Hats off to a great job WBEC West! #WBENCconf #WBENCis20

Customers don’t stand still: Supporting Retail Supply Chain Challenges

Palmer Logistics TruckIn the past year retail industry sales growth doubled the historical average for year over year growth.

The explosion of Omni-Channel demand is drastically changing retail industry supply chain models. Today’s consumer takes a much different journey: they can visit a store one day, continue browsing on their laptop during lunch, see an ad on YouTube and make a final purchase via their iPhone. Consumers often learn of a product on social media or through an email which leads to a website visit, reading reviews, and inquiries to friends before ultimately buying.

These multiple touchpoints, coupled with strong Multi-Site Retail Construction Growth, challenges retail supply chain professionals to integrate distribution and delivery of product and fixtures to accommodate all of the different methods of shopping and facility growth. Retailers must develop strategies that give them the ability to ship anything to or from anywhere quickly.

As an agent of CRST Specialized Transportation Palmer Logistics Services is part of the industry’s largest asset based specialized sensitive equipment transportation network. We offer comprehensive LTL, TL and Multi Stop TL capabilities. With 52 distribution centers across the US and Canada we offer inventory management with serialized tracking, order fulfillment with pick-pack, light assembly, physical distribution and management for all modes of transportation.

DO YOU STILL HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING OUR SERVICES?

Let Palmer LS be your diversity spend transportation provider.