The Trinity Foundation’s 12th annual Charity Golf Tournament was a hole-in-one, raising money to give back to community organizations and events that support health and wellness, provide necessities, and build youth leadership in Sussex County.

This year, 28 teams participated in the tournament, held September 29 at Heritage Shores’ golf course in Bridgeville, Del. In the 12 years of the Trinity Foundation’s golf tournament, approximately 1,000 golfers have joined in to swing “fore” a cause.

The event was made possible by more than 35 local sponsors, including a Breakfast Sponsorship from Art Collins, Inc.; Lunch Sponsorships from Delaware Electric Cooperative and Nanticoke Memorial Hospital; Gold Sponsorships from PKS & Company, P.A., Salisbury Door & Hardware, Quantum Edge, and Banyan Technology.

“It is wonderful to have so many people involved in this event. We are so thankful to our sponsors and golfers that supported the event this year and in years past,” said Amy Proctor, Trinity Foundation Executive Director. “Their contributions help us to support the people in our community, allowing us to give back approximately $75,000 since 2015 to organizations here in Sussex County.”

The Golf Tournament is the biggest fundraiser for the Trinity Foundation, helping to make other efforts possible throughout the year, such as Thanksgiving for All, Touch-A-Truck, Operation Trinity Cares, to donate a room and a meal to the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware, and to help distribute toys alongside the Marine Corps for Toys for Tots.

The Trinity Foundation would like to thank all of the sponsors and participants of this year’s golf tournament and look forward to seeing you for next year’s Charity Golf Tournament on September 29, 2018, at Heritage Shores Golf Course in Bridgeville, Del.

The Trinity Foundation is partnering with the Millsboro American Legion Auxiliary to provide care packages for local men and women in the Armed Forces who are deployed during the holidays.

This will be the third year the Trinity Foundation is helping with the effort, titled Operation: Trinity Cares. Each year, members of the Foundation have donated approximately 35 care packages to the Auxiliary to send to those serving.

The Trinity Foundation is expanding the program’s outreach this year by challenging other local businesses to drop off care packages to Trinity Logistics’ headquarters in Seaford, Del.

“The ‘thank you’s’ we get from the troops about this program are very heartwarming,” said Cindy Phillips, President of the Millsboro American Legion Auxiliary. “That’s why we do it, so these men and women know they’re not forgotten during the holidays.”

The care packages have included everything from socks, candy, t-shirts, snacks, and notes of appreciation.

The Trinity Foundation’s Operation: Trinity Cares Program Coordinator Jen Hoffman has a very personal reason she backs the effort each year.

“These folks not only put their lives on the line when called, but daily sacrifice time with their family and their personal lives to protect me and my family,” said Hoffman. “Recently when my teenager announced his desire to join the Navy, I was able to see these men and women as our sons and daughters, children’s best friends, and neighbors. I am so grateful to work with a company that steps up in every way possible to make a positive impact on our community.”

The Trinity Foundation will collect the care packages October 4 through October 25 then will send them to the Millsboro American Legion Auxiliary to distribute.

“The men and women who receive these packages tell us they love it because it’s a piece of home,” said Nancy Bush, Chairman of the National Security Committee of the Millsboro American Legion Auxiliary./p>

If your business would like to accept the challenge and participate in this year’s Operation: Trinity Cares program, please contact Jennifer Hoffman at 302-262-0651 or email [email protected] or Jean Munoz at 302-536-2469 or email [email protected].

If you grew up or are familiar with the Jetsons, some of the show’s concepts may have seemed a little “far out.” In all actuality, jet packs, flying cars, help around the house from a friendly robot or two, drones, holograms, smartwatches and more have all become a part of our reality and the future of logistics as we know it.

As a matter of fact, tests have been done using drones and robots (unmanned trucks like Otto) to deliver freight. While it’s not a part of our day to day operations just yet, these ideas are definitely within reach.

In our Shaping the Future blog series, we’ve talked about Autonomous Trucks and drones for delivery, but what exactly does the Future of Logistics look like?

We’ve poked around to see what some of the experts think, and gathered it here in one place.

Autonomous Fleets…of all kinds

One of Forbes’ main technology predictions for the future of the supply chain is autonomous fleets of all shapes and sizes.

Beyond autonomous trucks, Forbes believes anything from autonomous cranes, ships, truck platooning and more would begin to dominate the supply chain.

As with anything, the idea of switching to more autonomous equipment in logistics would increase efficiencies, but the argument remains that with efficiency comes a significant impact on jobs.

There’s an App for that

People are always on the go. If you run a business, you know you have to optimize your website for mobile users, you can expect to receive chats from people via cell phone, and people are finding your advertisements on the go.

Another major prediction, also from Forbes, is that truck brokerages should also step on the electronic train, creating e-brokerage platforms accessible on the go from a mobile app.

These mobile-based programs would fall into the category of the “Uberization of freight” idea. Basically, this means people could book trucks and space on trucks through a mobile device, much like you can buy a seat in a car through ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft.

This idea has already popped up in the logistics scene, but it’s not widespread at this time, primarily because of risks and intricacies of shipping freight. It’s not as simple as booking a ride from point A to point B.

TMS of the Future

Transportation Management Systems are already providing increased visibility and technology to catapult businesses into the future of their freight management. These systems could become more like our beloved iPhones and Echoes in the future.

Flash Global believes voice prompting and commands for supply chain processes will improve the user-friendliness and efficiencies of TMS and Warehouse Management Systems.

“Logistica, show me the shipments for today.” (Okay, so the name may need some more work.”

Fueling Change in Logistics

Third-Party Logistics companies are already turning to intermodal transport and other modes to reduce their carbon footprint, but other battery-powered options may emerge in the future.

According to Scarbrough International, some companies are trying to develop battery-operated technology to replace, or greatly reduce, the use of gas and oil as fuels for cargo ships.

The Norwegian company Kongsberg also recently announced that a new all-electric and autonomous cargo ship will begin operation in 2018. The company plans to use the vessel to replace the work of 100 diesel trucks between its Porsgrunn plant to ports in Brevik and Larvik, Norway.

You can’t forget the solar and wind power movement. Homes across America now have solar panels, and homeowners are being paid to house giant windmills on their properties.

There is such thing as a solar-powered boat, but let’s just say they’re built more for leisure than freight delivery purposes.

Solar energy may not be the sole source of the future of cargo ships, but it could pop up as a way to reduce the amount of fuel used in larger ones.

Business Insider says wind power may find its way back to the sea. Finnish firm Norsepower created spinning “rotor sails” that would power an oil tanker for Global shipping firm Maersk. This idea first came out around 1924 but didn’t have enough wind beneath its sails.

3D Printing in Logistics

3D printing is definitely cool. It’s actually been around a lot longer than it has been mainstream.

The first 3D printer was invented by Charles Hull in March of 1983. Now 3D printers can be used for medical devices, more affordable prosthetics, to build houses, and produce food.

It’s only fitting that 3D printers would enter the field of logistics.

IndustryWeek put together this infographic about why 3PLs will need to have some knowledge in the realm of 3D printing.

While it won’t necessarily be tied in directly to our day to day activities, 3D print centers may begin to spring up, increasing last-mile shipping because goods could be printed based on demand area.

There could also be a need for more “digital” warehouses to store goods that could be 3D printed only when needed.

Hyper-Local Supply Chains

Also potentially increasing last-mile delivery is the idea of hyper-local supply chains.

More distribution centers for goods available for purchase online could improve delivery time for goods to within the day – possibly even within the hour.

Same goes for food and grocery delivery, which we talked about in our recent blog.

Shaping the Future: What Does it Look Like?

We could go on and on for days, sparking many conversations and debates about what will actually happen in the next 10, 15, 20 years in logistics, so we decided to just stop at 5 things that could become a reality.

After all, it’s a dog eat dog world, and some technologies just don’t take off like we thought they would. (Remember when QR codes were going to be the future of advertising?)

Request a quote.

Extreme cold, extreme heat, extreme rain, extreme wind…any extreme weather condition can make for difficult driving conditions for the men and women who spend their days behind the wheel.Hot weather trucking can be particularly taxing.

In the summertime, many parts of the United States experience temperatures in the 80s, 90s, and 100s, making travel a little more difficult. Summer 2016 was the fifth warmest summer on record in the United States.

Combine sweltering heat with the potential for severe weather and other factors like roadwork and more drivers on the road, and you could end up with a headache.

If you’re a driver, you may have your own hacks to make hot weather trucking more bearable. We’ll share a few that we’ve put together to help drivers of all trucks from big rigs to pickups survive the hot hot heat.

Hot Sun, Hot Cab

The Department of Earth and Crime Sciences of San Francisco University did a study of the average rise in interior temperature of an enclosed vehicle over time. They took measurements every 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, the temperature rose 19 degrees. By 20 minutes, there was a 29-degree rise. By 60 minutes, the temperature in the vehicle rose 43 degrees.

If you have to remain in a parked vehicle for any amount of time, whether it’s on break or waiting to unload, it’s important to use air conditioning to regulate the temperature.

It may seem like a no-brainer, but it only takes a few minutes for an enclosed vehicle’s temperature to reach deadly levels.

Hot Weather Trucking and Truck Function

Rising temperatures can also wreak havoc on your truck. From your brakes, to tires, to engine oil and engine coolant, there are a few precautions you can take before heading out on your journey to make sure it’s a smooth one.

Brakes

When temperatures get too hot, brakes can fade, or the components can reach a point where no additional heat can be absorbed, causing lost friction.

When you apply the brakes, heat is transferred to the brake fluid. If you don’t give the brakes adequate time to cool, the brake fluid can actually boil, causing the brake pedal to reach the floor with no braking power.

Check your brakes frequently during a trip in hot weather. If you have a heavy load and have a long descent downhill, consider shifting down a gear or two to take some of the stress off the brakes.

Check brake pads to make sure they are in good shape and check brake fluid to make sure it isn’t old or contains contaminants.

Engine Oil & Coolant

Before a long, hot trip, check your coolant level. A low level could lead to engine overheating which could add more rest time to your trip than wanted.

It may also be smart to replace engine oil in the hot weather. Switching to a higher viscosity oil could also help protect your engine during high temperatures.

Tires

Hot weather trucking can cause tires to wear out faster. You may experience more flat tires due to air loss, or tire blowouts because heat wears down on the integrity of the tire.

To prevent tire troubles and overheating, make sure you have the proper air pressure in tires to help regulate the tires’ temperature.

Protect Yourself from the Sun

The sun can be deadly, but it can also cause some unwanted side effects. If you’re traveling for long bouts of time, be sure to wear sunscreen to prevent burns (especially on nice days when their windows are down).

Keep plenty of water around to keep you hydrated and to help you stay cool during long trips.

Expect more traffic, Longer Trips

In the summertime, many children and teachers are out of school, families are taking off work for vacations, and more road construction is taking place.

All of these factors can lead to increased traffic and congestion. Traffic isn’t just annoying, it’s costly.

According to the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), traffic congestion in America creates a $78 billion annual drain on the U.S. economy, in the form of 4.2 billion lost hours and 2.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel.

That means shippers, receivers, and drivers alike can expect longer transit times in the hot weather months, especially routes to the beach or toward recreational areas.

Severe Weather

It’s not just winter that brings harsh weather conditions. Another major factor that affects drivers in the hot weather months is severe weather.

Along with high temperatures come thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and dry spells. Heavy rain, lightning, and wind can slow transit time significantly. Rain brings flooding and decreased visibility, lightning and wind can mean downed trees and power lines, and many bridges impose wind restrictions to keep tractor trailers and other large vehicles safe.

Radar weather apps and real-time weather alerts can help you plan your routes around potential severe weather threats.

Staying Cool While Hot Weather Trucking

Staying cool and safe is a top priority when hauling in hot, hot heat. We hope our tips were useful and help those that aren’t behind the wheel day to day to understand the process of hot weather trucking.

The U.S. Oil Boom. We aren’t talking about the 19th century when railroads were creating new ways to transport goods and oil was discovered as an additional fuel option- but the current rising oil production in 2017.

It sounds a little strange, growth in the oil and gas industry in today’s economy, but it’s happening. The United States is pumping more oil than ever before according to oil industry service provider, Baker Hughes.

The resurgence of shale oil drilling in North America has helped keep gas and diesel prices low for the most part in 2017. Even though the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is experiencing oil production cuts, the United States is seeing more oil production than ever before, which is creating a unique situation for the trucking and logistics industries.

Rising Oil Production= More Hauls

Higher oil production means more trucks on the road hauling oil. Makes sense, but that’s not the only impact on the industry. Rising oil production also means the need for more drilling equipment, pipe, drill bits, chemicals, and other materials at all drilling sites, at all corners of the nation.

By the Numbers

In the last year, the number of Land Oil Rigs currently in use in the United States is up by 118 percent, (885 as compared to 479) in May 2016, according to Freight Waves.

The output of oil production in the United States has surged nine percent to above nine million barrels a day in the last eight months, according to CNBC.

Using a two-rig, eight-well land oil rig design as the base, it is estimated that every new land drilling rig adds over one million miles of truckload hauling. (See Freight Wave’s infographic here.)

The Future of U.S. Oil Drilling

Oil production in the United States is expected to keep growing to 10 million barrels a day by next year, shattering the previous record of 9.6 million barrels a day in 1970, according to CNBC.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) suggests that U.S. drillers might have to live with a smaller profit margin next year, with the West Texas Intermediate Crude, the benchmark in pricing oil, trading at about $53.61 a barrel, down 2.7 percent from the forecast announced last month.

How is Oil and Oil Rig Equipment Transported?

If you’re not familiar with the oil industry, you may be unfamiliar with the methods (sometimes unique) used to transport oil and the materials needed for oil drilling.

Oil is typically transported one of four ways: pipelines, intermodal (rail), ocean, and truckload. These methods are used to transport the oil from the drilling sites to refineries, after which where the crude is refined into end-user products like gasoline, diesel fuel, and asphalt. It is then shipped to gas stations and other distributors and retailers for consumption.

Pipelines are one of the more common transport methods for oil since they require less energy and don’t create capacity issues over the road or rail. Intermodal oil shipments via the rail are also becoming more popular since rail is an environmentally-friendly alternative to truckload shipping and can carry more capacity.

There are challenges with truckload capacity in general, so it isn’t the most common mode when it comes to transporting oil. While pipelines and rail have mostly fixed destinations, trucks have more freedom. You’ll typically see trucks coming into play in the last portion of oil delivery – from the refineries to gas stations or storage locations.

Oil is also transported from more remote locations where pipelines or rail are not available. Typical barges can carry 30,000 barrels of oil and are a little more economical, where appropriate, versus rail.

Drilling equipment and pipe needed at Land-based Oil Rig sites will most likely be transported via flatbed, a truck with a flat area for carrying freight that can either be open or covered. See our flatbed anatomy blog with infographics here.

Capacity Challenges

According to Forbes, some of the 10-fastest growing industries in the U.S. include services to buildings and dwellings; building finishing contractors; residential building construction; foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors; building equipment contractors; nonresidential building construction; and other heavy and civil engineering construction. Basically, a lot of building materials (including those needed for oil drilling) are hitting the highways and bringing a need for truckload capacity in an already tough market.

Driver shortages due to increased volume and driver retirements, governmental regulations, and fleets choosing to scale back operations are all contributing factors to the capacity decline. Mix these issues with suppliers facing increased demand to get their products to land oil rigs and it’s the perfect equation for capacity challenges and potential rate hikes.

Future of the Oil Industry and Trucking

It’s no doubt to industry experts that oil production will break records in 2018, with projected growth of 7.5 percent. The supply is expected to outpace consumption, with the need to transport oil to storage facilities in high demand.

One of the factors to watch will be tighter capacity issues with the implementation of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) in December 2017.

As capacity tightens, having a proven, experienced Logistics partner will help keep oil producers and distributors product’s rolling- a Logistics company that can access the need and commodity, and select the best carrier in the most appropriate mode to move the petroleum products and equipment to its destination.

A little over 15 years ago, Armstrong and Associates found 46 percent of Fortune 500 companies use 3PL (third-party logistics) companies to help with their freight arrangement. In May 2017, that number nearly doubled to 90 percent.

The study found that companies that use 3PLs do so to control their costs and improve the efficiency of their supply chain, while some larger companies rely mostly on 3PLs to handle their complete day-to-day freight management.

Why are more successful companies turning to 3PLs? It’s a growing market, turning away from the transactional relationships of the past and building “meaningful partnerships,” according to the 21st Annual Third-Party Logistics Study.

Of course, the overall economy has a major impact on the logistics market, so we’ll take a look at the contributing economic factors, the growth in logistics, and the role 3PLs play that have the biggest companies in the United States relying on them for all of their logistics needs.

Growing Logistics Market

Saving time, saving money, and avoiding headaches are top reasons to turn to a third-party logistics company. The cost reductions achieved by using a 3PL are expected to be a major market driver for 2017 to 2021, based on a report from Radiant Insights. The logistics market overall is projected to grow at an annual rate of 6.5 percent per year during this time frame.

The American Trucking Association’s Trucking Activity Report sees growth continuing in freight and trucking through 2026. The report shows 28.6 percent increase in freight tonnage and a 74.5 percent increase in revenues to $1.52 trillion by 2026.

New orders for trucks dipped slightly in May, but research groups say overall, the outlook for the market is positive. Class 8 orders were down 30 percent from April, but were still 18 percent higher than May 2016.

Stifel analyst Michael Baudendistel wrote in a letter to investors that the firm believes the dip in Class 8 orders should be interpreted as a step back from unsustainable levels and believe there will be a strong growth period from 2019-2020.

Autonomous trucks are also expected to take the nation’s roads by storm within five years, according to the Transportation Research Board. This of course after the autonomous truck Otto went on a 120-mile beer run sans driver at the wheel in Colorado in October 2016.

Increases in technology and efficiency in the transportation world could have a major impact on delivery times and capacity.

Current Economy

While the Logistics industry has plenty of growth in its forecast, the U.S. economy is sending mixed signals.

Overall, the United States’ industrial production rose one percent in April 2017, the largest expansion in more than three years.

The U.S. unemployment rate hit its lowest level in 16 years, down to 4.3 percent. There were 138,000 jobs added in May, slightly down from April. While the number of jobs added was still lower than predicted, there were significant gains in sectors like mining, which added nearly 50,000 jobs.

At the Federal Reserve’s last interest rate meeting, there was a 67 percent chance of a rate hike occurring in June. If this is the case, it would be the third rate high in the last seven months, after a period of several years with few hike rate increases by the Fed.

Consumer spending stayed steady in May, at a $104 daily spending average, similar to the $107 average in April, according to Gallup. This is the fourth month in a row that self-reporting through Gallup averaged $100 or more.

Consumer confidence is down for the second month, but is up 19 percent from last year and according to Forbes, people are spending their money online, at value retailers, and on beauty products.

Role of 3PL

Third-party logistics companies are growing in popularity for a multitude of reasons: they can save time by increasing efficiency, providing visibility to freight spend, handle all logistics operations as a one-stop shop, and can service virtually any industry, and many operate in all 50 states and across the globe.

In the 21st annual 3PL Study, 93 percent of shippers surveyed said that improved, data-driven decision-making is essential to the future success of supply chain activities and processes. Of the 3PLS in the study, 98 percent reported that as well.

In the day to day world of freight arrangement, shippers can spend hours manually entering data and coordinating shipping with different carriers. Working with a 3PL cuts down on the amount of time spent on these daily operations, but can also provide services well beyond the input of data!

From staying ahead of potential impacts on the industry to in-depth account reviews, to cutting and managing costs, to fully outsourcing logistics operations with account management offered through a Transportation Management System, a 3PL can offer tremendous visibility to clients.

In the 21st Annual Third-Party Logistics study, 86 percent of shippers said that using 3PLs has improved their customer service, and 73 percent said 3PLs offer new and innovative ways to improve logistics effectiveness.

New demands from consumers and shippers will continue to evolve the logistics industry, making offerings more robust to better serve the industry.

Why Wait, Join the 90 Percent

We’ll take care of the nitty gritty of freight arrangement to get your shipments from point A to point B so you can focus on your core business. If you need anything from an emergency storage solution to a full warehouse operation, we can set you up with our warehouse providers. Have an emergency shipment that needs to leave ASAP? Don’t stress about finding a truck – we’ll do that part for you. Want to fully outsource your logistics operations with our Integrated Outsourcing TMS? You got it.

Join the 90 percent of top companies that rely on 3PLs to guide them through the complex world of logistics! Send us any one of your shipments and we’ll give you a no-hassle quote, from a real person, every time.

Time to dust off the clubs and practice that swing! The Trinity Foundation is teeing up for its Annual Golf Tournament September 30 at Heritage Shores Club in Bridgeville, Del.

The Golf Tournament serves as one of the largest fundraisers for the Trinity Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2005 by Trinity Logistics team members to better the surrounding community. Since 2005, the Trinity Foundation has donated more than $450,000 to health and wellness, community necessities, and youth activities and leadership.

The format is a four-man scramble at $100 per golfer. Hole and tournament sponsorships are available from $100 and up.

The tournament includes:

– 18 holes of golf
– Golf cart with GPS
– Continental breakfast
– Full lunch buffet
– Complimentary driving range balls
– Goodie bag
– Tournament recognitions and awards
– And more!

Those interested in participating in the golf tournament as a golfer or an event sponsor can call 302-262-8467, or email [email protected].

For more information about the Trinity Foundation and its upcoming events, visit www.trinitylogistics.com/about-us/trinity-foundation.

A day in the life of logistics has a loose framework and cycle, with each shipment navigating its way from creation, shipment, billing, and payment. Each day is different and exciting for shippers, carriers, and third-party logistics companies alike.

As a 3PL, we spend our days receiving shipments and working with carriers to arrange transportation via truck, rail, air, and sea.

So, want to know what a day in the life of a third-party logistics company is like? We’ll give you a front row, 3D tour (okay, not 3D…we don’t have a Virtual Reality tour just yet).

Shipments

Every day, our Logistics Specialists, Logistics Assistants, and Account Managers for each Team come in, get their morning coffee, tea, etc., say hello to their colleagues and sit down to their computers.

On average, there are about 90-100 shipments waiting to be covered when the day begins. Some have already been handled by our 24/7 Team (the night crew, if you will) and some will be easier to find a carrier for than others.

Our Operations Department at each Regional Service Center (five offices around the United States) is made up of individual teams that each handle certain customer accounts. These teams will be responsible for checking what shipments have been sent in by our customers, what is already loaded into the system, and calling to check up on other customers to see if they have any shipments that need to be taken care of.

As soon as the day begins, these teams spend the next 8 or so hours making the magic happen. Talk about hard workers with dynamic personalities!

Cycle of a shipment: finding a carrier

When a customer has a shipment that needs to be covered that day, it is listed as pending in our freight management software. It can make its way to us through a phone call, fax, email, or our Transportation Management System (TMS). At this point, our job is to find a carrier who can pick up and deliver that shipment in the necessary time frame. This is where the fun and unique form of matchmaking begins.

We have a network of more than 32,000 carriers who are currently vetted in our system and checked for operating authority, insurance information, and safety ratings. These carriers are checked on a daily basis for compliance and before every shipment.

When choosing a carrier for a particular shipment, we either work with what we call “relationship carriers”- carriers that we’ve developed a relationship with over time, or a carrier that is newer to us, in terms of tenure with us or number of shipments handled. The idea is to develop relationships with all of our carriers to not only build rapport but to help our customers receive the best rates and service possible.

Once we’ve found a carrier for that shipment, we call the carrier or driver directly to dispatch them on this particular shipment.

Logistics and Relationship Carriers

It seems impossible– a network of 32,000 carriers, you can’t possibly get to know them, right? Walking through the operations floor, you’ll hear the conversations and know that building relationships with our carriers is a part of what we do.

Two of our Logistics Specialists, Nicole Hastings and Carrie Harman, booked more than 300 shipments each in April 2017. Carrie says working with relationship carriers is a huge part of hitting that number, but so is coming in early to cover hot shipments, putting in extra effort to find carriers to haul harder to move or less desirable freight, and staying on the phones day in and day out.

Cycle of a shipment: Carrier Relations

Before a carrier is dispatched for a shipment, our busy bees in Carrier Relations get to work. This team makes sure that everything needed for compliance is on file. If anything needs to be updated, someone from the Carrier Relations team will contact the Carrier and make sure it happens so the driver can get on the road. This team stays in contact with the Logistics Specialists to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Driver is on the move

After we dispatch one of the drivers in our network, they begin heading to pick up the shipment and get it to its destination. Whether it’s a truckload of tomatoes, a few pallets of paint, a container of radios to go over the rail, or an expedited shipment of emergency response equipment that has to ship fast, our logistics team is contacting carriers and getting tracking updates on all shipments for our customers.

If there’s any factor that could create a delay in a shipment, our team is working around the clock to troubleshoot and problem solve.

If a truck were to break down “after hours,” which has happened before, our 24/7 Team is able to find another driver who could get there, load the shipment onto his/her truck and be back on the road, without a single hiccup in the delivery window. The customer knows there was a change in trucks, but there was no interruption in service.

Driver arrives at destination

Once the driver arrives at the freight’s destination, he or she either backs up to a loading dock or uses a forklift or liftgate, etc., to unload the shipment. The receiver (the location/person receiving the shipment) verifies that everything came off the truck as it should, and our team confirms.

At this point, the driver can then be released to head out to the destination, and the “behind the scenes” work on that particular shipment can begin.

Billing Cycle

Once the shipment is delivered, the billing and payment cycle begins. The drivers can either email or fax their paperwork to our billing team. Then, the carrier gets paid and the customer is billed for the shipment.

In April 2017 alone, our billing team processed tens of thousands of bills – and our Customer Service team fields any questions that may come through about payments.

This entire process cycles again for every shipment that is booked through Trinity Logistics. This process happens hundreds of times a day on our operations floor – a converted bowling alley with Teams of Logistics experts in a “bull pen” –solving issues, covering freight, and finding solutions for the most challenging shipments.

Why work with a 3PL?

In the cycle of arranging shipments, there are only three real pieces of the puzzle that involve our customers. First, our customers contact us with their shipment details. Later in the cycle, we provide them with tracking updates. Then, they receive a bill for the shipments, and only have to pay Trinity for the shipments, instead of each individual carrier.

We work with customers who are looking to cut down on the amount of time spent finding trucks to cover their shipments and are looking to expand their capacity. Some of our customers take advantage of our Transportation Management Systems to completely outsource their logistics operations with Trinity’s account management and carrier base.

We take the time to update our customers on industry news that could affect their core business and find solutions together. Our main goal is to help save our customers time, money, and headaches.

We also offer:

– Single source for all shipment arrangement
– Innovative solutions
– Integrity and personal relationships
– A full team ready to make your shipments flow quickly and smooothly

This time of year in the United States, the weather gets a little warmer, people start daydreaming about trips to the beach or vacations to the mountains, and farmers are gearing up for their busiest work season. Not only does produce need to be harvested at peak freshness, it also needs to be shipped; thus the world of fresh produce logistics. When it comes to fresh produce, the most impactful time for any area in the United States is March through June.

With new food safety in transportation regulations, like the Food Safety Modernization Act, and decreased capacity due to supply and demand, finding a reliable carrier who can pick-up and deliver your fresh produce at peak freshness can be time-consuming, and quite frustrating.

The fresh produce logistics team at Trinity Logistics has the resources and industry expertise to arrange your shipment, regardless of how specialized your requirements may be. So if you’re shipping cucumbers, berries, broccoli, apples, or bananas, know that we love coordinating it all.

Produce by Region

The U.S. has different produce harvest times based on region and climate, so we’ll go over some of the top crops and time frames to get an idea of what’s being transported and when.

Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico
The most impactful time for produce harvest in Texas is March to June, but produce can be found here year-round as it is brought over from Mexico. In surrounding states, New Mexico and Arizona, there’s another push for produce that occurs October through November. Some of the top crops you’ll see out of this area include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, grapefruit, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, pumpkins, and peppers (especially the spicy variety).

California
In California, produce season kicks in around the southern part of the state in March to June, and slowly creeps its way up north of the state, ending in September. Some of the top fresh produde from California during these times include carrots, clementines, nectarines, artichokes, lemons, green leafy vegetables, avocados, and kiwi.

The East Coast
Produce season along the East Coast, like California, starts in the south and slowly creeps its way North. Florida begins its big harvest around May, while the harvest in Maine ends in the fall. From south to north, some of the most popular crops from the East Coast include oranges, peaches, tomatoes, watermelon, corn, cucumbers, apples, cherries, and blueberries.

Shipping Produce

There are a lot of factors that go into making sure fresh produce arrives in the same fresh condition for grocery stores, markets, and restaurants relying on it for their business. Total transit time, proper refrigeration, and shipper’s documents in line with the Food Safety Modernization Act all have to be taken into consideration.

We have 35 plus years of experience arranging refrigerated truckload shipments, so we know that no detail can be left out when it comes to these time-sensitive products. We help arrange produce shipments with dedicated full truckload services, port services, and even supply chain consulting and Transportation Management System solutions. Basically – no matter what scale operation you need, we have a solution that can help.

Our dedicated teams handle the careful transportation of your produce and are available to answer your questions 24/7.

On a gray and chilly April Saturday at our headquarters in Seaford, Del., about 150 people laced up their running sneakers for the Trinity Foundation’s 7^th Annual Heart & Sole 5K. Through both event registration and t-shirt sales, the Foundation raised $11,400 dollars for the Nanticoke Health Services Cardiac Unit.

The proceeds from 2016’s Heart & Sole 5K went towards purchasing two treadmills for the Cardiac Unit at Nanticoke Hospital. About 20 people use these machines per day, meaning approximately 100,000 people will benefit in the average 20-year lifespan for these machines.

“We are, once again, excited to see the success and impact of our 7^th annual Heart & Sole 5K. Not only is this a great opportunity to support Trinity’s Wellness Campaign, but it is a great rallying point for the community in our efforts to support our local health provider, Nanticoke Health Services,” said Greg Massey of Trinity and race lead organizer. “We appreciate all of the sponsors and contributors, and everyone that came out to show their support for the event. We’re already looking forward to the 8^th annual event next year.”

Participants were given the opportunity to run or walk the 5K, with categories ranging from children under 10 years old, to men and women over 70. Mardiny Ung from Elizabethtown, Pa. was the Female champion, finishing the race at 24:15:7. Tricia Massey of Felton, Del. was the Female Masters Champion, finishing the race at 25:37:5. In the men’s division, David Berger of Cherry Hill, NJ earned the bragging rights of Male Champion, finishing the race at 17:33:, and placing first overall.  Robert Lupo of Marydel, Del. was named the Male Masters Champion, after finishing the race at 20:42:3.

“We are very appreciative of Trinity for their commitment to the community and the healthcare of western Sussex County.  Through the funds of the annual 5K Walk/Run, heart patients at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital will greatly benefit through a new non-invasive hemodynamic heart system,” says Renee’ S. Morris, Executive Director of Nanticoke Health Foundation.

In additional to Trinity Logistics and the Trinity Foundation, other event sponsors included the Banning Foundation; QuantumEdge Technology; Granite Logistics; Sussex County, Delaware; the City of Seaford; and more.

In combination with money raised from the Foundation’s Big Pink Volleyball tournament in March, the Foundation will present Nanticoke Health Services with more than $16,000 toward their causes, up from last year’s $13,800 donation, a 16% increase.

Read more about the Trinity Foundation’s upcoming events by clicking here. If you would like to get involved with next year’s Heart & Sole 5K or other foundation events, email [email protected].