As the food logistics sector moves forward from several years of supply chain challenges and bottlenecks, now is the time to proactively think about building strategic capacity – particularly with the recent landscape that now includes slowing e-commerce growth and global recessionary factors, geopolitical tensions, cybersecurity threats, and more unpredictable weather and natural disasters.

To navigate such challenges, food manufacturers, retailers and distributors are now relying more heavily on their logistics partners to generate value in their supply chains – whether it involves enhanced inventory and delivery visibility, competitive pricing, omnichannel solutions, fulfillment, e-commerce and final mile capabilities. And much of this value is delivered through significant investments in technology. This fact is underscored by volume and quality of submitted nominations for the 2023 Top Food Chain Providers, a recognition program managed by Food Chain Digest, the official magazine of Food Shippers of America.

“The focus by providers of food chain services clearly is on providing value to food companies through strategic collaboration,” says Brian Everett, Group Publisher and Editorial Director of Food Chain Digest. “Motor carriers, 3PLs and omnichannel companies now look for more non-traditional ways to serve their food customers beyond such typical capabilities as transportation, distribution and warehousing.” Such capabilities include providing flexible solutions for peak season, inventory management and transparency, precision temperature-controlled warehousing and distribution, consolidation and  deconsolidation solutions, dynamic tracking and tracing technology, quality control processes, and added-value services  such as labeling, relabeling, repacking, co-packing, picking and stuffing. 

“Through all this, we also see that today’s providers are pushing hard to invest in efficiency address increasing inflation, a tough labor environment, and seeking to drive better service,” continues Everett.

How Shippers Leverage Their Partners

What are some of the ways Top Food Chain Providers this year are providing value?

Allen Lund Co. now works with customers’ purchasing and fleet operations teams to identify existing vendors that have consistent backhauls, and then negotiate new agreements on freight terms. Such vendor backhaul programs improve efficiency by reducing empty miles and carbon emissions while lowering operational costs.

Cowan Systems provides 100% lightweight trailers offer a range of benefits that contribute to smoother and more cost-effective transportation. This specialized equipment increases cargo capacity without exceeding weight limits imposed by transportation regulations – meaning more food products can be transported in a single trip, reducing the number of journeys required and minimizing fuel consumption.  Additionally, this reduces the carbon footprint with less trucks on the road, and reduces yard congestion, labor reductions, and other soft-cost impacts.

Echo Global Logistics has developed a refrigerated consolidation program that is creating more efficiencies in day-to-day operations. These efficiencies lead to products spending less time on a trailer, fewer out-of-route miles, and minimal cross-docking or pool points. Ultimately, this program results in lower costs as well as drastically lower CO2 emissions and product waste.

MODE Transportation has codified the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and other food-related regulations language in its customer and carrier contracts to ensure its supply chain solutions meet or exceed industry and government requirements. This depth of knowledge and attention to detail allows MODE to provide a much-needed service in a segment of the supply chain that is regionally fragmented, technologically limited and under-served on a national level. 

Because ESG has become a part of many food companies’ corporate strategy that supply chain stakeholders are looking for in a partner, PLM's electric and solar solutions pave the way in alternative energy for refrigerated transportation to provide sustainability in the supply chain. PLM offers on-site consulting for facility and refrigerated trailers leveraging alternative energy. It’s also an approved dealer of the California Clean Air Off Road Equipment program and has worked with lease customers to reserve almost $6 million of vouchers to bring zero emission TRUs into California fleet operations. 

Schneider specializes in solving transportation and logistics challenges such as maintaining product quality through varying climates, seasons and transport length; battling through seasonal, promotional and unexpected demand surges; dealing with product contamination and other food safety challenges; and lightweight equipment configurations and loading engineering services for shipping heavy weight freight.

Food Shipper Resource: 2023 Top Food Chain Providers

This program recognizes third-party logistics companies (3PLs), freight brokers, motor carriers, rail/intermodal and maritime companies (ocean carriers and port authorities) that effectively serve the food chain industry. In turn, food shippers use this list as a resource to become better aware of providers recognized for their quality service and capabilities.

How does the program work? Providers with more than U.S. $5 million in gross global sales complete the nomination form that adequately articulates how the company solves business problems for food shippers. The nomination includes an impressive achievement in the last 12-18 months and a recent example of how the company has helped a food shipper accomplish a business goal. Finalists are listed on the ballot of an industry-wide vote, and only companies that generate a minimum number of industry votes are named to the list. Congratulations to the 2023 Top Food Chain Providers:

Allen Lund Company, LLC
Category: Freight Broker
Website: allenlund.com
Services: Brokerage, Dry, Refrigerated, LTL, Flatbed 

Arrive Logistics
Category: Freight Broker
Website: arrivelogistics.com
Services: LTL, Expedited, Dry Van, Temperature-Control, Dedicated Capacity, Flatbed, Intermodal

Bay & Bay Transportation
Category: Third-Party Logistics
Website: bayandbay.com
Services: Refrigerated Trucking, Dry Tank, Flatbed, Intermodal, Project Management

Covenant Logistics
Category: Motor Carrier
Website: covenantlogistics.com
Services: Expedited, Dedicated, Warehousing, Managed Freight Transportation

Cowan Systems, LLC
Category: Third-Party Logistics
Website: cowansystems.com
Services: Dry Van, Flatbed, Intermodal, Expedited

Echo Global Logistics
Category: Freight Broker
Website: echo.com
Services: Truckload, LTL, Intermodal, International Air, Ocean, Small Parcel

FST Logistics
Category: Third-Party Logistics
Website: fstlogistics.com
Services: Truckload, Warehousing, E-Commerce Fulfillment, Temperature-Control

GLT Logistics
Category: Third-Party Logistics
Website: goglt.com
Services: Truckload, LTL, Drayage, Rail, Heavy Haul, Expedited 

Koch Companies
Category: Motor Carrier
Website: kochcompanies.com
Services: Truckload, Dedicated, Flatbed, Specialized, Brokerage, Ocean, Air, Leasing

Leonard’s Express
Category: Motor Carrier
Website: leonardsexpress.com
Services: Truckload, Intermodal, Refrigerated, Warehousing, Distribution, Cold Chain Solutions

MODE Transportation
Category: Freight Broker
Website: modetransportation.com
Services: Small Parcel, LTL, Truckload, Intermodal, Air, Ocean, Supply Chain Solutions

MoLo Solutions
Category: Third-Party Logistics
Website: shipmolo.com
Services: Truckload, LTL/Partial, Flatbed, Dedicated Capacity, Expedited, Refrigerated, Dry Van, GPS Integration 

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.
Category: Motor Carrier
Website: odfl.com
Services: LTL, Expedited, Truckload Brokerage, Container Drayage

Penske Logistics
Category: Third-Party Provider
Website: penske.com
Services: Transportation, Warehousing, Freight Management, Dry-Van Truckload 

Plains Dedicated, LLC
Category: Motor Carrier
Website: plainsdedicated.com
Services: Truckload, LTL

PLS Logistics Services
Category: Third-Party Logistics
Website: plslogistics.com
Services: Truckload, LTL, Rail, Barge, Air, Ocean, Intermodal

Pride Group Logistics
Category: Motor Carrier
Website: shipwithpride.com
Services: Truckload, Dry, Temperature-Controlled, Dedicated, Cross-Border

Radiant Road & Rail
Category: Third-Party Logistics
Website: rrs.radiantdelivers.com  
Services: Dry, Intermodal, Brokerage, Refrigerated, IMC

RLS Logistics
Category: Warehousing
Website: rlslogistics.com
Services: Cold Storage Warehousing, LTL, Brokerage, E-Commerce

Schneider
Category: Motor Carrier
Website: schneider.com
Services: Logistics, Dedicated, Brokerage, Long-Haul, Regional, Expedited, International, Warehousing, Port Drayage, Power Only, Dry Van, Intermodal, Bulk, LTL, Refrigerated, Flatbed

Stokes Trucking
Category: Motor Carrier
Website: stokestrucking.com
Services: Dry, Refrigerated, Logistics 

The Shippers Group
Category: Third-Party Logistics
Website: shipperswarehouse.com
Services: Warehousing, Contract Warehousing, Packaging, E-Commerce, Truckload, LTL, Drayage, Cross-Dock

TRAFFIX
Category: Freight Broker
Website: traffix.com
Services: Managed Transportation, Truckload, LTL, Intermodal, Refrigerated, Specialized, Expedited, Drayage, Warehousing

Werner Enterprises
Category: Motor Carrier
Website: werner.com
Services: Dedicated, Truckload, Intermodal, Temperature-Control, Expedited, Logistics, Cross-Border, Final Mile

XTL Transport Inc.
Category: Third-Party Logistics
Website: xtl.com
Services: Warehousing, Distribution, Logistics, Intermodal, Dedicated, Temperature-Control

This article was originally featured in Edition 3 of 2023 of Food Chain Digest magazine. Download the digital version for FREE today!

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