Last year, Schneider National, Inc., premier provider of transportation, logistics and intermodal services, introduced its Regional service offering to Western and South-Central portions of the United States. Due to the success of those Regional operations, the company recently expanded its Regional option to 14 additional states in the Southeast and Midwest – bringing the grand total of states shippers can find Schneider Regional to 29.
"Initially, we planned to roll out service to these parts of the country in late 2009 or early 2010, but frankly, customer response to the Regional option exceeded our expectations," commented Marc Rogers, vice president and general manager of Schneider Regional. "When they told us they needed our Regional offering to be available in other parts of the country much faster than we originally planned, we made it happen."
According to Rogers, small- and medium-sized shippers are enjoying the ease of service that the Regional operation affords them, since Schneider’s facilities are now much closer to their own. Larger shippers are pleased that they can now get quality service and a cost-competitive solution – no matter what speed or length of haul they require. One of these larger shippers is General Mills Inc.
"General Mills is always looking for new and innovative supply chain capabilities that deliver value and a clear competitive edge," says Eric Lien, director of dry transportation, General Mills Inc. "Schneider has seamlessly integrated their Regional service offering with an established long-haul and intermodal network, to provide General Mills with a low-cost, high-service product that has improved network efficiencies."
Lien continues, "As our customers’ lead times decrease and manufacturing gets closer to the consumer, we rely on carriers like Schneider to be agile and responsive. Schneider’s Regional service offering allows our supply chain to meet its inventory and cycle time objectives while at the same time maintaining operational excellence."
Shippers in the following states are now able to take advantage of Schneider’s Midwest Regional service: Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky and Nebraska. The service will operate from the company’s facilities in Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Wis., Des Moines, Iowa, and Columbus, Ohio.
North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Alabama comprise the Southeast Regional marketplace, which has facilities in Atlanta, Memphis, Tenn., and Charlotte, N.C.
Other states that have been able to take advantage of Schneider’s Regional service since 2008 include Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington (Western Regional market) as well as Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama (South-Central Regional market).
Schneider expects to complete the final phase of its Regional service introduction – an expansion to the Northeast states – by early 2010.