Schneider National is now presenting customers in the Western United States with a new shipping option: Schneider Regional service. Launched in January 2008, this service is designed to effectively meet customers' rapidly growing short-haul shipping demands.
The new Schneider Regional service is already providing service to the seven-state area of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Its fleet -- which has grown to 600 units -- is based out of regional centers in Fontana, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City; and French Camp, Calif. These centers serve as hubs for the customer service representatives and drivers dedicated solely to Schneider Regional.
Marc Rogers, who joined Schneider after a successful career running Knight Transportation's largest operating division, is leading Schneider's new Regional offering.
"With the rise of retailer distribution centers and hub-and-spoke models, many of today's shippers are averaging a length of haul of less than 500 miles per shipment," said Rogers. "Schneider Regional specializes in this kind of move, where drivers who transport these short-haul loads get to know their routes like the back of their hands. This translates into highly efficient service."
With the addition of regional service, Schneider's portfolio now offers three solid solutions for dry van truckload: expedited, long-haul and short-haul regional. This provides Schneider with a competitive advantage, since few companies in the industry can match that breadth of service and still provide the kind of flexibility necessary to meet customer requirements.
"Schneider National has been a carrier of ours for many years, but we only recently began working within their new regional service," said Lindsey Johnson, traffic manager at Simpson Tacoma Kraft Company, a kraft pulp and linerboard manufacturer based in Tacoma, Wash. "Now their Pacific Northwest office helps us move every load we ship out of Tacoma, with the same high level of service, consistent capacity and reasonable price we've come to expect from Schneider National."
Over the next several years, Schneider Regional will expand its model throughout the country. Most immediate expansion plans include Texas and the Southeastern United States.
"Schneider is a well-known long-haul provider, and we are committed to continuing to serve as a one-stop-shop for customers who desire that option," said Rogers. "Yet we recognize that it's equally important for us to be close to the market for customers who want to experience the stability and capacity of a large, national carrier with service that's close to home. Schneider Regional has allowed us to deliver just that."