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By Roger L. Desrosier Vermont Rail System, Buriington, Vt.

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added services.

a host of obviobvious value-

We alrvays think of the obvious like shipping larger quantities of got'lds over longer distances via rail and cross docking for local truck delivery. This concept also applies to marine. air. and intermodal where ultimately the product is truck delivered.

The not so obvious: With proper production plannin-e, manufacturing costs can be reduced. Larger production runs (quarterly or twiccyearly) for customer requirements can potentially show cost savings by reducing overtime and production inefficiencies. The reloader becomes an extension of the manufacturer's shipping department. He is the orvner's eyes and ears while providing care and custody for goods in-transit.

Reloading also allorvs the manufacturer to move his/her product closer to market. lnternational borcler delays that affect delivery schedules are eliminated.

Storage in a safe. environmentally controlled, and knorvn location is reassuring. The reload industry is mature enough for customers rvith ISO-9002 requirements to be audited and fully in compliance.

Reloaders specialize in Just-InTime services. I'd say the reloader invented the service before the phrase was bantered around.

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from Patty Schlaeger, Transload Drstrrbutors Assocration

Stage inventory closer to consumption.

Provide high value/low quantity mix for J-l-T delivery.

. Real-time inventory management interface.

Settlement of loss and damage claims, Access transportation equipment.

. Marries economics of rail with truck delivery, plus quicker delivery of high-value mixes that TOFC (Trailer-on-Flat-Car).

Repackaging and bar-coding from bulk quantities to smaller, customer-oriented quantitres.

Transloader's owned, leased or controlled equipment or transportation contracts.

Receiving large quantities of mixed product going to multiple clients on a J-I-T basis is r,vhat the reloader does hourly.

The advent of the computer and of EDI allows the owner of the gotrds to usc cust()rn documcnlation so the services appcar searnless. The reloader can have a presence or be invisible to the ultimate client. Customer's choice.

The reloader is a live person on the other end of the telephone available to you 2417 , unlike the recorded and aukrmated customer service cenlers of many class-one caniers.

In most cases. the manufacturer is treated like the number one customer of the reloader and develops personal relations with a majority of the staff. The reloader becomes family at the far end of the pipeline. It is reassuring to knorv that the combinations of transportation modes, including reload centers, can save money and make sales possible in an expanded rnarket.

There is no most irnportant factor in selecting a reload. Each shipper is different and rvill be motivated by diff'erent fhctors. Some reload next door because they have no space and need a reloader to focus on outbound flow. Some are at opposites ends of the pipeline and rrced inbound distribution services.

Cost and pricing are not fixed in the industryt horvever, one should not overlook that the lowest price is not alrvays the best cost. Different regions of the country reflect labor diffbrentials. land costs, transportation network and the presence of union verse non-union. Different products require outdoor storage. while others require sheds, rvarehouse buildings. sprinkler versus non-sprinkler coverage. heat or cold. Costs rvill be unique to the product and services reqr"rired by the owner.

It's crucial to know your rnarket and your competition. Develop a strategy that incorporates the best business practices that the transportation industry has to offer. Knowing thc rcloading industry is pilr't ()l' thilt logistics excrcise.