Setting the pace

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 8/1/2000

As shippers have embraced the concept of supply chain management, with its demands for short cycle times, they've turned to more regional deliveries of shipments to their customers. Shippers from a wide range of industries have begun pushing for more frequent, smaller shipments. For that reason, regional motor carriers that can provide overnight deliveries in key markets have emerged as strategic partners for many shippers.

No surprise, then, that shippers in each quadrant of the country have come to embrace those regional less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers that can meet their strict delivery schedules. In the Western region, our shipper readers cited Lynden Transport, Con-Way Western Express, USF Reddaway, and Viking Freight for making the grade where quality service was concerned. Each of those four carriers scored above 10 on the critical on-time performance rating.

As a group, the Western LTL carriers got an overall weighted assessment of 31.12—a minor dip from last year's rating of 31.77. Grades for Western truckers went up this year for information technology, climbing from 3.60 to 3.81. They also improved in equipment and operations, going from 3.67 to 3.80. But scores fell for on-time performance from 10.34 to 9.89, and in value from 7.74 to 7.50. Customer-service ratings also slipped, from 6.42 to 6.11.

In the Southern section of the country, regional carriers receiving top honors for quality include Southeastern Freight Lines, Averitt Express, and AAA Cooper Transportation. Readers rated all three of those haulers above 11 for on-time performance and above 8 for value. The Southern regional LTL truckers as a group scored an average of 33.64, slightly higher than last year's score of 33.19. Grades for on-time performance declined from 11.01 last year to 10.92 this year as did those for equipment and operations from 4.12 last year to 4.05 this year. On the other hand, marks for value edged up from 7.91 to 8.03, in information technology from 3.80 to 4.03, and in customer service from 6.35 to 6.61.

As for the Northeast, four carriers picked up gold medals for their service: Pitt Ohio Express, New Penn Motor Express, A. Duie Pyle, and Ward Trucking. Pitt Ohio and New Penn were awarded scores above 12 for on-time performance, while A. Duie Pyle earned above 11 in that category. Ward Trucking scored high on the value rating, with an 8.56. The overall satisfaction rating for Northeast LTL carriers was 33.15 this year—a tad below last year's mark of 33.36. Scores dipped for this group in the area of on-time performance, from 11.07 last year to 10.90 this year. They also fell in customer service from 6.89 to 6.52. Scores rose in the other categories. Value climbed from 7.64 to 8.01, information technology inched up from 3.73 to 3.74, and equipment and operations rose from 3.97 to 3.99.

In the Midwest, laurels went to USF Holland and Con-Way Central Express. Both of those carriers scored above 11 in the crucial category of on-time performance. As a group, the Midwest carriers earned a total weighted rating of 34.01—the highest among all carriers of all modes in our survey. That score even topped last year's rating of 33.36 for the Midwest carriers.

As for category breakdowns, Midwest carriers recorded slippage only in the customer-service category, declining from 6.85 last year to 6.73 this year. Scores rose in other areas, however. The on-time performance rating rose from 10.86 to 11.13. The value rating edged up from 7.64 to 7.70, while the information technology rating moved from 3.73 to 3.86. Finally, equipment and operations went from 4.27 to 4.59.

2000 Readers' Choice

Western Regional LTL Carriers

• Lynden Transport