New services

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 11/1/2005

Yellow Transportation has launched Expedited Direct, a door-to-door air service for shipments weighing between 50 and 7,000 pounds. Customers can choose one-, two-, or three-day service with delivery by noon or 5:00 p.m. to points in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. The service includes shipment tracking, constant monitoring, and proof of delivery. In-transit upgrade to Exact Express time-definite service is available. (www.myyellow.com)

Retail logistics specialist National Retail Systemsis expanding on both coasts, adding 800,000 square feet to its Los Angeles distribution center and leasing 18 acres of property in Northern New Jersey to build a trailer/container yard. In addition, NRS has formed a Pier Division to improve the efficiency and speed of its East Coast import container business. (www.nrsonline.com)

The new "Hold for Pickup" option from APX Logistics and the U.S. Postal Service gives consumers the option of picking up parcels at a nearby post office. Customers are notified by telephone when a package has been shipped and when it is ready for pickup. The service is ideal for shippers of high-value merchandise that don't want to leave packages on a consumer's doorstep. (www.shipapx.com)

Horizon Lines is deploying 900 high-cube "Reefer Plus" refrigerated containers with enhanced insulation and stronger ceilings and floors. Designed to detect unauthorized entry, each is equipped with a new type of door-lock cam with a high-security seal, and are bolted into place and wire-sealed. (www.horizon-lines.com)

DSC Logistics' Chicagoland Logistics Center has been certified and activated as a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ). Imported merchandise entering an FTZ does not clear customs until it leaves the zone for domestic distribution. Benefits include lower inventory costs and reduced or deferred duty payments. (www.dsclogistics.com)