Partners in Speed (page 3)

-- Logistics Management, 9/1/2005

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The partnership has produced a number of other operational improvements for both shipper and carrier. Roadway drops trailers in Ames True Temper's yard, turning them as needed. That keeps the docks clear and helps them operate more efficiently. The shipper, meanwhile, is able to turn trailers around quickly and can calculate the number of trailers it will fill each day as well as the number of turns required to maintain a sufficient pool of empty equipment.

In addition, Cline measures on-time performance and shares that information with the LTL carrier. And Roadway has made recommendations on how Ames can better package its products to maximize the cubic capacity available on the trucks. Cline says she's not able to put a dollar value on those efficiencies, but notes that the percentage of shipments that are subject to damage claims has declined to less than 1 percent.

The monetary value of the reduction Ames has achieved in both in-transit damage and costly chargebacks undoubtedly is significant and makes a noticeable difference to the shipper's bottom line. But the biggest benefit of a relationship like the one Ames True Temper has forged with Roadway Express is this: It enables Ames to fully satisfy the demands of its most finicky customers. And that, in turn, will lead to growth—a situation that is simply good business for both shipper and carrier.

Author Information

Contributing editor John D. Schulz is a veteran transportation and logistics journalist and industry consultant.

Ames True Temper at a Glance

Headquarters: Camp Hill, Pa.

Total employees: 1,900

Total revenue in 2004:Approximately $430 million

Major Distribution Centers: Primary DC of 1.2 million square feet in Carlisle, Pa., serves most of the United States. Also operates a smaller facility in Reno, Nev., which serves customers on the West Coast.

Products: Garden tools, shovels, non-powered lawn mowers, hoses, rakes, scrapers, lawn edgers, wheelbarrows, and other equipment for the do-it-yourself garden market.

Interesting Facts: The company dates back to 1774, when Captain John Ames began manufacturing shovels in West Bridgewater, Mass. In 1828, Ames shovels were used to break ground for the B&O Railroad in Baltimore.

In 1981 True Temper, another of the company's predecessors, merged with Jackson Manufacturing, a maker of wheelbarrows and carts. True Temper and Jackson Wheelbarrows have been used on many important construction projects, including the Empire State Building and the Panama Canal.

In 1999 True Temper was purchased from Huffy Corp. by U.S. Industries. It then merged with Ames Company to form Ames True Temper, becoming the largest U.S. manufacturer and supplier of lawn and garden tools.

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