FedEx Freight Canada rolls out new headquarters and service center

Jeff Berman, Senior Editor -- Logistics Management, 6/15/2007

TORONTO—In taking the next steps of integrating Watkins Express into its operations, FedEx Freight Canada, a subsidiary of FedEx Freight, rolled out its new national headquarters and 48 dock-door service center in Toronto yesterday.

FedEx Freight Canada, which was established in February, provides transborder and less-than-truckload (LTL) services throughout Canada and provides all points coverage to more than 7,000 cities in 10 Canadian provinces.  The company was formerly Watkins Canada Express and was part of FedEx’ acquisition of Watkins Motor Lines last September for $780 million. When FedEx first announced it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Watkins in May 2006, Frederick W. Smith, FedEx chairman, CEO, and president, said the acquisition would provide shippers with additional reliable and long-haul service, as well as access to reliable, cost-effective, long-haul services.

The new headquarters and service center is located on Wilson Avenue in Toronto and serves approximately 400 shippers. Approximately 60 trucks will operate in and out of the service center on a daily basis, a FedEx Freight spokesperson told Logistics Management.

“This provides a strong base from which FedEx Freight Canada will quickly expand its operations across the country,” said Grant Crawford, vice president and general manager, FedEx Freight Canada. “The facility is strategically located with access to major highways and commerce.”

Along with Toronto, FedExFreight Canada provides pickup and delivery services through various facilities, including Vancouver, Winnipeg, London, Calgary, and Montreal.

“FedEx Freight is committed to continuing the enhancement of our operations in Canada to better serve our customers,” said Douglas G. Duncan, president and CEO of FedEx Freight. “When you combine FedEx Freight Canada with FedEx Freight and FedEx Freight National LTL, we provide a full range of complementary LTL solutions throughout North America.”

Crawford added that FedEx Freight Canada offers many advantages to customers in this market, including enhanced shipment visibility, transborder crossing using Canada’s Pre-Arrival Review System (PARS) and Pre-Arrival Processing System (PAPS), which enable Canada and U.S. Customs to review shipments en route to the border gateway—reducing delays and providing quicker delivery.