Roadrunner heralds transit time reductions in more than 30 U.S. markets

Downers Grove, Ill.-based Roadrunner, a national less-than-truckload (LTL) services provider, with a focus on long-haul metro-to-metro shipping, recently announced a reduction in transit times throughout its network driven by what the company called “transformational improvements to its operations over the past year.”  

Roadrunner said that these improvements have led to transit time reductions, for its shipper customers, in 120 long-haul lanes across the 32 United States-based markets it serves, adding that these new transit times are available in the company’s online tools, including its free TMS, RapidShip LTL, which it said can be uploaded to other transportation management systems through API connectivity.

Roadrunner President Frank Hurst told LM that Roadrunner’s improved service offering to customers has been underpinned by increased consistency on the dock and over the road.

“This began with a drastic change in service offerings in April 2021 to refocus on Roadrunner’s strength: long distance, major metro-to-major metro movements,” he said. “In August 2021, Roadrunner began a review of its loading practices and network routing. Each lane was reviewed and a defined set of two routing options was developed, with an eye towards reducing circuitous miles and rehandling of freight. Along with defined cut times for each load, this has improved consistency and velocity in the network. Freight moves more directly and more frequently than before, even as the industry has faced significant challenges in the last two years.”

What’s more, Hurst said that these improved service offerings, combined with upgraded technology and new management in operations at the executive and service center levels, enable Roadrunner to execute its new strategy and deliver these service enhancements. 

The company’s upgraded technology advancements include:

• upgraded dock operations through automation
• simplified self-service and delivery processes for its drivers through its Haul Now app;
• real-time fleet visibility, increasing shipment transparency for customers; and
• streamlined operational and financial analytics to increase agility

“Roadrunner has made significant investments in technology to allow for more-accurate tracking of freight as it moves across the dock, then as loads as they move within the network,” explained Hurst. “We are collecting more data, more quickly and analyzing it more thoroughly, than ever before. This allowed our team to determine which lanes were moving faster than before. Once we were comfortable with the consistency of the faster times in these lanes, we made the move.”

Looking ahead, Hurst said that improvements in transit times across the network should continue as Roadrunner adds volume and improve direct loadings. 

“In addition, the service reliability around these transit times will continue to improve as we roll out new PUD [pickup and delivery] technology, grow our fleet and get better at executing across all points of our LTL network,” he said.