JB Hunt is a powerhouse in managed logistics. Offering a drop and hook service seems like a reasonable thing to do. Many firms have yard space to keep a spare trailer, and it allows them to load it on their own time instead of waiting for the truck to show up.
In my experience int he telecom equipment business, this was a big deal. We were always loading up to midnight, but sometimes had to wait for drivers to arrive. Or the drivers had to set aside the time to appear so the trailer could be loaded, and wait in a queue. It would have changed our whole production system to be able to load the trailers, even a few, in advance. In fact, we could have loaded a couple trailers with generic equipment that could be customized on site in case there were last minute orders; we were always looking to grab as many orders before quarter close that we could.
Having warehouse workers work at odd hours for truck arrivals is difficult for operators. And drivers would appreciate the convenience as well.
Shortly in the future, paperwork will be able to be handled electronically as well, son the driver would just need to grab and go. The right clients will make this work well.
Hunt has an astute management team and is a frequent adopter of new ideas in logistics.
via JB Hunt announces new drop-and-hook service with 500 trailers | Supply Chain Dive
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