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April 24, 2013
Allen Lund Company Newsletter
Written by your perishable experts 

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In This Issue
Carriers Trying to Cope
About ALC
Quick Links


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Contact Info 
Natasha Belou, Editor
Tracey Lewin, Assistant Editor
4529 Angeles Crest Hwy., Suite 101
La Ca�ada, CA 91020
(800) 693-5863 - Office
Contributors 
Support Services
Kenny Lund, V.P.
800.777.6028

 

Boston
Lenny Sciarappa, Mgr.
800.381.LUND (5863) 

 

Los Angeles
Tracey Lewin, Mgr.
Joe Brindle, Asst. Mgr.
Matt Christ, Freight Broker 
800.300.LUND (5863)

 

Orlando
Shaun Leiker, Mgr.
800.290.LUND (5863)

Phoenix
Matt Minthorn, Mgr.
800.761.LUND (5863)
  
Portland
Steve Hull, Mgr.
Denton Davison, Asst. Mgr.
800.999.LUND (5863)

 

Rochester
Paul Brunelli, Mgr.
Fred Huberlie, Natl. Accts. Mgr.
800.953.LUND (5863)

 

San Antonio
Troy Magers, Mgr.
800.456.LUND (5863)

San Francisco

Bob Rose, Mgr.  
Chris Raihl, Asst. Mgr.  
800.876.LUND (5863)
 
 
Outside Services
Chris Wozniak, Mgr.
413.247.8355

Carrier Development
Bill Bess, Director
877.915.LUND (5863)

Carriers Trying to Cope   

 

Being new to the Allen Lund Company and this industry, I'm trying to learn as much as possible so that I can grow as a broker.  I had never interacted with truck drivers prior to starting this job, but I now have a better understanding of their operations and what I can do to help them meet their needs.  Because of this, I sought out information on the issues I believe are affecting our carriers the most.  I settled on two particular topics that I feel have a great impact on their business: rising fuel and maintenance costs.  Though dealing with maintenance and fuel costs is inevitable, there are steps carriers can take to best cope with unfortunate increases.

Out of the two, the complaint I hear most often is the rising cost of fuel.  Whenever I'm trying to book loads, I seem to always hear how the cost of fuel is rising and how it puts a burden on business.  The ongoing volatile fuel prices are causing our carriers to search for ways to improve the fuel efficiency of their fleet.  There are a few ways they are attempting to do this.  First, carriers are trying to better manage the amount of fuel they purchase.  Some are able to do this by using more fuel efficient equipment.  One way this is being achieved, is by decreasing trucks from V-8 to a V-6 engine.  Some carriers have also tried to modify driver behavior by training employees to drive within the posted speed limit, and providing them with the most efficient route.  Ensuring that drivers stay within a certain speed is actually easier now thanks to technology.  Engine Governors limit the truck's speed by setting a maximum mpg and can be installed inside the trucks.  It can also help reduce accidents and aggressive driving.  Modern technology can also help reduce fuel cost.  There are apps specifically made for smart phones which can help drivers find the lowest fuel price in their area, such as "GasBuddy."

Aside from fuel costs, carriers can also attempt to improve the equipment itself to help reduce their operation costs.  Class 8 truck manufacturers such as Peterbilt have developed a SmartAirTM anti-idle cooling system to help reduce fuel costs and improve driver comfort.  If a carrier cannot afford to update truck equipment, they try to keep their current fleet running as long as possible.  Preventative maintenance, though, can be quite expensive as well, and depending on the age of the truck, might not be cost beneficial due to the rising prices of lube, oil, filters, etc.

Fuel and maintenance costs are sadly unavoidable.  For all of the work that carriers put in, I feel it's important to let them know that we appreciate their efforts and that we will take care of them in any way we can.  They successfully manage their fleet to take care of our loads...it's the least we can do to show them our appreciation.


Emily Arquette 

Transportation Broker, San Francisco Office


Emily Arquette
is a broker for the San Francisco office and has been with the Allen Lund company for almost a year.  She recently graduated from the California Maritime Academy in April 2012 where she studied business and logistics.  
About Allen Lund Company: Specializing as a national third-party transportation broker with nationwide offices and 350 employees, the Allen Lund Company works with shippers and carriers across the nation to transport dry, refrigerated (specializing in produce), and flatbed freight; additionally, the Allen Lund Company has an international division, ALC International, which is licensed by the FMC as an OTI-NVOCC, and a logistics and software division, ALC Logistics. 
The content of this email is intended to provide information on the perishable commodities industry and is promotional in nature.  Reliance should not occur on the content of this site other than to generally advise the reader as to such industry and no action should be taken in reliance on this site's information.  With the exception of the Allen Lund Company website, ALC is not responsible for any contents linked or referred to from these pages.  The copyright for any material created by ALC is expressly reserved but content on this site, in whole or in part, may be used, reproduced, or republished without ALC's prior written consent provided that ALC is identified as the source.
 
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