Composite product maker Bedford Reinforced Plastics Inc. has opened a transportation management division, Reinforced Logistics, which over the past two years has grown and began to operate independently.
At first, Reinforced Logistics was a way for Bedford to have a reliable source for transportation, with a lot of trucking companies having an unreliable number of drivers and trucks available.
Before opening the division, the Bedford, Pa.-based company shipped with less-than-truckloads (LTLs), where the freight could be loaded and unloaded several times to do truck transfers. This caused delays and sometimes damage to the freight.
"We were having trouble finding reliable carriers. We have dealt with some brokers in the past and thought, you know, we can do that ourselves," said Eric Kidd, marketing manager at Bedford.
Currently, the division has six trucks and eight drivers. It uses Qualcomm satellite tracking technology to plan efficient routes and monitor shipments. Reinforced Logistics will serve all of North America: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
"We are finding people who have loads and we're connecting with people who have trucks," Kidd said.
Reinforced Logistics is working to expand and is recruiting drivers, offering perks including weekends at home, health insurance and retirement benefits.
"In the freight world, it has become very hard to get trucks, trailers and drivers," Greg Hauck, controller at Bedford Reinforced Plastics, said in a news release. "We're able to help clients achieve their goals because we're a reliable carrier with our own trucks and drivers."