Local Carrier
Banyan Technology
Helps Apparel Company Achieve New
Standard with Same-Day Freight
Introduction
With more than 30 years as a dominating force in the clothing market, one of the most prominent clothing wholesalers in Southern California, distributes 1.5 million items yearly to companies all over the world. The apparel company supplies manufacturers with the highest quality garments available for screen printing, embroidery, applique, and more. As with many wholesalers, a large portion of their business is devoted to the ever-expanding promotional products industry.
Challenge
The company’s Operations Manager, an 18-year veteran of the industry, oversees logistics and supply chain. He manages imports from Asia and predominantly arranges distribution of products through Parcel and Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) freight in the U.S. An important function of the operations team is to help the apparel company adapt to massive shifts in the apparel market, specifically the expectation to align with an on-demand consumer mentality.
“Domestically, we ship on a per-order basis based on demand, so we constantly have to have product on-hand that’s ready to sell,” said the Operations Manager.
However, many of the freight companies the apparel wholesaler worked with were unable to meet their needs for on-demand shipping.
“Speed is key. Many carriers’ weaknesses were in the time of transit,” the Operations Manager said. “Fast shipping times allows our clients to meet deadlines. The faster we’re able to get the product to the customer, the faster we’re able to move to the next order.”
Additionally, these carriers didn’t give the apparel company the tools to be successful when dealing with heightened demands from customers.
“We couldn’t use a website to know the exact location of our freight,” said the Operations Manager. “We had to contact trucks directly to get ETAs.”
Solution
Eventually, the apparel company’s operations team discovered Banyan Technology through one of its Local Carrier partners and were pleased to learn that they could ship freight same-day for the same price as next-day carriers. “Quick turnaround is a key factor in choosing who we ship with,” said the Operations Manager.
Since quick turnarounds are essential to the success of the business, having visibility and business intelligence data is a critical component to keeping their team and their customers informed. Being able to do so cuts down on the occurrences for customers having to contact the apparel company for support, saving them both time and resources.
The most useful tool, according to the Operations Manager, is the real-time tracking. The operations team frequently shares tracking with clients to provide visibility into the precise location of their freight.
“Our customers want to know when their shipment will arrive because it helps them plan,” the Operations Manager said. “Being able to provide them with live tracking helps them tremendously in terms of scheduling arrival of merchandise.”
This is especially important considering the increased expectation for ultra-fast, reliable shipping for apparel ordered online.