ULINE + AVERITT = LASTING PARTNERSHIP
Largest LTL Account A Key To Our Success
For a prime example of how our service helps us add more bills and build density throughout our network,
look no further than Uline, a Wisconsin-based distributor of shipping, industrial and packaging materials. Uline is our largest LTL account, and it’s the result of proven solutions over the last 14 years. What started as a few hundred bills a day has grown into rock- solid relationships at four locations – Atlanta East, Dallas, Fort Myers and Milwaukee – that positively impact the rest of our network. “We came in and started earning opportunities,” recalls Vice President of MIKE WISE
these visits, Uline’s leadership observes how their trailers look once they arrive from Uline’s warehouses so they can identify best loading practices. “They get a chance to see if there are better ways they could have handled the freight while loading it into the trailers,” Gary says. “They watch us process it and put it on our outbound trailers. That allows them to look at better ways to use dunnage from their facility to here, or better stacking methods or bracing methods.” Gary adds, “I think that’s pretty cool because no other carrier gets the opportunity to spend time looking at quality, so obviously they appreciate the quality of work that we provide them.” CHAMPIONSHIP MENTALITY We’re also forward-thinking when it comes to how we can improve our service. In 2019, a meeting with Uline’s leadership led to the creation of our Uline Champion Program, through which we provide dedicated customer service and administrative associates who handle daily shipments and manage potential opportunities. Keven specifically highlighted the contributions of JANICE FLOYD, TRICA CESSNA, JULIE WEST, AMBER ADAMS, DONNA AGEE, KATIE CANTRELL, KELLSEY NELSON and HALIE TAYES . “They are phenomenal,” Keven says. “They are on a problem before we even know there is one. They stay on top of every shipment.” PRIMED FOR GROWTH Though our Uline service mostly consists of LTL, we’ve also gained some Truckload business, and we recently earned the opportunity to handle Dedicated switching in Dallas. “Our relationship with Uline is always evolving,” Mike says, “and it’s not just based on our performance today. It's our ability to overcome challenges and opportunities, because those are going to happen. Everybody in our network owns the relationship in some form or fashion, whether it’s at each service center or at the corporate level. And our ability to communicate with our customers is a huge part of our success. I think that has helped us become a premier provider for them.” T m Uline recently gave an Exceptional Performance award to our Milwaukee service center, presenting it to Service Center Director KEVEN MCKELLY (left). It was one of three Exceptional Performance awards we earned this year alone.
Corporate Business Development MIKE WISE . “It literally became like a performance-based incentive. The better we performed, the more opportunities they kept offering us. We held true to our standards. We did exactly what we told them we would do, and it just started growing from there.” It's a partnership that makes us all stronger, providing bills at many more service centers than the
GARY TAYLOR
four main locations. “Uline out of Milwaukee is about 46% of our outbound,” explains Milwaukee Service Center Director KEVEN MCKELLY . “And our outbound Uline shipments are Louisville’s and St. Louis’ biggest inbound accounts.” “Uline loves Averitt,” Keven adds. “They said if everybody did things like we did, it would be a lot easier on them.” Atlanta East Service Center Director GARY TAYLOR – whose facility handles about 2,500 Uline bills a month – says a common culture also plays a role. “Uline has a focus on professionalism, image and culture that is similar to our own," he says. "It's what sets them apart from their competitors, while also strengthening the relationship we have with them.” REAPING THE AWARDS If strong relationships are built on communication, Uline has also let us know exactly how it feels in the form of customer awards. All four service centers have been named as “Exceptional Performance” winners through the years, including three this past year alone. “The success of Uline takes a village,” Mike says. “It’s not based on one person. It's the entire team’s relationship. Everybody knows Uline and knows what the expectations are. That’s why we perform at such a high level.” A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP Uline is forward-thinking when it comes to its relationship with our team. One way it shows that is through quarterly visits to Atlanta East. During
COMMUNITY CHALLENGE matters
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