Feature: Offering Innovative Transportation Solutions

3 MIN READ

No matter how much an operation strives to standardize, things come up: a new problem or an opportunity. This is where JAXPORT’s commitment to customer service and solutions comes in.

“We put together customized solutions to increase supply chain efficiencies,” Aisha Eccleston, JAXPORT’s Southeast Containerized Sales Manager said. “We educate people on the process of moving goods internationally and help
them see how JAXPORT is a good fit. We put all that together, not just to gain new business, but to also maintain and grow existing business.”While it sounds simple, JAXPORT’s dedication to its customers results in success stories such as these:

Success Story No. 1: REV-AMBULANCE GROUP AND UNIWORLD FORWARDING
THE PROBLEM: Ambulances produced in Orlando, Florida, were driven to a port north of Jacksonville. “Distance was a factor, but also risk,” said Theo Abell, UNIWORLD’s Account Executive. UNIWORLD handles some, but not all, of REV’s ambulance exports, he said. “The more you drive a vehicle, the higher the risk becomes. Clients don’t want a vehicle to be driven too far over the road.”Another challenge? The ambulances had to be containerized, which added expenses in loading, handling and limited potential volumes. Finally, appropriate vessels were not always available.

JAXPORT’S SOLUTION:
The port’s sales team worked as an information facilitator, helping REV and UNIWORLD make the right contacts with ocean carriers to explore shipping options. Abell said JAXPORT made sense, with
the availability of roll-on/roll-off (Ro/Ro) services, the number of vessel rotations and Jacksonville’s proximity to Orlando.

THE RESULT: An ongoing relationship that has grown over the past three years, Abell said. “It’s more of a personal relationship. The personal and the business relationship are very, very good.”Abell has brought other clients with other needs to JAXPORT, always finding assistance. When he ran into trouble with a recent bulk shipment and was unable to find a carrier, he reached out to Frank Camp, JAXPORT’s Director of
Cargo Sales.

Abell says Camp returned with “a whole lot of information. He comes back with answers very quickly, which is important in our business.”

Success Story No. 2: SAFT
THE PROBLEM: A trucking company cancelled a scheduled pickup at the last minute, endangering battery manufacturer Saft’s ability to close out its month, quarter and mid-year. The cancellation occurred late on
a Friday afternoon in the summer, just before a holiday week. The load brought its own challenges. As a Class 9 hazardous material, finding a driver with the appropriate qualifications raised the bar even higher.
Jody Beasley, General Manager of Saft’s Transportation, Telecom and Grid Division, called Lisa Diaz, JAXPORT’s FTZ No. 64 and Logistics Services Manager, for help. “There are certain days and months which are tougher,” Beasley said. “When you get down to the end of the month, everyone wants to ship their products, so they can count it for that month. When it is the end of the month, quarter and half year, it becomes very difficult to find availability.”

JAXPORT’S SOLUTION: Working through that Friday night and into the next morning, Diaz was able to help Beasley secure properly credentialed drivers who could keep the shipment on track – and Saft’s
financials on target.

THE RESULT: An on-time delivery. “We could have waited until the following Monday to ship the product, but our financial results would have suffered, creating more of a challenge for us,” Beasley said. “What JAXPORT did was look beyond being a mover of freight to really providing customer service. It tells me that the JAXPORT team is interested in the success of its partner businesses.”

For a personalized look at how your business can benefit from shipping through Jacksonville, connect with JAXPORT’s Sales team at JAXPORT.com/Cargo.

Story by Sandy Smith
This article appeared in the Fall 2018 issue of JAXPORT Magazine.