IntelliTrans offers IntelliVision, a Q&A webinar about the transportation industry.
FREMONT, CA: “Our first episode featured Brian Cupp, Director of Operations at IntelliTrans, and myself discussing key challenges and issues affecting our customers and the industry,” states Ken Sherman, President of IntelliTrans. IntelliTrans, the leader in worldwide multi-modal solutions that enhance supply chain operations for producers of bulk and break-bulk products, has come up with IntelliVision, a live interactive Q&A webinar about the condition of the transportation business, with online replays. The first episode discussed the great resignation, rail performance, and how shippers can be the most effective following the pandemic. Future episodes will air every three months. IntelliVision can be subscribed to on the IntelliTrans YouTube Channel.
"These issues included hiring and retaining talent, precision scheduled railroading, and the new normal for shippers,” utters Sherman.
“Not many people have longevity at the same company anymore,” comments Brian Cupp, Director of Operations at IntelliTrans. “But I’ve been with IntelliTrans for 23 years, and Ken has been here for 19 years. Managers at IntelliTrans pride themselves on listening to people, recognition beyond compensation, and developmental growth.”
Due to The Great Resignation, which began during the epidemic, it is difficult for IntelliTrans's clients to hire qualified workers. IntelliTrans's business model centers on its employees, who deliver the company's services and products. The organization has discovered that it is no longer competing locally for talent but nationwide for the same type of employees. However, the company can retain talent due to its generous perks and salary, its emphasis on employee satisfaction and engagement, and its efforts to make employees feel appreciated for their work for clients.
Rail Performance was the following topic on the first episode of IntelliVision. Operating ratios must be used to communicate performance to stakeholders for railroads, which are public enterprises. Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), a mechanism for providing consistent, dependable, and predictable service, has reduced railroad expenditures. This practice has posed difficulties in a voyage's initial and last kilometers. Few rail lines are available at a factory or distribution yard, which presents the greatest problem. If a deadline is missed, subsequent deadlines might cascade for weeks, making it impossible to meet delivery deadlines. The rail industry has also experienced increased accessorial costs due to missed timetables and cross-border documentation requirements.
“The sheer magnitude of volume our customers ship is remarkable—one steel shipper ships 15,000 railcars per month, each carrying 100 tons of steel. You can imagine what happens if the schedule is missed. It isn’t practical to go to your local hardware store to pick up a bunch of steel to fill an order of that size,” adds Sherman.
"Plus, many service disruptions are tied to labor. It started pre-pandemic at the railroads, accelerated during the pandemic, and railroads are struggling with labor shortages because rail volume recovered quicker than expected. Some of the railroads have asked their customers to reduce the volume of shipments," adds Cupp.
IntelliTrans strives to assist clients in optimizing their rail networks to achieve precise deadlines by providing technology that offers visibility into transportation management and managed transportation services to supplement the workforce.
“Companies need to design processes that work with people who continue to work remotely,” adds Sherman. “Plus, businesses need technology that provides visibility into what is changing in the world and the downstream impact of varying demand. Building relationships with trust drives transparency and collaboration, which are keys to success in this volatile market.”
The final topic in episode 1 of IntelliVision, "How Shippers Can Be the Most Successful After the Pandemic," centered on the new norm of a significant supply and demand imbalance and the interconnected supply chain. As a result of global disruptions, demand surges are irregular and have shorter cycles. The epidemic hastened everything and taught people and businesses several lessons.
