Driver Lifestyles

Specialized Handling: Can it increase your revenue?

The expediting business is one of customer-driven service with special care given to all of the loads transported by it carriers, right?

So, what's so special about specialized handling?  The typical expedited shipment goes non-stop, door-to-door under tight delivery time restrictions and is usually satellite-tracked, so what makes this freight so different?

According to Tammy Robertson, Operations Manager  of the White Glove Services division of FedEx Custom Critical, "it's temperature control shipments, hi-value freight, Hazardous Material that's not covered by the surface expedite division such as Arms, Ammunition & Explosives (AA&E), radioactive, poisons, etc.  It also includes over-dimensional freight that's hauled on flatbeds and a variety of transportation protective services that require satellite monitoring to trucks that have a panic button."

She further explains, " White Glove Services was established in the late 1980's and our premise is  anything requiring additional special handling, monitoring, or movements that may require inside delivery and set-up."

Temperature control is a service that has been offered for a number of years in White Glove.  The customer has the ability to get temperature readouts online for the truck that's carrying their shipment.  Another component of the service is what White Glove calls its. Temp-Assure Validated Service in which the truck is tested during both winter and summer months." 

"The truck is taken into a facility to undergo a  test for a specified time period to ensure that the truck or trailer will hold temperature in the test environment.  With this validated service, the customer can receive a printed readout from the truck."

Where does White Glove find drivers for this specialized freight?
Tammy says that generally, the division taps into the FedEx Custom Critical fleet and is looking for contractors or drivers who have 6 months of service with Custom Critical.

"Of course, this represents an additional equipment investment with lift gates, temperature control, etc. and we're looking for folks who are willing to make that investment."

Of course, the rates for this extra service are higher than for surface expedite along with the accessorial charges for inside deliveries, lift gate and so on.  In addition to the increased revenue, Tammy says that the work is very interesting:
"White Glove offers additional learning opportunities, addtional training and experiences.  It also offers the opportunity to handle some pretty interesting shipments - everything from AA&E to the Disney Moving Dinosaur.  White Glove contractors get to go into some pretty cool places and meet people from
different worlds like in an art museum to moving a rock and roll show."

To be sure, one of the primary reasons that owner-operators would enter the world of specialized handling freight would be revenue enhancement, but some involved in the field would suggest that this service is also a "calling."  That is, they say that there is a definite sense of satisfaction that can be derived from handling this specialized, hi-value freight.

Matt and Katy Foscue are 5-year veteran White Glove contractors who agree with that characterization of the business - a "calling."

When we caught up with the couple for this interview, they were on their way to deliver some parts to a wind-generation farm in Califormia.  Matt says that he has always wanted to visit one of these facilities and this was the perfect opportunity!

"With White Glove, the freight is different and the people we meet are very engaging.  That's what makes this type of work so interesting and rewarding."
 
"We run a KW T-300 with 600,000 miles on it and we expect that it will be a million-mile truck. We're temperature-controlled, we have a liftgate and all the necessary freight securement and handling tools."

When asked for a ballpark breakdown of his loads, Matt says that around 20 percent are temperature-controlled, 20 percent require a liftgate, but possibly as high as 75-80 percent are "fingerprint"
type loads or hand load/unload.
 
"We enjoy doing the best job we can, meeting the customers' demands at a higher level and being compensated for it , so I would have to say that is a big part of the White Glove experience.  It is a "calling.'"

Matt gives an example:  "When you're at a dock and there are guys in jump suits loading the freight with guys in lab coats fretting over it and guys in business suits taking pictures of it, you know it's important."

FedEx Custom Critical's White Glove Services was the first surface expedited carrier to introduce this type of service but other companies have established their own specialized handling services as well. 

Jeff Brown of Panther II tells of his company's Specialized Services:  "From what I can determine, there is no lack of work in this area of expediting, it's just a matter of finding qualified candidates.  With Panther II, we accept only owner-operators with team operations for the service.  However, we don't require that the trucks have temperature-control or liftgates.  We do require adequate pads and straps.  Of course, the more specialized equipment on the truck, the greater the opportunity to haul more loads."

Our customers request Special Services trucks for a number of reasons, one of which is their loads require a lot of handling.  For example, we haul a lot of hospital beds, some of which can cost up to $10,000. The customers are quite particular about how they're loaded - they insist that the beds are wrapped and strapped securely. 

"Currently,the bulk of our Special Services fleet are tractors and they pull Panther II refrigerated trailers, so the owner-operator expenditure doesn't have a significant investment more than that of the typical tractor owner-operator."

While Landstar Express America does not have a dedicated division that deals with special handling freight, Director of Recruiting Darin Mark says that many of the company's loads do fit under an umbrella that includes many U.S. Government loads requiring special handling.

"Those loads require the drivers (team operations only) to possess government clearances and special handling techniques.  Of course, some shipments will require the specialized equipment common to such loads, such as liftgates, pads and straps, etc., but the simple fact is, the more equipment our BCO's have available, the more freight opportunities."