Tag e-commerce | Milestone - Rent & Lease Trailers, Chassis & Containers

02/25/201902/25/2019

Are Trailers the Next Big Warehousing Trend?

Shippers turn to alternative storage options as they seek to manage inventory headaches.

Companies and warehouse providers are scrambling for creative solutions to overcome a lack of warehouse space as they revamp supply chain networks to embrace e-commerce expectations.

The amount of available U.S. warehousing and logistics space sits at a multiyear low, according to real estate researcher CBRE Group. In the fourth quarter of 2018, availability for industrial real estate fell to its lowest level since 2000, the 34th consecutive quarter of decline.

Equipment providers and startups are stepping in to supplement the traditional warehouse market, from temporary trailers to Airbnb-style matchmakers that bring warehouse space and inventory together.

Mobile storage fills the gaps

Companies like Milestone Equipment Holdings lease dry van trailers as temporary storage space. It’s been an ad hoc practice in the past as a warehouse manager scrambled to accommodate inventory spikes.

The temporary trailers — which may be used for years — allow companies to scale their warehouse space based on demand. Some companies moved imports up to beat rising tariffs or geared up for holidays or promotions.

“Some inventory needs to be mobile so they’re keeping it on the trailers, but then they’re moving the trailers where they need them,” Don Ake, vice president of commercial vehicles at FTR Transportation Intelligence, told Supply Chain Dive.

Now temporary or on-demand space is becoming a long-term factor in warehouse strategies for e-commerce, as companies revamp their supply chains to support fulfillment and fast delivery

“For our traditional customer base, it’s difficult to access warehouse space, to find enough of it in small quantities across the country to meet the compressed delivery time expectations that’s now transitioning into the B2B world as well,” Sarah Johnson, executive vice president of mobile warehousing and storage for Milestone, told Supply Chain Dive.

Milestone has a fleet of nearly 60,000 trailers and can dispatch a storage trailer within 48 hours from one of its 25 U.S. branch locations. Trailers available for storage include 53-foot and 48-foot dry vans with roll-up or swing doors. Johnson said the cost of storage in trailers could be up to 50% less than brick-and-mortar warehouse space.

Companies are also tapping trailers for reverse logistics. One national retailer has used about 1,000 of Milestone’s trailers to store returned goods.

“We’re helping them think about our trailers more in terms of real estate as opposed to a trailer,” Johnson said “Temporary storage represents a good opportunity for companies to try different solutions before they commit their capital or find a substantial term lease for warehouse space, which is tough to come by now.”

In response to the demands of e-commerce, retailers are reconfiguring distribution to be closer to consumers for faster delivery time. The mobile warehouses help shippers transition from large distribution centers in low-cost outlying areas to smaller sites in more expensive urban areas.

To read to full article, click here

SOURCE: Supply Chain Dive

10/18/201712/14/2017

Meet Sean Ellison

Traveling across the country and having an opportunity network and meet great individuals along the way. This is what Sean Ellison says is the best part of his job as Vice President of Operations at Milestone Trailer Leasing.

For two weeks of every month, Ellison visits Milestone’s various branches in the company’s national network – consisting of 25+ locations in the US, spanning from the Eastern Seaboard to the West Coast. A member of the Milestone leadership team since 2008, Ellison shares about his typical day, his proudest accomplishments, and what elevates good customer service to the “great.”

Day-to-Day

Tell us about your responsibilities as Vice President of Operations at Milestone Trailer Leasing. What does your typical day look like?

A typical day consists of managing our branch network. I oversee/assist with the buying and selling of equipment, coordinating deal fulfillment, and satisfying customer needs across our national network. I also manage the day-to-day personnel of operations out in the field. The great thing is that no day is the same.

When does your day start and when does it end?

My day starts the moment the alarm clock buzzes and goes until I sleep. Customers in the transportation industry have needs that are 24 hours a day. Assistance is needed around the clock. Our operations people are fielding requests at all hours of the day and our team is always there to help them when in a bind.

Core Competencies

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

I am most proud of assisting and developing our branch network. We started out really small and now we’re capable of serving transportation needs of all sizes all over the country. I’m also very proud of the culture that we’ve established, and the personnel that we’ve built. Our customers will get same service in York, Pennsylvania as they would in Los Angeles. I’m proud of that cohesiveness.

What are your thoughts about leadership? What’s key in building good teams?

It happens with extensive amounts of one-on-one time. When we’re onboarding our employees, we spend a lot of time with them at our branches. We go over best practices and best ways in interacting with our customers. That kind of training takes a lot of time and energy. We are intentional about educating them on the way that we develop services and a lot of that comes from other employees who have been in this industry for a long time.

What is the key to customer service? What separates the good from the great?

The “great” is empowering individuals at branches to make the best decision for their customer quickly and effectively. And giving them the tools to do that. Not having to tell customer, “I’ll have to get back to you with an answer,” and instead allowing our employees to have the flexibility to provide on-the-spot answers and having the confidence to do that.

Challenges

What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today?

The trend toward e-commerce and just-in-time deliveries. The need for everyone to have everything done yesterday. This all leads to the challenge of tying together the right equipment, in the right place, at the right time. But there’s a whole other piece to it – the logistics piece, the moving of product, getting trailers and fixing trailers. There’s the physical part, the “moving of iron,” and melding it with the technology part, that’s the challenge. It come down to meeting and balancing expectations.

How is Milestone addressing those challenges?

The best way to do it is by developing the best network – An excellent group of repair and delivery vendors and employees. Both in the field and at our head office. I’m confident that we have that in every network and that we set realistic expectations with our customers. I’m confident of the vendors that we’ve chosen to partner with. Our repair vendors provide the backbone to our capabilities.

What sets Milestone apart from the competition?

Having a vast network of experienced and knowledgeable transportation professionals who are empowered to make quick decisions benefits Milestone customers. It really comes down to the educated people in the field who can take our vision and our customers’ requests and put them into action.

Why Milestone?

What do you like best about your job?

I like the fact that technically it’s a big industry, but the country gets smaller and smaller with technology. Being able to network with people around the country is something I love. I get to travel around the country and meet with people. My favorite part is being well traveled and connecting with fantastic people along the way.

What is a great story about Milestone Trailer Leasing that you love to share?

I always enjoy sharing Milestone’s history. The original founders and how they came together from across the country to create the basis of what we work with today. When knowing how we got here, it makes working towards those same goals, on a much larger scale, much more enjoyable.

in Companies / People / Trailer Leasing