Many produce distributors struggle with last minute orders and high delivery costs. And most distributors need to deliver to the same customers every day. Third Coast Produce, a distributor in Houston, Texas, also has many customers that have 30-minute time windows, making delivery coordination very complex. That's why they sought out routing software from UPS Logistics Technologies.

Third Coast Produce is a member of Pro*Act, a leading produce buying group. They have 28 vehicles that service over 400 customers on a daily basis between Monday and Saturday. Daily delivery is required so that restaurants, hotels, and other customers have the freshest produce for their patrons. These delivery scenarios caused very high transportation expenses, and contributed to difficulty tracking cost per delivery.

When Javier Bueno, general manager of Third Coast Produce learned about Roadnet, he recognized that shifting from standard to dynamic routing would drive down delivery costs. Roadnet is a daily routing and scheduling tool that helps distributors lower transportation costs and improve customer service by meeting pre-established time windows.

Javier also stated that Third Coast Produce did not have an order cutoff time established, which allowed customers to place orders well into the night. "We needed to re-train our customers to order by 8 pm," stated Javier. Although this caused some frustration at first, customers quickly experienced improved customer service and are very pleased with the changes. "There is nothing better than a satisfied customer," Javier remarked.

Since implementing Roadnet, Third Coast Produce has established order cutoff times, and is able to track delivery costs. They are also able to keep drivers in specific areas, to build customer relationships.

Additional results include:

• 15% reduction in daily routes
• $250-$350 savings per day
• Cost effectively add new customers to routes
• Reduced wear and tear on vehicles

In just a few months, Third Coast Produce has significantly reduced their expenses, and conservatively estimates their first year savings at $100,000.

The savings won't stop with Roadnet. Third Coast Produce is currently implementing MobileCast, a real-time route execution tool. With MobileCast, Javier will be able to track deliveries as they happen, manage second runs more closely, and analyze driver productivity.

To sum up, Javier stated, "With expanding product lines, more demanding customer service and increased competition, I would recommend that any produce distributor consider solutions from UPS Logistics Technologies."