THE PROBLEM
Southeast Pet used to own their entire fleet and would run their trailers for 10-15 years before getting new ones. In the past, they didn’t have a proactive maintenance program to help extend the life of their trailers, which resulted in numerous over-the-road breakdowns. In an effort to improve their trailer life cycle situation, Southeast Pet decided to switch from an equipment ownership model to a lease program. This would allow them to replace their trailers every five to seven years in a cost-efficient way.
Southeast Pet signed a five-year lease agreement on 20 dry vans with a vendor. Historically, they exclusively used dry vans to move loads–even if they had a temperature-dependent cargo. The situation wasn’t ideal as they would have to carry coolers with dry ice which posed a danger to drivers, didn’t keep cargo at the proper temperature and occupied a lot of space.
Aside from a less-than-ideal refrigeration method, the equipment vendor they were using charged them $10/month per trailer to have an over-the-road breakdown option. For a company that often had breakdowns, it was costly.
CURRENT STATUS…
Southeast Pet now has the right equipment, a proactive maintenance program and a reliable over-the-road breakdown service.
They are no longer having issues with refrigerated/frozen product quality since they switched some of their dry vans to custom refrigerated trailers (reefers).
Our solution has enabled them to expand their business without needed to add unnecessary resources. Star is currently working with the Southeast Pet team on replacing their old equipment by the end of this year.
