Dedicated transportation services cover a wide range of applications for many customers. You may have a vendor that ships raw material to you for just-in-time production, or you may send finished product to a customer once a week or you may replenish wholesale/retail stores daily with a variety of palletized and non-palletized freight. A dedicated lane might save you money, improve service and reduce headaches and simplify accounting with a consolidated weekly bill.
We help you evaluate the entire transportation picture between your company, your customers, your suppliers, and between departments within your company. As full time transportation professionals with experience in small package, less-than-truckload (LTL), volume, truckload, Intermodal and rail shipments, we help you understand all the options available to maximize the value of your dollar spent.
MESCA Transport Services customer Sid Harvey Industries utilizes Dedicated Transportation Services to replenish their 75+ store locations once or more weekly with time-definite, truckload w/stop deliveries. Hazmat training and placarding often required, plus driver assist on unloading. Cost savings with improved route creation and consolidation plus vendor pick-ups (backhauling) is well into six figures.
"MESCA Transport has been our transportation partner for over six years now. This change has allowed me to focus more on other areas rather than so much on just freight. I am now able to save a tremendous amount of time as well as money on our freight needs. MESCA Transport has truly evolved into our transportation department over the last six years."
~ Chris J. Distribution Manager Sid Harvey Industries
Truckload is often presumed to be a “full load for a single customer”. Today, though, it can mean much more for you!
Truckload w/Stops and Volume Load-To-Ride services offer advantages over traditional less than truckload (LTL). Key among these are fewer claims for damages and lost items as freight is handled once onto the truck and once off the truck at your customer’s or your dock. The cost savings advantage for a well-designed truckload w/stop route can be substantial as well. Especially as shipments become larger and are classified as Volume in size (generally 4+ pallets, over several thousands pounds or 10+ linear feet of the trailer), the opportunity for cost savings increases to combine freight from a single shipper, two or possible even three onto a single truck.
We have well over 1000 truckload and specialty truckload carriers under contract as transportation partners. We combine several truckloads daily and would love to have an opportunity to understand your needs and see what we may be able to do to help!
“Back a few years ago, I was using another service provider for all of my full truckload shipments. MESCA Transport came knocking on our door and I told them basically that I was all set. Well, my service provider at the time just fell apart and I was left with a bunch of shipments that I couldn't get picked up. I called MESCA to see if they could help me. They did and I now use them for every full truckload that we ship. The folks in the office at MESCA are all great. They are very knowledgeable and friendly. When problems arise they are very quick to call and we work through the problem. I can't say enough good things about MESCA as a company and the people they employ.”
~ Jenn Hoare, Transportation Manager, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
A Specialized transportation service not readily offered by many carriers. Refrigerated loads require specific training for drivers and knowledge by shippers and receivers for handling product to ensure its quality and integrity. Refrigerated truckload just like dry freight (van) truckload with the exception of temperature control requirements. Refrigerated LTL & Volume shipments (1 pallet up to more than a dozen) are generally very expensive because they are so hard to service when the customer requires pick up and delivery. Not impossible, yet definitely much harder due to the scarcity of transportation service providers capable of supporting less than a full truckload and specific temperature needs.
MESCA Transport currently works with nearly 300 refrigerated service carriers for truckload, volume and LTL shipments. We understand many of the particulars which can cause you “headaches” and will work hard to help remove the “pain” when you need to ship refrigerated, especially LTL and Volume shipments.
“I can't thank you enough for the services your company has supplied us over the years. I have dropped a lot of last minute requests your way due to the nature of our business and your staff has always gone above and beyond to assist. Your people are honest and up front, your prices have helped us tremendously, and the service is exceptional. The service alone has saved us time and money. I have been very fortunate to find a freight service that relieves me of more work and stress. Thank you for treating me like family and I look forward to a long relationship with Mesca.”
~ Jason T. Hall Director of Agency Relations Good Shepard Food Bank
Flatbed, step deck and other “non-enclosed” trailers are utilized most often for freight which cannot be easily loaded from a dock or when no dock is available to load or unload the freight. Flatbeds can offer protection for freight in transit with tarps or simply move with the freight strapped to the trailer.
Step Deck and other specialty flatbed trailers are available to accommodate various sized and weighted freight which require permitting, lane analysis or other specific needs to travel safely and legally. MESCA Transport can help you evaluate the options as well as cost of moving equipment via Flatbeds. In some cases utilizing a Flatbed may not be required an a lower cost option may be able with an enclosed Van trailer. Let us analyze your situation and provide non-biased information and recommendations.
“MESCA Transport has been a tremendous asset to Flotation Technologies in an unprecedented period of growth. Their representatives are professional and extremely responsive to all of our requests for quotes. Often times their competitors lose our business because they simply don't respond as quickly. MESCA's prices are almost always lower than their competitors and we appreciate that they use only quality carriers. There is nothing more important to us than getting our product to Our Customer. I know that MESCA is always there for me and (MESCA) has gone above and beyond on many of our shipments to assure that they arrive on time and in tact. I really rely on the whole team at MESCA and couldn't have managed this last year without all of their help. We look forward to a mutually rewarding relationship in the years to come.”
~ Catherine Cook, Owner/Logistics Manager, Flotation Technologies
Intermodal means utilizing more than one transportation mode for a shipment. Today one of the most common Intermodal methods is picking up the freight from your dock or your vendors with a truck, transferring the loaded trailer or container onto a rail flatcar for transit to the destination area, and then delivering the freight to a dock. To the shipper and receiver, movement by Intermodal appears to be identical to Truckload in most cases. For customers, the freight cost for longer distance moves (generally 1500 to 3000 miles) can be substantially less than regular Truckload.
Constraints to be understood with Intermodal are a longer transit time (generally 3-6 days longer than Truckload, depending on the lane) and slightly different loading/blocking/bracing requirements in some cases.
Rail Flatcar for very large and heavy equipment can offer an attractive alternative to specialized, over-dimensional, over-weight shipments requiring expensive permits, escorts and route reconnaissance. If you deal with large equipment, talk to us and we’ll investigate if utilizing the rail is a viable option to put into the Transportation Decision Mix.
“We have been doing business with MESCA going on 17 years. MESCA understands our needs. They always have resources to move our product, whether by road, rail, air, truckload or LTL, which means I can count on the product being at our docks when we need it. MESCA’s staff consists of a group of very dedicated and knowledgeable people truly there to the help you. If you are in the logistics business, I highly recommend that you call these folks.”
~ Chip A. Logistics Coordinator Olympia Sports
Freight that “has to be there” tomorrow or at a specific time, date, place and can’t get there utilizing normal LTL, Volume or Truckload Services can be moved with Expedited Service. This service is available at a premium price due to the limitations it imposes upon carriers as well as the commitment for on-time, on-target service. Some Expedited Services are guaranteed with partial to full money-back promises.
Hazardous Materials (hazmat for short) are an increasingly difficult type of freight to transport today. The continuing ripple effect outward after 9/11 cause rule changes and qualification requirements to be adjusted, while also increasing the expense to all carriers to become certified by DOT to haul hazmat materials. Because of this, more and more carriers previously hauling hazmat have discontinued leaving the available pool of qualified carriers smaller and increasing demand. MESCA Transport has extensive experience with hazmat carriers and has dealt with many different types of commodities.
Drop Trailers is a term used in the Transportation Industry for situation when customers, carriers, vendors, or other interested parties benefit from the pre-placement of unloaded (or loaded) equipment at either the origin or destination. Large manufacturers utilize drop trailer programs often to allow for surges in production without compromising more highly valuable floor space. By pre-loading trailers for pick up by our carriers, the process of picking up or delivering freight is simplified. Carriers can arrive, position an empty trailer where the customer needs it, pick up a loaded trailer and be on their way very quickly. With constraints on operating and driving hours for professional drivers, this allows for your freight to be “moving” more efficiently and further immediately. Regular inbound or outbound freight can be an ideal situation for a drop trailer program. Even if you think you’re too small or constrained on space, you should talk to us about a possible drop trailer program. You never know!
"MESCA Transport has been our transportation partner for over six years now. This change has allowed me to focus more on other areas rather than so much on just freight. I am now able to save a tremendous amount of time as well as money on our freight needs. MESCA Transport has truly evolved into our transportation department over the last six years."
~ Chris J. Distribution Manager Sid Harvey Industries
MESCA is made up of Transportation-focused professionals who have anywhere from few up to 40 years of experience in the industry. Our unique beginnings as a non-profit cooperative for 25 years have always kept us focused on what is best for our customer while striving to ensure our carrier partners provide outstanding service so that all parties enjoy a “win-win”.
We have learned from nearly 9000 member companies signing up to work with us in 30 years that our business model can work for every business. MESCA generally saves companies 15% or more on their transportation costs while greatly improving their understanding and utilization of available services. We provide almost all our services free of charge to you. No gimmicks, no hidden surprises, no bait-n-switch. Just honest communication, unbiased professional recommendations, outstanding services, and a true desire to be a partner with you to help you grow and be more profitable.
“We have been doing business with MESCA going on 17 years. MESCA understands our needs. They always have resources to move our product, whether by road, rail, air, truckload or LTL, which means I can count on the product being at our docks when we need it. MESCA’s staff consists of a group of very dedicated and knowledgeable people truly there to the help you. If you are in the logistics business, I highly recommend that you call these folks.”
~ Chip A. Logistics Coordinator Olympia Sports