Chicago's Leader in Warehousing and Distribution, Presents its Blog:

In todays fast paced society, every business needs to send and receive goods / packages / product on time. These items are often times crucial. Due to the importance of a speedy and on-time delivery of items to recipients, cartage companies have done their very best to make sure that they are able to meet customer satisfaction through an expeditious delivery process.

Cartage companies like Neill Cartage and Warehouse have existed for a long time. Their nature of business, being the one that stands as the missing link between two companies that are in need of each others products, or perhaps between one companys branch and another which are found in two different locations, has made them invaluable in the daily course of business activities.

Cartage companies specialize in the transportation of different kinds of goods that are very essential for both the sender and the recipient. They not only cater to business entities but to individuals as well. You can count on their services to accommodate your needs.

If you have important products that need to be delivered to a recipient, you can ask or solicit the services of a reliable cartage company. Cartage companies always provide you with efficiency and speed when it comes to delivering the items that you need to reach a recipient. Whether you need to deliver 1 / 2 skid packages or full truck loads, you can definitely expect these companies to accommodate you with courtesy and professionalism.

Neill Cartage and Warehouse is Chicago's premier full service logistics, warehousing, and distribution company.  Servicing the Midwest since 1946. 

 

Do not make the mistake in thinking that just because you may deal in hazardous waste once in a while that you will not be responsible for everything that is involved in storing, transporting, or eliminated the hazardous waste in the proper manner. Hazmat warehousing could include the materials that are flammable or deadly gasses. It would be wise to prepare properly for the maintenance of hazardous materials or allow warehousing facilities that are properly equipped to manage the material.

Hazmat compliance requires adherence to the proper OSHA requirements, training, department of transportation DOT shipping regulations, compliance, and material safety data sheets (MSDS) displayed in proper locations, training, and reporting. The MSDS alone is an enormous data sheet that includes all the chemicals that could be located in a warehouse. Each chemical is broken down into its basic elements, the effects on the human body and environment, and the proper method of treatment in case of exposure and injury.

Warehouses that specifically deal with chemicals are required to have specific fire resistant walls, explosion proof appliances, special industrial chillers, flame and heat detectors, chemical resistant coated surfaces, special mixing rooms, and fire rated cold rooms. This is just to name a few requirements.

Non-compliance to federal and state regulations could mean heavy fines, potential injury, and illness to workers.

By James McLaren, Senior Editor, PPI Pulp & Paper Week, RISI

SAN FRANCISCO, June 7, 2010 (RISI) - Canada will provide C$995,000 to Domtar for an environmental project at the company's Espanola, ON, pulp and paper mill under the government's Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program (PPGTP).

The mill will install a refurbished wood waste grinder that will allow it to process bark more effectively for the production of renewable energy.

"This project is part of a transformation that is taking place in Canada's forest industry," said Minister of Natural Resources Christian Paradis. "The Green Transformation Program is helping Canada's pulp and paper sector become more environmentally sustainable by supporting investments in green technologies. This investment is also increasing the mill's capacity to improve its environmental performance and produce clean energy, while providing important forest products for consumers."

The refurbished equipment will enable the Espanola mill to grind more bark with greater efficiency and produce a finer bark product that burns better, eliminating the need for secondary grinding of bark, which is currently done by a diesel-powered portable grinder. In turn, the mill will eliminate the consumption of diesel fuel associated with the portable grinder and displace consumption of natural gas by generating more renewable energy to power the facility.

These operational efficiencies will help the mill reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and meet market demand for sustainably manufactured pulp and paper products, the government said in a press release. Espanola produces market pulp and uncoated freesheet paper.

Domtar is one of 24 pulp and paper companies across Canada that qualified for credits under the C$1-billion program, based on their 2009 production levels of black liquor, a liquid by-product of the pulping process used to generate heat and power.

Domtar has also gained PPGTP funding of C$58 million for a project at its Kamloops, BC, mill and C$23 million for its Dryden, ON, mill. Other PPGTP funding includes C$22 million for J.D. Irving at its Utopia, NB, mill; C$15 million for West Fraser's Hinton, AB, mill, and C$810,000 for Tolko Industries' mill in The Pas, MB.

Government survey shows heaviest truck traffic congestion occurred at two Chicago-area highway exchanges in 2009.  Click here to read about it.

How does this affect your deliveries from being on time in the Chicago land area?

Neill Cartage and Warehouse deliveries 80% of their freight before 12:00pm.

 

 

Neill Cartage and Warehouse is Chicago's premier full service logistics, warehousing, and distribution company.  Servicing the Midwest since 1946. 

 

Neill Cartage and Warehouse is one of Chicago's premier LTL carriers.

LTL is an acronym for "less-than-truckload". LTL describes the practice of co-loading smaller shipments with other smaller shipments going to the same destination or in the same route. In general and LTL shipment is less than 10,000 lbs.  Neill Cartage & Warehouse has been providing Chicago with LTL services since 1946.  

 

Neill Cartage and Warehouse is Chicago's distribution warehouse / center for several clients around the world.

What is a distribution warehouse? How it assist manfactures and retailers in local markets?

A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialize building, which is stocked with products / goods to be re-distributed to consumer, retailers, and wholesalers.  A distribution center is a key part, the ordering process, of the entire order fulfillment.  A distribution center can also be called a warehouse, a DC, a fulfillment center, a cross-dock facility, a bulk break center, and a package handling center. The name by which the distribution center is known is commonly based on the purpose of the operation. Neill Cartage and Warehouse services several different manufactures, retailer, and consumer, and is considered all of the above to different clients.

Distribution centers are the foundation of supply chain as they allow a single location to stock a vast number of products.  Since a large retailer / manufacture might sell thousands of products from thousands of vendors, it would be inefficient to ship each product directly from each vendor to each store.  Many large retailers own and run their own distribution center, while smaller retailers may outsource this function to dedicated local logistics firm that coordinates the distribution of products for a number of companies.

Neill Cartage and Warehouse works with both large and small manufactures / retailers to handle their distribution network in Chicago and the Midwest.  We are the eyes and hears for these manufactures as they hundreds of thousands of dollar of merchandise in our warehouses.   

 

 

Neill Cartage and Warehouse is Chicago's premier full service logistics, warehousing, and distribution company.  Servicing the Midwest since 1946. 

 

A Bonded warehouse is a building in which dutiable goods may be stored, manipulated, or undergo manufacturing operations without payment of duty. It may be managed by the state or by private enterprise. In the latter case a customs bond must be posted with the government. This system exists in all developed countries of the world.

Upon entry of goods into the warehouse, the importer and warehouse proprietor incur liability under a bond. This liability is generally cancelled when the goods are:

• Exported; or deemed exported;
• Destroyed under Customs supervision; or
• Withdrawn for consumption domestically after payment of duty.

While the goods are in the bonded warehouse, they may, under supervision by the customs authority, be manipulated by cleaning, sorting, repacking, or otherwise changing their condition by processes that do not amount to manufacturing. After manipulation, and within the warehousing period, the goods may be exported without the payment of duty, or they may be withdrawn for consumption upon payment of duty at the rate applicable to the goods in their manipulated condition at the time of withdrawal. In the United States, goods may remain in the bonded warehouse up to five years from the date of importation. Bonded warehouses provide specialized storage services such as deep freeze or bulk liquid storage, commodity processing, and coordination with transportation, and are an integral part of the global supply chain.   

Click Here:

All Qualified New Accounts Receive 1 Month FREE Storage.

 

 

Neill Cartage and Warehouse is Chicago's premier full service logistics, warehousing, and distribution company.  Servicing the Midwest since 1946. 

 

There seems to be a lot of talk in the logistics sector to "go green".  If you read the trade journals you will see a lot of information and discussions on green initiatives in trucking, shipping, ports, and warehousing.  First, you must understand there is a very big difference between "going green," and what I call a lot of "green talk," where companies promote themselves and environmentally friendly but really aren't.  With that being said Neill Cartage and Warehouse has taken several actions to become Chicago's green public warehouse.

What sorts of things will you find in one of these green warehouses?

Here are a few of the things Neill Cartage and Warehouse has done or is doing become Chicago's green public warehouse.

Materials and pallets:

New materials other than wood for pallets seem to last longer, are stronger and more easily recycled. 

Neill Cartage and Warehouse uses reuseable plastic pallets.

Paperless Tracking:

The logistics sector uses a ton of paper, but as their IT systems become better, things are now being tracked electronically, without much paper involved. Any logistics company that claims to be green must reduce the paperwork too.

Neill's, Chicago Warehouse, has recently installed a new tracking system which allows them to work almost in a paperless environment. 

Solar power:

Warehouses are perfectly suited for solar power due to the large amount of roof space. Now that solar panels are more efficient and less costly, this is a must for any green warehouse plan.

Neill's warehouse in Chicago is currently discussing putting solar panels on the roof with their energy company.  We will have more to blog about this matter in a few weeks! 

Lighting:

Use LED ultra-low wattage light bulbs, some as low as 3 watts or less.  Turning light off when they are not needed.  Also use sky lights to provide natural light through out the building.

Neill's, Chicago warehouse, was designed to use natural light to provide most of its lighting.  We have sky lights in every other bay that provide plenty of natural light.  All of our light bulbs are LED ultra-low wattage.   

Hydrogen cell Fork Lifts:

If we are truly worried about CO2 emissions and the air quality for the workers in warehouses why not move to hydrogen cell forklifts. Many warehouses have converted to electric units, but hydrogen cell seems really leading edge.

Neill's next fork lift purchase will mostly likely be an electric unit.  We currently are operating propane powered fork lifts, but would like to start using something a little more green. 

If you have any suggestions for Chicago's green public warehouse we would love to hear them.  We are always looking for more efficient ways to go green. 

Good business people are always looking for ways to save money, while also maintaining good quality products and services. Also, many companies, in an attempt to save money, are outsourcing anything they can to other companies. For example, a 3PL (Third Party Logistics) firm could help a business that is unfamiliar with the city find a Public Warehouse for their products they may want to ship to the area. There are many benefits to outsourcing the logistics part of supply chain management. Below is a list of ways companies can and have benefited from using these third party companies to handle their logistics issues:

1. The companies have saved a lot of money by switching to a third party logistics firm. The cost effectiveness comes in with the money companies save in terms of labor. By a hiring a firm, you do not have to pay your own employees to do the logistics part of the supply chain. Considering labor is the most expensive part of a business, this is really where a lot of savings can be made, since most warehouses do not charge as much as it would to hire a team of logistics people to work for your company.

2. When you use a third party logistics team that is located in the city where you will be storing or sending products or both you get the advantage the third party company has of their knowledge of the area. Usually, third party logistics companies can get really good rates on storage for products, since they know the area and who to go to.

3. Finally, third party logistics companies can customize their services to your business's needs. Sometimes it can be hard for a logistics team that works for your company to have the resources to meet all of the requirements that come down from management. When you outsource this work, the third party wants to please their clients, so they will have better resources to meet most, if not all, of the requirements of management. For example, if your company wants to keep their products fresh, then a third party company would be able to negotiate with airlines to ship the products to the best location possible.

If you or your company is considering any kind of outsourcing, it is obviously, important to do all of the necessary research first. A company can only save money through outsourcing if the third party keeps the standards of their clients and if they keep their clients happy. If you choose a third party firm and you are unhappy with their work, do not be afraid to tell them so, and if the problem is not solved you should do something different. When the wrong third party firm is chosen, it can cost the company countless amounts of money, so it is important to get it right the first time. When done properly, third-party logistics firms can really help a company with saving money and by giving valuable resources to their clients.

 

 

 

Neill Cartage and Warehouse is Chicago's premier full service logistics, warehousing, and distribution company.  Servicing the Midwest since 1946. 

 

If you are not sure of what a 3PL provider is then give me a minute to clarify it.  A third party logistics service or 3pl as they are referred to, is a business that serves as a middle man.  They handle manufactures / importers freight and warehousing needs. Why would you even think about doing this? It is as straight forward as this, experience, cheaper pricing, and service. A 3pl permits a medium sized company that usually would not get decent shipping discounts from the LTL providers to now be in a position to play on an even playing field with some of its large competitors. I guess you can describe it as "Sams Club" pricing for shipping and transportation costs.

Now that we have explained what a third party Logistics Company is... should you use an asset based or a non asset based 3pl? Let's explain these one by one so that you can make an educated decision.

Asset Based 3PL

An asset based service holds many supply chain management "assets". These assets may include anything that is pertaining with supply chain management, including technology systems, truck fleets, vehicles, aircraft, warehouses, warehousing equipment, forklifts etc. As you can see you would be restricted to using the assets that this third party logistics company suggests. There is no doubt you will be better off then before, but here is the real question to ask yourself: How do I ultimately know I am getting the best value available out there?

Can you also see how this conflict of interests could pose a problem when it comes to handling claims resolution if they are using their own trucks and equipment. Pretend for a moment that if you had a claim on damaged freight, would you feel at ease with the idea that your claim would be handled in the shortest time and reimbursed for the highest value possible?

Non Asset Based 3PL

This 3PL performs all of the services of a third party logistics service such as quoting freight, scheduling pickups and deliveries, routing, and auditing, but doesn't need to own all of the transportation assets that an asset based 3PL would own. Instead, this type of 3PL usually possesses only desks, computers, and freight industry expertise. Now you can see why they are referred to as "transportation consultants".

Now this is an important point to dwell on, since a non asset based 3pl is not restricted to using any particular warehouse or carrier and generally have no ties to carriers, they are now able to use their ability to negotiate the best deal for you. Negotiations will be done with the recognized value oriented carriers that meet your criteria and then you get to decide which carriers to work with.

Since there is no conflict of interests here, there is also no anxiety about resolving any claims that you might have either. Now you can see why many companies choose to team up with a non-asset based provider. They appreciate that they now have the unlimited freedom to partner with the service providers that best meet their needs.