In today’s global supply chain, transporting goods across international borders can be a complicated endeavor. As a full-service North American logistics provider, TA Services has extensive experience in streamlining cross-border logistics, which has helped Benteler Automotive improve its transportation network performance, manage carrier capacity and reduce logistics costs.
Background
Benteler Automotive is a leader in metal forming and processing for the automotive industry. Its core competencies include tube manufacturing, forming, joining, extrusion and the assembly of materials such as steel and aluminum. With numerous production facilities worldwide, the company needed a strategic logistics partner to facilitate the transport of products to and from its U.S. and Mexico locations, customers and suppliers.
Previously, transporting and clearing a single shipment through border customs required coordinating between as many as six different service providers. This process required significant time and effort, leaving Benteler Automotive with less time to identify opportunities to improve processes. Benteler Automotive recognized TA Services possessed the right combination of knowledge, experience and technology to optimize its cross-border logistics operations and made the decision to partner with us.
The TA Services difference
Location. With a strategic distribution facility in Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border and full-service operations support offices in Monterrey, Mexico, and Indianapolis, Ind., TA Services was the perfect match for Benteler Automotive’s cross-border shipping needs. The location of its high-velocity, cross-dock operation at the Laredo distribution center provides Benteler with enhanced operational flexibility when dealing with high volumes of shipments, ongoing border congestion and capacity constraints.
Experience. Logistics experts at both U.S. and Mexico offices offer bilingual support, as well as long-standing relationships with CTPAT-qualified carriers to facilitate the efficient and safe movement of cargo. These experts understand the cross-border process and responsibilities of all parties, including foreign carriers, customs brokers and drayage companies, ensuring that goods flow seamlessly across the supply chain.
Knowledge. Most importantly, TA Services listens. By listening to customers, it can develop customized solutions to alleviate supply chain pain points or further improve current operations. Notably, TA Services leverages a cutting-edge transportation management system and in-transit visibility technologies. In addition to technology, TA Services works to understand a client’s network using data to develop tailor-made solutions to their international logistics requirements. TA Services presented multiple planning and optimization outcomes that could meet Benteler’s logistics requirements and provide improvements across network performance, cost and transit time.
The deep dive. One objective was to untangle the web of transportation and logistics participants required to manage each shipment. Scheduling and managing the cross-border process across modes, such as truckload, less-than-load (LTL) and expedited carriers was transitioned to multimodal logistics experts. With TA Services managing suppliers and transportation providers, the Benteler Automotive transportation department reduced the number of communication touchpoints. This allowed the freedom, flexibility and time to focus on additional logistics and supply chain process improvement opportunities.
TA Services then shifted its focus to the routing efficiencies within the customer’s established network, considering all detailed shipping constraints. Using the analytic tools available to our team, our experts reviewed the company’s shipment history and were able to identify new ways to save on costs.
The TA Services cross-border logistics solution included route optimization and an analysis of the available milk run opportunities, flexible shipping days, full truckload (FLT), collaborative, multi-shipper Truckload management programs and the strategic use of TA Services' cross dock and warehouse facilities located throughout North America.
Outcomes for Benteler Automotive
With the help of TA Services, Benteler Automotive realized:
· Immediate improvement in its transportation costs.
· Savings from TA Services’ route optimization and SaaS TMS technology, a 6% reduction in freight spend.
· Value-generated based on the utilization of TA Services’ cross-border consolidation network: >$250,000.00
· Additional value with TA Services’ Truckload Buyback program, a multi-shipper, collaborative capacity solution.
· Improved responsiveness via the TA Services HVXD (high-velocity cross dock) facility in Laredo, Texas.
TA Services provides managed cross-border transportation and logistics services to Benteler Automotive, streamlining the bi-directional material flow as part of an efficient global supply chain. It also continues to work closely in support of Benteler Automotive’s logistics requirements, helping the company achieve its transportation network performance and spend management goals.
