“drop and hook.” In a drop-and-hook
operation, the carrier drops off a fully
loaded trailer in the warehouse yard and
then hauls away an empty one. The primary advantage of drop and hook is that
it eliminates the need for the truck to sit
in the yard with its engine idling while the
trailer is being unloaded. In some cases,
Whirlpool even provides trailers to carriers to facilitate the practice. The company
uses drop and hook in its U.S., Canadian,
and Mexican operations—and to a limited extent, its European operations.
Whirlpool also helps its carriers “
triangulate” shipments in order to make the
best use of their assets. In triangulation,
carriers deliver an outbound load to a
Whirlpool customer and then arrange
loads that will bring them back to the
starting point with no empty moves. For
example, a trucking company might move
a shipment from a Whirlpool facility in
Ohio to Memphis, Tenn.; pick up a load
from another shipper and haul it to
Atlanta; and then take a load in Atlanta
from a third company and bring it to
Ohio in time to pick up another of
Whirlpool’s outbound loads.
Along with its other transportation programs, Whirlpool has enlisted in the
Smart Way Transport Partnership, an initiative by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the freight industry to
increase energy efficiency while reducing
greenhouse gases and air pollution. In signing up for the program in 2007, the company committed to using more energy-efficient practices in its warehouses and to
shipping at least 50 percent of its product
volume with carriers that participate in the
program. “The carrier actually signs up
with the EPA, and we agree to use those
approved carriers,” says Hancock. “The
program is trying to get the carriers and the
industry to work on sustainability.”
A long but worthwhile journey
When Whirlpool completes its network
redesign this year, its supply chain will be
considerably greener than it was just four
years ago. As a result, Whirlpool stands to
realize big savings in energy and transportation costs (not to mention, increased
consumer goodwill).
always easy being green. In fact,
Hancock advises others considering a
similar program to steel themselves
for a long journey. Just putting the
infrastructure in place isn’t enough,
he says. You also have to keep an eye
on things and make sure your suppliers are meeting your demands for eco-
friendly goods and services. “Once
you start changing the infrastructure
of your supply chain, you need to be
persistent in [monitoring] what types
of trucks you use, what types of carriers you use, and the type of lighting
[you use] in the warehouse,” he says.
“It’s a long-term commitment.”
The Best Just
Got Better.
Ryson is introducing new
innovative products. Visit
ryson.com to see what all
the buzz is about.
High Capacity
Spirals The
new Ryson
High Capacity
Spirals are in
response to
our customers
need to go higher and
handle more weight. The
new spirals handle double the
capacity of our regular spirals
and ship in one piece.
Multiple Entry Spirals The
Multiple Entry Spirals allow loads to
enter the spirals from several different
elevations. A new high speed induction
conveyor provides controlled spiral entry.
Dual Spirals The new Ryson Dual Track Spirals are
the ultimate in space savings. Two tracks operate within one
spiral structure. Each spiral has a separate drive and operates
independently. Both tracks can go up or down and can be reversible.
Quality and service come first at Ryson and we are the number one
spiral manufacturer in the USA. For application assistance or more
information, call or visit the industry leader at www.ryson.com.
300 Newsome Drive • Yorktown, VA 23692
Phone: (757) 898-1530 • Fax: (757) 898-1580
