INPERSON
Marc Althen of
Penske Logistics
Marc Althen is president of Penske Logistics. Althen began his career as a project engineer
at Chevron. He came to Penske following Penske’s 1988 merger with Gelco Truck Leasing,
where Althen had served as a construction director. During the next 20-plus years, Althen
took on positions of increasing responsibility, including vice president of environmental
services, vice president of administration, and senior vice president of administration and
procurement for Penske Truck Leasing.
In our continuing series
of discussions with top
supply-chain company
executives, Marc Althen
discusses Penske’s role
as a third-party logistics
service provider and the
market outlook for 2020.
Q: FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOUR
COMPANY, CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE WORK OF
PENSKE LOGISTICS?
A: We are a third-party logistics provid-
er servicing the automotive, food and
beverage, industrial, manufacturing, and
consumer packaged goods industries.
The majority of our business is operat-
ed throughout North America, and we
provide six primary services: distribu-
tion center management, dedicated con-
tract carriage, regional truckload services,
transportation management, lead logistics
provider, and freight brokerage.
Q: HOW DO YOU VIEW THE CURRENT TRANSPORTATION MARKET AND
THE PROSPECTS FOR 2020?
A: We are cautiously optimistic. We know there is excess trucking
capacity in the market, and therefore there are rate pressures. We
are also still experiencing a truck-driver shortage, and at Penske
Logistics, we are acting on strategies to ensure that we are hiring
the best drivers available.
Q: WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF COMING TO A COMPANY LIKE
PENSKE THAT OFFERS BOTH WAREHOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION AS
WELL AS BROKERAGE AND OTHER SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES?
A: Shippers look to Penske Logistics for business outcomes rather
than products. Our ability to incorporate the people, skills, sys-
tems, and resources from across our various product lines into
a unique solution to meet their very specific needs—ultimately,
the ability to deliver a compelling solution—is what keeps them
coming back to Penske.
Q: YOU HAVE A BACKGROUND WORKING IN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES.
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY IN YOUR ROLE
AS PRESIDENT OF PENSKE LOGISTICS?
A: We are constantly evaluating and implementing the newest and best technology
to drive sustainability in our fleet and
logistics operations. On a daily basis, we
continue to optimize customer shipments
in a variety of ways, and to operate and
maintain cutting-edge trucks. That’s why
for the fourth time this decade, Penske
Logistics was honored by the EPA for its
sustainability efforts, collecting a 2019
Smart Way Excellence Award in the Truck
Carrier category.
Q: HOW ARE YOUR TECHNOLOGY INVEST-
MENTS AT PENSKE HELPING YOU TO BETTER
SERVE YOUR CUSTOMERS?
A: Over the years, Penske Logistics has
acquired and implemented the best com-
mercially available software on the mar-
ket. However, Penske has taken additional
steps to customize and develop a propri-
etary solution—the Penske ClearChain
technology suite. We’ve drawn on our
experience to invest in the right tools to
drive visibility and insight into the supply
chain. This includes portals, analytics,
dashboards, scorecards, and mobile tools.
Q: WHAT VALUE DO YOU FEEL PENSKE BRINGS
TO ITS CUSTOMERS?
A: At the end of the day, we all know that
relationships play an important role and
it is critical to be a trusted adviser. That’s
why we are always striving to challenge
the status quo and exceed our customers’
expectations day in and day out. n
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