RLS Logistics, a leading temperature-controlled third-party logistics provider, will begin providing national refrigerated LTL service January 7, 2019.
With this move, RLS can now offer customers both frozen and refrigerated LTL and TL service anywhere in the 48 contiguous states on a regular weekly schedule. Additionally, the company’s expertise in warehousing and packaging solutions means customers can utilize one provider for all their temperature-controlled supply chain needs.
“This is something we have been working towards since we launched our dedicated refrigerated LTL service in 2015,” said Russell Leo, president/CEO, Transportation Group. “We were built on providing national frozen distribution; after numerous customer requests, we decided to expand our services to include national refrigerated LTL services as well. This will provide large and small refrigerated customers with significant shipping advantages and new opportunities to move perishable goods from the Northeast to the rest of the country.“
Besides reliable on-time delivery, customers can have peace of mind in the knowledge that RLS refrigerated and frozen warehouse facilities adhere to the highest standards of food safety.
“All of our temperature-controlled operations are GFSI certified for storage and distribution by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), and comply with all government and USDA regulations,” Leo said. “We embrace these standards within the culture of our company, and in fact are consistently working to exceed them through our own internal reviews and quality control operations.”
RLS is also an approved Third-Party Consolidator for Walmart suppliers, offering weekly day-specific delivery to all 43 perishable grocery distribution centers.
“We offer personalized solutions to meet each customer’s individual needs,” said John Gaudet, RLS vice president of business development. “Walmart vendors can inventory their product at one of our logistics centers, forward their dedicated inventory to us, or we can pick up products at their facility. Our electronic order management, shipment planning and control, and real-time performance technology tools ensure accuracy for individual suppliers. Additionally, we are able to offer day-specific weekly delivery service for frozen and now refrigerated commodities. We work with our customers to exceed OTIF requirements.”
In other news, RLS recently won the 2018 Wrangler Award presented by Food Cowboy Foundation. This foundation serves as a strategic partner to the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), working to reduce food loss and waste by implementing innovative solutions to redirect food away from landfills. RLS has been a member of GCCA for 19 years. The Wrangler Award is an annual initiative launched in 2018 to recognize leadership in reducing waste within the food industry.
RLS is dedicated to sustainability practices in its operations including the reduction of waste and improvement in efficiency. Throughout 2018, it further demonstrated commitment to reducing waste through support and use of Food Cowboy’s donation hotline, which connects food donors with organizations that provide meals to food-insecure people, elderly, or children in need. The RLS OS&D (Over, Short, and Damaged) team used the hotline to donate more than 60,000 pounds of surplus fresh and frozen food, with almost 60% of the food donated being high-quality protein. The firm’s 12 months of donations will help to provide more than 50,000 meals to communities in need.
To learn more about the Food Cowboy donation hotline, visit www.foodcowboy.com. To learn more about how GCCA is fighting food loss and waste, go to www.gcca.org/resources/fighting-food-loss-and-waste.
For more information on how RLS can help your company succeed, access www.rlslogistics.com or phone 800-579-9900.
