Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/510235
COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | MAY 2015 53 INNOVATORS ANDREWS LOGISTICS Southlake, Texas its business in the dry van dedicated contract carriage market, with 160 dry van trailers now in operation. Andrews Logistics and its competi- tors in the bulk liquid market are not immune from the industrywide driver shortage. In fact, hazardous materials haulers face a greater challenge due to stricter hiring guidelines and extra train- ing required when delivering goods. "We are delivering product that isn't in a package – we are delivering it into complex pipes, fi ttings and connec- tions," says Darron Eschle, chairman and chief executive offi cer. "We may have three or four different products in a trailer delivering to a site with 20 or more storage tanks, each with dif- ferent products. That actual delivery process requires a lot of training so that we don't load the product into the wrong storage tank and create a spill, or we dump 5W30 into a transmission fl uid storage tank and contaminate the whole load." A new approach to safety In an effort to build on its already lofty safety record, Andrews Logis- tics last month announced its new "Target Zero" campaign to completely eliminate the factors that contribute to accidents, spills and contaminations. "When you have 285-plus trucks rolling 500 miles per day and more than 21 million miles per year and think, 'Wow, only one or two accidents or spills,' that sounds like a pretty good number," says Eschle. "And the truth F or a nationwide bulk liquid carrier serving some of North America's largest petrochemical companies, safety is paramount. When an accident occurs, not only are the goods being hauled often fl ammable – which can increase the severity and scope of the incident – but big oil companies with deep pockets also are prime targets for vicarious liability lawsuits. Due diligence by such a shipper in the carrier selection process is critical to ensuring a safe and effi cient link in their product supply chain. Andrews Logistics has staked its claim in the bulk liquid and chemical haul- ing market with its safety approach. The asset-based bulk liquid and hazardous materials transportation company has won numerous safety awards from the National Tank Truck Carriers, as well as customer awards from BP, ConocoPhil- lips, Chevron and others. In 2010, Andrews Logistics was cited by Commercial Carrier Journal as a CCJ Innovator for developing a systematic safety approach with a driver-led safety management system that the company launched in 2007. Since then, Andrews Logistics' accident rate has decreased steadily. Andrews Logistics has grown to become a leading bulk liquid hauler with 14 terminals serving 48 states, Canada and Mexico via a cross-border operation. Currently, the company has 285 drivers, 320 trucks and 560 tank trailers. Its niche is hauling fi nished petrochemical products, such as 5W30 motor oil and transmission fl uids, from manufacturing points to distribution centers and automo- tive manufacturing plants. The Southlake, Texas-based company also has grown The tanker hauler develops a safety campaign to eliminate accidents on the road and spills at delivery points. Andrews Logistics takes a bo ld new approach to safety management BY JEFF CRISSEY