Case Study: Trailer Bridge Customizes Inland Transport Solution for Distinguished Ocean Carrier
13 Dec 2021
Business Challenge
A Trailer Bridge customer and ocean carrier, Waterman Logistics, was awarded a port-to-door task order from the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) to transport hundreds of Military All-Terrain Vehicles (MATVs) and multiple containers for the U.S. Army importing from Italy to the Port of Charleston. Waterman needed a logistics partner to manage the cargo’s inland transfer to various Army Posts, requiring specialized and high demand trucking assets. These moves had to be accomplished in a short window to meet USTRANSCOM’s requirements of limiting storage charges and other accessorial costs for Waterman.
The Solution
Trailer Bridge, a current contractor for Department of Defense (DOD) with decades of experience handling specialized transfers, became the prime partner to collaborate with Waterman on this project.
Due to the size of the MATVs, specialized trailers such as flatbeds, RGN, step-decks, and heavy-haulers, were required to transport the cargo safely over the road. Trailer Bridge leveraged its relationships with more than 45,000 carrier partners to source the unique equipment needed in an already tight transportation market, to build a solution for this specialty freight.
“Waterman faced a very difficult inland transportation challenge for a two vessel delivery of 462 MATV’s into Charleston. There was a severe nationwide RGN trailer shortage at the time, and Waterman turned the entire inland delivery project over to Trailer Bridge who handled the operation admirably within the projected time frame.”
Peter M. Johnston, Vice President, Cargo & Government Projects – Waterman Logistics
The Result
The cargo arrived at the Port of Charleston across two Waterman vessels within a few weeks of each other. Members of the government team traveled to the Port of Charleston for face-to-face meetings with port managers to open lines of communication, build familiarity with the port, and to ensure a smooth operation of getting the trucks in and out of the gates. Trailer Bridge ran a steady stream of trucks, averaging 12 per day, with a maximum at one point of 26 trucks entering and leaving the port. Trailer Bridge’s team was instrumental in coordinating the cargo delivery to the Army Posts and Depots, managing the timing, appointments, and driver security requirements.
Behind the scenes of the operation, Trailer Bridge provided daily asset status visibility and reporting to Waterman, supporting their contractual requirement to USTRANSCOM on the progress of the move and the location of high-value assets; a detail that can sometimes be missed by commercial logistics companies. Facing the challenges of a tight freight market, Trailer Bridge worked efficiently and skillfully to ensure the operation was smooth and successful with all cargo delivered to their perspective Army Posts and Depots on-time and without accessorial port storage charges. Waterman was pleased with the result and appreciative of the beyond the scope efforts Trailer Bridge provided.
Trailer Bridge understands government contracts and the language of the DOD, and is well equipped to handle the challenges government moves can bring.
As a logistics provider for more than 30 years, including services for the U.S. Government, Trailer Bridge is equipped with the knowledge and skillset of military and government contract complexities, making us an ideal partner to complement carriers and provide solutions across all service offerings. Our advantage of in-depth expertise and relationships in this specialized market further extends the services that Trailer Bridge can offer, making it a reliable source for turnkey logistics solutions.
