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Unexpected spikes in food and beverage demand can cause far-reaching supply chain disruptions that affect everything from production lines to grocery store shelves, but challenges can also bring opportunities. Visibility and agility can help you respond to changing market conditions and flex up to meet evolving customer needs.

Adding Transportation Capacity

When transportation demand spikes, there are several ways you can ramp up your trucking capacity depending on the expected duration of the increase. Rental trucks and reefers can provide immediate supplemental equipment for a short-term or seasonal peak. They can also be a useful resource if you want to test a market before making a longer-term commitment.

Leases are another option if you're looking to add to your private fleet. You may even purchase used vehicles. We offer a comparative value analysis, which compares the cost of leasing with that of buying so fleet operators can make the best financial decision for the business.

You may also choose to partner with a third-party logistics provider, such as Penske Transportation Services, to expand your reach and capabilities. In addition to having our own dedicated fleet of trucks and drivers, we have an extensive freight brokerage operation with an expansive network of preferred DOT-authorized for-hire carriers to provide additional nationwide trucking coverage. Even if you're unsure of how much capacity you’re going to need in specific markets, a partnership with us allows you to react when opportunities arise.

Optimizing Your Transportation and Distribution Network

You can also increase capacity by becoming more efficient in your existing lanes. You can improve your efficiency through network optimization and analysis, freight management and backhaul opportunities.

An in-depth view of the full supply chain rather than its individual parts can help uncover inefficiencies. We use network modeling to help you identify which channels should be served by which locations, ideal supplier base locations, and the optimal positioning for brick-and-mortar warehouses.

Securing Critical Warehousing and Distribution Center Space

Recent cold chain disruptions due to COVID-19 have brought renewed focus to inventories and the value of having product readily available, said Michael Zimmerman, a partner with the global strategic management consulting firm A.T. Kearney and lead author of the 31st Annual State of Logistics Report.

The memory of lost sales and insufficient inventory has caused some retailers to increase inventory. That safety stock needs to sit in a warehouse. To help with these surges, we offer strategically located multi-client warehouse facilities and provide flexible space to accommodate seasonal and temporary needs.

How Penske Transportation Solutions Can Help

We have a team of experts ready to help you find the best solutions for your food and beverage needs, including commercial rental trucks and reefers, vehicle leases (including short-term options), logistics services and used trucks.