In preparation for , which wreaked havoc up and down the Eastern Seaboard of the United States in late August, had many moving parts to contend with.
It mobilized its contingency plans at hundreds of possibly affected locations ahead of the pending storm, which entailed moving trucks and equipment, stocking up on fuel and coordinating closely with its customers.
Local Penske offices proactively contacted consumer rental customers and asked them to either pick up their rental trucks early, or to delay pick-up, until the hurricane had passed over their respective region.
Penske also had additional staff on-hand at its Reading, Pa. global headquarters to handle increased customer issues related to the storm. 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 leaders met to monitor the storm and respond to any special situations that could have developed.
24/7 Response to Impending Storm
The central hub of 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 response efforts was the . The center had several tasks to concern themselves with.
The first? Ensuring that all Penske , , and customers were assisted during times of inclement weather.
鈥淚n some cases, we鈥檙e emergency responders for the emergency responders,鈥� stated Julie Levering, 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 director of maintenance services. She was referring to a customer base of medical supply companies that keep hospitals well stocked, and to fix downed lines.
The second task? Serve as the disaster command center for all leasing and logistics operations in North America.
Penske locations were required to report in to the center any power outages, damages and closures, etc. The information was then compiled as hourly reports during the most sensitive times.
Irene Did Not Seriously Affect Penske Operations
The 24/7 team did not see a noticeable spike in customer calls. There were maybe two dozen temporary closures of Penske facilities and there were no issues at headquarters.
笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 vice president of security, Drew Parenti, served as facilitator for this crisis management plan: 鈥渁s a company, we were concerned with the safety of our associates, properly serving our customers and protecting our facilities and assets from damage. The field did a terrific job and it was very impressive to see.鈥�
Levering鈥檚 thoughts on how Hurricane Irene affected the company: 鈥淚t was relatively uneventful. People took the warning seriously and took the steps to be prepared, which was the smart thing to do. I think many companies and individuals diverted their operations,鈥� around the hurricane鈥檚 path.
Now that Hurricane Irene has come and went, there is still work to be done.
鈥淥ur crisis management team will meet for an after-action briefing,鈥� said Parenti. 鈥淲e鈥檒l look for opportunities to improve and streamline our crisis response plans, make those plans uniform across the enterprise, and automate the most critical processes. In my experience, the best emergency response plans are those that address the relevant issues, yet are relatively brief and easy to follow.鈥�
By Alen Beljin
Penske Logistics has inked a contract with LG Electronics Brazil to offer expanded warehouse and dedicated distribution services. 
Penske will store and distribute LG products from these distribution centers: a 400,000 square foot location in Cajamar, S茫o Paulo; a Jaboato dos Gurarapes, Pernambuco, building with 140,000-square-feet; and a 330,000 square foot building in Salto, S茫o Paulo.
The start of the school year brings with it heavier traffic and professional drivers will want to be even more aware of their surroundings while navigating residential areas, traveling the interstate and making deliveries at the nation鈥檚 big box retailers.
Back-to-school season hits at the same time as big-box retailers are stocking their shelves for school-bound and holiday shoppers alike.
Penske Logistics has been named to this year鈥檚 Top 100 3PL (third-party logistics) Provider鈥檚 List by Inbound Logistics magazine, tying for eighth place.
鈥淲hatever the company size -- from Fortune 500 to SMBs 鈥� world-class logistics performance is crucial,鈥� explained editor Felecia Stratton. 鈥淕iven the scope and scale of the challenge, it is impressive to see providing the kinds of solutions that companies large and small rely on to solve the tactical logistics issues of serving customers better, faster, and more efficiently.鈥�
