When you choose Pilot as a transportation partner, we know you trust us to keep your freight on track and deliver your shipments on time. We couldn’t do that without our drivers, who play a critical role in our success. From pickups to deliveries and with every transaction, they each put their best foot forward to represent our company’s commitment to our customers. We’re saluting our drivers during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Join us in thanking them for all they do to transport your goods safely, quickly and reliably.
Pilot Delivers … and That’s No Bull!
Winnie the bull had quite a ride from Winnipeg, Canada, to Collinsville, Texas, and Pilot’s shipping specialist ensured he made it safely! The fiberglass statue of a Charolais bull was purchased by J.R. Martin to adorn the entrance to her ranch, where she raises the real version of the special cattle. Winnie, named after the city of his creation, measures nine feet long, five feet tall, and three feet wide. At 125 pounds, it wasn’t the statue’s weight that posed a shipping challenge, but rather his awkward shape. With the just the manufacturer’s rudimentary crate made from a pallet and posts, Pilot and its partners made sure the unusual cargo made the long trip to his new home without incident. As you can image, when Winnie arrived on the dock at Pilot DFW, he immediately stirred up conversation.
On delivery day, the sun was shining bright at the Rockin M Ranch as the huge bull was unloaded in front of the American, Texas and Christian flags that will fly proudly over him night and day. J.R. waited a long time for this bull, and she and Pilot’s driver laughed as the truck ramp slowly lowered Winnie to the ground. The registered Charolais cattle grazing in the pasture looked on with curiosity. “He’s finally home,” J.R. said, to which the driver responded, “Pilot delivers, and that’s no bull.”
New Home for Pilot Albuquerque
Pilot Albuquerque is now servicing New Mexico customers from a new facility. The 12,000-square-foot station features a larger dock area and spacious offices. In its new location, Pilot ABQ is also more centrally located to both customers and transportation partners. You’ll find the Pilot ABQ team at 5821 Midway Park Blvd NE, located just off the Jefferson corridor. Stop by for a visit or to talk about your next transportation project. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Pilot Air Charter to the Rescue!
At Pilot, we know things don’t always go as planned. That’s why we offer aircraft charter services for emergency shipments. From Learjets to Boeing 747s or Antonov cargo planes, we’ll find the right aircraft to meet your specific shipment needs.
In fact, Pilot recently handled an urgent request for a key, global customer on a tight time frame.
The 145,000-pound charter shipment consisted of seven 20-foot ocean containers and three crates, all filled with tools and parts to fix a downed power plant. The shipment loaded on Friday, August 18, and departed from Rickenbacker International Airport on Saturday, August 19, on the Antonov 124 pictured above. With this charter, Pilot helped get the operation back online, saving the company from further costly downtime.
Pilot Honored with 15th Ryder Carrier Quality Award
John Hill, president and chief commercial officer, along with Phil Annese, senior director, automotive services, and Stephen LeBeau, national account manager, automotive, recently accepted the 2016 Ryder Carrier Quality Award on Pilot’s behalf. This is the 15th time Pilot has received Ryder’s award in the freight forwarder category and the third year in a row that Pilot was recognized for both its domestic and international services. Last year, Pilot handled approximately 5,000 shipments for Ryder through various accounts, mainly connected to the automotive industry. Since 2007, Pilot’s automotive specialists have been adding value to supply chains by offering customized programs and just-in-time solutions that streamline operations and improve cost efficiencies and responsiveness. Pilot is proud to be consistently recognized by Ryder and others for exceeding on-time performance demands and delivering superior customer service and new technology solutions.
The Harder the Destination, the More Pilot Wants Your Business
For some providers, this philosophy may not match their capabilities, mindset or willingness to go above and beyond for the customer. But at Pilot, it’s what motivates us, especially when it comes to government shipments. Since 1998, Pilot has routinely delivered our troops their required cargo, regardless of location. Our vast partner network means we can move supplies from routes like New York to Mongolia or Guam to Korea, just as easily as San Francisco to Seattle. We’re proud to serve the Department of Defense (DOD), including all branches of the Armed Forces, GSA, NASA and other Departments of the U.S. Government. From uniforms to combat zone equipment, it’s what Pilot does best: deliver the gear wherever it’s needed so our troops can get their jobs done. We consider it our duty and privilege to be a worldwide government service provider.
Pilot Seattle Finds Sweet Success Shipping Cherries
Pilot Seattle is celebrating another successful 12-week cherry season, during which the station moved 11 million pounds of the fruit over 6,000 miles from Washington state to the Far East. After 28 years of shipping cherries, Patrick Allen, franchise owner, and his team are well versed on the delicate process of moving the fresh produce. “One mistake and you could lose a ton of fruit,” he says. “That’s why year after year the importers and growers trust Pilot.”
The intricate operation involves numerous variables from space availability to arrival times and document preparation to order specifics. The SEA team works seven days a week from June to August to make sure cherries are readily available in markets around the world. In July alone, Pilot Seattle shipped over 7.3 million pounds, mostly to Asia. During that time, the station even sent four 747-400 jet airline charters of cherries to Shanghai and Hong Kong!
Pilot Freight Services Leads the Pack in the Quest for Quality
Pilot was named the top Airfreight Forwarder in the 2017 Quest for Quality awards from Logistics Management magazine. Among the five ratings criteria, Pilot also scored the highest in the customer service and on-time performance categories. This seal of approval comes from readers of the industry’s top trade publication for supply chain professionals. As the actual users of freight forwarding services, this audience understands and appreciates the value of service and performance. This recognition is widely regarded in the transportation industry as the most important measure of customer satisfaction and performance excellence. Readers also rated providers on value, IT and equipment and operations. Pilot has earned more than 25 Quest for Quality awards in the past three decades. Congratulations to the entire Pilot team for continuing to demonstrate its long-standing commitment to our customers and the industry!
Pilot Salt Lake City Hosts Customer Appreciation Event
Bees, baseball and bonding! Pilot Salt Lake City recently hosted more than 75 people at its customer appreciation event held at a Salt Lake Bees baseball game. The large crowd turned out for a family-friendly evening of baseball and dinner. “This is a great way for us to thank our customers for their loyalty and business,” says Shawn Burrell, district manager. “It’s also a chance for our customers and station team to get to know each other on a personal level and in a fun, casual setting. Plus, we get to connect face-to-face, and we love meeting our customers’ family members.” The first-place Bees play minor league baseball in the Pacific Coast League and look to be in a great spot to play post-season playoff ball. The team is also the Triple A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels. Shawn says that a great time was had by all.
Pilot’s Newest Offering: Airport-to-Airport Ground Service to Mexico
Pilot recently introduced an alternate, cost-effective way for customers to ship freight to Mexico. The
airport-to-airport ground service functions in the same manner as air service, but the cargo moves on the ground at an economical rate. Launched in May, it is currently available through the Dallas gateway (DFG) to the following stations: GDL, MEX and MTY.
With this ground option, the cargo clears at the destination airport (GDL, MEX or MTY) and not at the U.S./Mexico border, which avoids any potential congestion there, resulting in quicker clearance and faster overall transit time. “This service should appeal to shippers with smaller shipments and low volume of traffic,” says Abe Achackzad, executive vice president, operations and transportation. “By providing a predictable transit time, we’re also helping customers better manage their supply chains.”
Since freight transportation to and from Mexico is somewhat complicated, these shippers are guaranteed Pilot’s expertise on requirements and formalities during the process. Pilot looks to target both manufacturers and retailers that conduct trades between the two countries. “Since Mexico is the United States’ third largest trading partner, it’s important for Pilot to offer any and all kinds of solutions to our customers,” says Abe. Plans are for the program to roll out at the Los Angeles gateway (LAG) later this summer.
Schedule: Transit Times from Dallas Gateway (DFG)
Guadalajara (GDL)
Monday– Friday: 1 Day Transit
Mexico City (MEX)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 2 Days Transit
Monterrey (MTY)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 2 Days Transit