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27
Mar
No shortage of food, but grocers limited by rationing of paper products, bread
Just when Memphis-area grocers thought they’d hit a lull, a buying frenzy exploded again Monday afternoon after shelter-in-place orders from local governments.
“Once the announcement was made, we got crushed,” Richard James, owner of three Memphis-area Cash Saver stores, said on Wednesday, March 25.
Early Monday, “we even had a conversation among store managers and myself, ‘Well, it looks like things are going to calm down a little bit,’ ” said James.
Then, “In a condensed period of time it was probably the busiest day of the last 14 days. We took a deep breath and went, ‘That didn’t last long,’ ” James said.
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25
Mar
Local truckload carrier preps for import surge from China
A locally based truckload carrier is trying to surge ahead in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
Donna Lemm, EVP of national sales for IMC Cos., said all U.S. ports and inland rails remain open, which means the company’s drivers continue to deliver freight.
Lemm acknowledged that before the coronavirus, the industry looked promising and intermodal volumes were strong. The Chinese New Year brought a typical seasonal lull for the transportation industry. But, Lemm said things changed when the virus hit Wuhan, China and import volumes from Chinese manufacturers dropped. Ocean carriers were also forced to cancel sailings out of China.
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25
Mar
The odd face of Memphis 2020: Logistics firms hire, doctors scramble, people wait as coronavirus spreads
IMC Companies, a Memphis-based freight hauler, responded to the situation by changing how staffers work.
Office employees now alternate work between home and IMC headquarters, said Mason George, president of national accounts for IMC. The company runs 600 trucks and dispatches 2,000 drivers, including owner-operators who haul the ocean-going freight containers arriving at U.S. ports.
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17
Mar
Truckers risk exposure to coronavirus to deliver critical medical and food supplies
As medical professionals and public health officials work to slow the spread of the coronavirus, truck drivers are also working around-the-clock to deliver critical medical supplies, food and other essentials to hospitals and grocery stores nationwide.
Deb LaBree and her husband, Del, of Joplin, Missouri, haul vital medical supplies to hospitals. They are independent owner-operators, who own Castle Transport LLC, and are leased to Landstar. They typically run from Colorado to the East Coast.
Deb LaBree considers truckers “unsung heroes” who rally in times of crisis to get the job done, even if it means putting their health at risk.
“We got into trucking 13 years ago, and specifically the pharmaceutical division, to help people in times like this because we know they need their medication,” she told FreightWaves.
Deb LaBree said she’s not on the “panic wagon” yet but understands the importance of remaining healthy to deliver medicine to help those affected by the coronavirus, which is now a global pandemic, according to the World Health Organization.
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16
Mar
IMC Companies and Local IT Training Schools Collaborate to Address Skills Gap
(photo credit Tech901)
IMC Companies, a national leader in intermodal logistics, relies heavily on dedicated computing and technology systems and processes, creating a need for a trained IT workforce in Memphis.
“When I joined IMC Companies as their CIO, I became directly responsible for the IT hiring process,” says Joel Tracy. It wasn’t until I made the move to a mid-sized business that I realized the difficulty in finding committed, well-rounded technical skills and talent. I found myself reevaluating what was important to my team when bringing in new members.”
Historically, IT candidates may have needed a related undergraduate or graduate degree in order to pursue a career in IT, but IMC Companies finds there are equally important criteria.
“In the case of IT, the technical knowledge and skills are just one-third of what makes up a successful individual’s career,” says Tracy. “Being able to understand others, and how teams and organizations work, is another third. The final third, the ability to holistically consider all aspects of work in order to achieve specific goals, also means the ability to consider the larger picture.”
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12
Mar
EVP Donna Lemm Featured in Transportation Podcast
Rainmaking Podcast has launched a new edition featuring IMC Companies Executive Vice President of Sales Donna Lemm. The podcast discusses the role of women in the transportation industry and the importance of technology in the intermodal space.
“We source all of our technology internally. We are very fortunate because we have a lot of depth in our IT department staff. We have great leadership from our CIO (Joel Tracy), but more than that, we have a chairman (Mark H. George) who believes in technology,” said Lemm. “We are always mindful of what’s going on outside of our realm. It’s not just about size and scale, it’s about being able to respond to an e-commerce world demanding speed and demanding that we respond in every area not just execution but in billing, in invoicing, in our response time. It’s a very exciting time to be in this business.”
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12
Mar
Cindy Markham Raises the Bar for Women in Trucking
According to the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry saw a 68% increase in the number of female drivers from 2010 to 2018. At the IMC Companies Family of Brands, we are committed to providing all drivers, especially women drivers, a professional and positive working environment.
“I think women definitely have a place in the trucking industry. We need more entrepreneurs. We need people on the ground who understand the industry and can push women to believe in themselves and realize it is not beyond their grasp.” -Cindy Markham, IMCG Company Driver
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11
Mar
Shippers applaud CMA CGM’s jump to Memphis gray chassis pool
Shippers and truckers are applauding a decision by CMA CGM to join the gray pool in Memphis, with the decision to embrace open choice making it less likely there will be a chassis shortage should volume spike after disruptions from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pass.
“[The decision] increases shipper efficiency, provides more affordable and timely chassis access, improves on-time container arrival at terminals and vessel loading, keeping bookings on CMA and APL vessels intact,” wrote Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agricultural Transportation Coalition, in a letter to CMA CGM. “Your chassis policies in the South Atlantic and Mid-South support the competitiveness of agriculture and forest products exporters.” (more…)
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12
Feb
Dewanna Hopson: Professional Driver
The roaring waves colliding with the solid bottom of the waterfall entices an explorer, as the warming purr of an idle engine awaits its driver. The magnificence of a semi-truck can only be truly appreciated through the eyes of the enthusiastic. Long roads, stretched in silence; day after day, no single view the same. Trucking is a unique lifestyle well-known for its weight in uncertainty and complicated ordinances. But if you’re one of the lucky few to take notice, there is joy in the journey of discovery.
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05
Feb
IMC Companies Deploys New Line of Mack Trucks
IMC Companies recently purchased 125 Mack trucks. Rick Seawright, who has overseen the trucks being outfitted with the latest in electronic logging and tablet communication technology, has been hard at work, ensuring these top-of-the-line vehicles are road-ready. (more…)
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