If you’ve found yourself waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for delayed product, you’re not alone. Driver shortages have hit every sector of the supply chain — hard. That’s why we’re doing our part to take control.

In September, we’ll open Soobrand Solutions in the Chicago area. This new transload center is our opportunity to handle logistics from field to truck as we serve our customers east of the Mississippi. Now, we’ll be able to offer rail car service into Chicago and single truckloads out of the facility.

“We’re really excited to offer our customers a pickup location that still maintains our high quality and integrity of packages,” says Emily Watson Libsack, JC Watson’s vice president of marketing development. “We’ll have more truck availability, more ability to manage inventory, and will be able to ship faster to our customers in the Midwest and East.”

Although we’ve always shipped rail cars to Chicago, the events of the past year have made it apparent that we needed to manage our own solution. Instead of constantly tackling the inconsistencies of rail shipping during a worldwide pandemic, we’ll have inventory on hand and will be able to manage pickups with fewer complications.

As always, we’ll go above and beyond to maintain pallet and product integrity. Soobrand Solutions will have recessed, fully-covered docks to protect product against the weather. We use Emerson tracking — the gold standard for ensuring the integrity of cold chain assets — so you can monitor your shipment to and from our temperature-monitored facility every step of the way.

We’re also carefully watching the ongoing truck driver shortage and making adjustments accordingly. We’re transitioning our shipping from California to the Pacific Northwest earlier, which makes truck routes easier, and using rail whenever possible to avoid delays.

Our family-owned company has been in business for more than 100 years. Just as in decades past, we’re using a challenging situation to grow and innovate so we can better serve our customers. If you have questions about how our new Chicago facility can benefit you, please contact us — we’re happy to walk you through the possibilities.