Pilot Freight Services

Closing out Q3 and looking ahead to the holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Richard Phillips) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:30:23 PDT

As the holidays approach and we prepare for our busiest time of the year -- thanks to the huge growth of our home delivery business over the past few years -- I'm excited to close out yet another strong quarter at Pilot. As we announced today (check out the press release below), Q3 was the seventh consecutive quarter in which our revenue grew, keeping us on pace to have our biggest year ever.

Special congratulations goes to two groups: government services, which was up a whopping 46 percent over Q3 of 2010, and special services, who almost matched that number, with 44 percent year-over-year growth. Both teams have had great success in landing new accounts, as well as getting additional business from current customers. Great job to everyone involved!

Pilot Freight Services Continues Strong Year with Third Quarter Growth

Growth was led by the company’s special services and government groups

Lima, Pa.—October 27, 2011—Pilot Freight Services, a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, reported revenue of $122.2 million for the third quarter, ending September 30, 2011. This growth marks the seventh consecutive quarter of rising revenue numbers for the company. Pilot shipped more than 153 million pounds of freight in the quarter.

Pilot saw growth across all of its business segments, led by its government (up more than 46 percent year-over-year) and special services groups (up over 44 percent). Both business segments grew as a result of the addition of major new customers, as well as further penetration of existing business. Additionally, home delivery was up almost 10 percent for the quarter. As the company enters the fourth quarter, it is preparing for a major increase in revenue in its home delivery business, thanks to holiday deliveries of electronics and other consumer goods.

“Congratulations to everyone at Pilot who drove yet another successful quarter,” said Richard Phillips, chief executive officer of Pilot. “As we continue to grow, we remain committed to offering our customers a solid partner who is dedicated to solving their most difficult transportation and logistics problems."

ABOUT PILOT FREIGHT SERVICES
Pilot Freight Services, Inc. is a full-service transportation and logistics provider with over 75 locations throughout North America and a recently opened station in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The company’s freight forwarding services encompasses every mode of transportation, including air, ground and ocean, serving all corners of the globe. Pilot’s logistics programs offer a complete line of expedited and time-definite services, international shipping solutions, product warehousing and inventory management. In addition, Pilot’s online shipment navigator, CoPilot, makes online shipping fast, convenient and secure. Learn more about Pilot Freight Services at www.PilotDelivers.com.

PRESS RESOURCES
Press contact(s): Jessica@GregoryFCA.com
Web site: http://pilotdelivers.com/
Blog: http://blog.pilotdelivers.com
Press room: http://pilotdelivers.com/pages/pilotnews.aspx

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Pilot Seattle sets revenue record

noreply@blogger.com (Richard Phillips) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 07:36:03 PDT

As the third quarter comes to a close and we gear up to handle record volumes of home delivery business this holiday season, I want to congratulate the folks in our Seattle station, who had a phenomenal month in August. The station brought in $6.27 million in revenue for the month, beating out the previous company-wide monthly record by about $500,000.

I spoke with Seattle station owner Patrick Allen, who credited the station's success to strong numbers from established customers, as well as landing several new clients. I personally visited there last month, and every employee in the office is totally focused on customer experience, and on spreading the word that there is something special at Pilot. The atmosphere is electric. Patrick has long talked about how proud he is of his whole team, and that pride shows in the way they handled the unprecedented volume.

Congratulations to the Seattle team, and we look forward to seeing who will set the next record!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pilot Freight Services Seattle Station Sets Revenue Record

Seattle, Wa.—September 28, 2011—Pilot Freight Services, a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, announced today that its Seattle station has set a company record for highest single monthly revenue. The station generated $6.27 million in revenue for the month of August, beating out the company’s previous record by half a million dollars.

Station owner Patrick Allen attributes the outstanding month to a mix of existing business including locally harvested perishables like cherries and peaches, and new accounts that have been recently secured.

“We saw unprecedented volume through our station in August,” said Allen. “I’m extremely proud of the way the entire Seattle team came together to maintain the level of quality service our customers have come to expect from us. It was a total team effort across the board.”

ABOUT PILOT FREIGHT SERVICES

Pilot Freight Services, Inc. is a full-service transportation and logistics provider with over 75 locations throughout North America and a recently opened station in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The company’s freight forwarding services encompasses every mode of transportation, including air, ground and ocean, serving all corners of the globe. Pilot’s logistics programs offer a complete line of expedited and time-definite services, international shipping solutions, product warehousing, and inventory management. In addition, Pilot’s online shipment navigator, CoPilot, makes online shipping fast, convenient and secure. Learn more about Pilot Freight Services at www.PilotDelivers.com.

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contact(s): Jessica@GregoryFCA.com
Web site: http://pilotdelivers.com/
Blog: http://blog.pilotdelivers.com
Press room: http://pilotdelivers.com/pages/pilotnews.aspx

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Maneuvering freight through challenging international areas

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Wenrich) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:08:46 PDT

Every month, Inbound Logistics magazine runs a “10 Tips” column, offering advice on a specific topic related to shipping and logistics. For the July issue, they asked us to put together some industry tips on “Maneuvering Freight Through Challenging International Areas.” I put together some of my thoughts on the subject, which were published this week.

I gave suggestions on locating an airport with customs facilities, finding local agents, navigating security and border issues, and various other tactics. These tips should be helpful to anyone looking to move freight into areas like Japan, with its continuing earthquake/tsunami recovery, or countries like Iraq or Afghanistan, where war has made transportation much more difficult.

To read my full list of tips, check out the piece on Inbound Logistics’ website. And if you have any questions on the topic, feel free to leave a comment and I'll be happy to get back to you.

Pilot Detroit doubles its footprint

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Placido) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:00:21 PDT

Back in June I told you about the Pilot Houston station moving to a new space, and now the Detroit station has followed suit. As of a few weeks ago, all Pilot operations in Detroit are being housed at a new facility, more than double the size of their previous space. The move was necessitated by significant sustained growth across the station's domestic, international and home delivery business.

With this location change, the automotive group -- which was previously displaced due to a lack of room -- has moved back in with the rest of the Pilot group in Detroit.

I spoke with Zach Pollock, the station manager, who was very excited about the 12 dock doors in the new facility. The station recently launched a cartage trucking operation, which has been extremely successful thus far, but was limited by the old facility's limited number of docks. With this increased capacity, the team will be able to load and unload multiple trucks at once, increasing the flow of freight they can handle.

Congratulations to the team on the move!

Pilot Freight Services

114400 Metro Airport Center Dr., Suite 200

Romulus, MI 48174

Phone: 732-941-4030

FAX: 734-941-6667

Continue reading below for the press release we put out this morning on the news.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pilot Freight Services Detroit Station Moves to New, Larger Location

LIMA, Pa.—August 2, 2011—Pilot Freight Services, a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, announced today that its Detroit station has moved to a new location, located less than half a mile from the Detroit Metro Airport, significantly expanding its footprint.

The new site offers more than 21,600 square feet of office and warehouse space—more than double in size from the station’s previous location—and features twelve dock doors that will accommodate the station’s recently launched cartage trucking operation. Additionally, the larger facility has created space for Pilot’s automotive logistics group, previously housed at a separate location. With this move, all Pilot Detroit operations are located in one building.

“We’ve seen continuous growth across our home delivery, international and domestic business over the last several years, and we just ran out of space to work with,” said Zach Pollock, manager of the Detroit station. “This new location has been renovated to fit our exact needs, and offers us much more room to accommodate new and existing customers, particularly in the warehousing space and increased number of docks.”

The station, which is currently operational, is located at 114400 Metro Airport Center Drive, Suite 200, Romulus, MI 48174.

ABOUT PILOT FREIGHT SERVICES

Pilot Freight Services, Inc. is a full-service transportation and logistics provider with over 75 locations throughout North America. Pilot is also a founding member of the World Freight Alliance (WFA), operating in more than 190 countries worldwide. The company’s freight forwarding services encompasses every mode of transportation, including air, ground, and ocean, serving all corners of the globe. Pilot’s logistics programs offer a complete line of expedited and time-definite services, international shipping solutions, product warehousing, and inventory management. In addition, Pilot’s online shipment navigator, CoPilot, makes online shipping fast, convenient, and secure. Learn more about Pilot Freight Services at www.PilotDelivers.com.

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contact(s): Jessica@GregoryFCA.com
Web site: http://pilotdelivers.com/
Blog: http://blog.pilotdelivers.com
Press room: http://pilotdelivers.com/pages/pilotnews.aspx

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Pilot opens first European station

noreply@blogger.com (Richard Phillips) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:02:04 PDT

Back in January, I mentioned that there was big news coming for Pilot this year, including new locations both here in the states and abroad. After months of hard work by Gordon Branov, Gilles Auzanneau, Alexandra Ryan and many others, I am excited to announce that Pilot has opened its first European station, in Amsterdam.

Opening a full Pilot station in Amsterdam (AMS) will transform our company. Today, our customers' businesses often rely on international shipping or logistics. In order to offer the best possible customer service and transit times in Europe, as well as our sophisticated logistics solutions, we simply had to have our own people in place. And Amsterdam was the clear choice for where the first European station should go.

Amsterdam's Schipol airport and the Port of Rotterdam are two of the largest cargo portals in the world. Because of this, Amsterdam is home to enormous logistics programs, and is the perfect gateway to Western Europe. Its central location will allow us to offer overnight service to several major destinations, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland.

Additionally, AMS will give companies exporting freight from Europe easier access to our network in North America, Asia and many other countries around the world. While we expect much of the initial traffic through the Amsterdam station to be coming from the U.S. to European destinations, we anticipate that over time we'll see many more European companies taking advantage of our well-established domestic network.

The Amsterdam station will be managed by two Pilot veterans, Gilles Auzanneau and Alexandra Ryan. These long-time Pilot employees and international shipping experts are both previous winners of Pilot's Globetrotter award, and will bring the mix of operational and sales expertise that our customers expect from Pilot. The station will be overseen by our executive vice president of business development, Gordon Branov.

This is an important shift for Pilot. It marks our commitment to our international product, and stakes our claim as a global force in transportation and logistics. We expect AMS to lead to additional stations in other international locations. Stay tuned for more announcements later this year!

Pilot Freight Services Opens First Location in Europe

New facility in Amsterdam will continue Pilot’s international growth

LIMA, Pa.—July 14, 2011—Pilot Freight Services, a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, announced today that it has opened a station in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This new location marks the first company-owned station for Pilot in Europe, and will service new and existing customers sending shipments through the region. This opening comes on the heels of Pilot’s record-setting revenue in 2010, with its international shipping sector marking a dramatic 60 percent year-over-year growth compared to 2009.

“After years of working with customers and partners throughout Europe, we are thrilled to be opening the first official Pilot station abroad,” said Richard Phillips, CEO of Pilot Freight Services. “This is a big milestone for our company, as we continue to grow and expand our footprint both domestically and internationally.”

The Amsterdam station offers a full suite of transportation and logistics services, including air, ocean, ground and logistics capabilities. The station will be managed by Pilot veterans Gilles Auzanneau and Alexandra Ryan, who will be responsible for all sales and operations.

“Amsterdam was a logical choice for our first European station,” said Gordon Branov, executive vice president of Pilot Freight Services. “Strategically, it’s a great location to access major European and Asian markets. The Schiphol airport and the Port of Rotterdam, are among the largest cargo airports and ocean ports in the world, respectively.”

ABOUT PILOT FREIGHT SERVICES

Pilot Freight Services, Inc. is a full-service transportation and logistics provider with over 75 locations throughout North America. Pilot is also a founding member of the World Freight Alliance (WFA), operating in more than 190 countries worldwide. The company’s freight forwarding services encompasses every mode of transportation, including air, ground, and ocean, serving all corners of the globe. Pilot’s logistics programs offer a complete line of expedited and time-definite services, international shipping solutions, product warehousing, and inventory management. In addition, Pilot’s online shipment navigator, CoPilot, makes online shipping fast, convenient, and secure. Learn more about Pilot Freight Services at www.PilotDelivers.com.

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contact(s): Jessica@GregoryFCA.com
Web site: http://pilotdelivers.com/
Blog: http://blog.pilotdelivers.com
Press room: http://pilotdelivers.com/pages/pilotnews.aspx

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Pilot Houston moves up in the world

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Placido) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 05:00:22 PDT

As Pilot has grown and expanded as a company, stations across the country have found it necessary to move to larger facilities to keep up with that growth. The latest station to make their move is Houston, which has moved into a new location, adjacent to the Houston Intercontinental Airport. The new facility features over 18,500 square feet of warehouse space (compared to 9,950 sq. ft. at the old location) and more than 3,000 sq. ft. of office space (up from 1,750).

I spoke with Brian Nelson, District Manager for the Houston station, who explained that recent growth—in terms of both business and personnel—precipitated this move. Over the past 12 to 15 months, the station has taken on at least five new warehousing customers, whose freight is shipped to the warehouse, where it is inventoried and stored, and eventually shipped out domestically.

In addition to obvious advantages of having more space to work with, Brian expressed to me that he is happy to be in a brand new space that is better equipped to host meetings with customers, and to showcase Pilot's offerings.

Congratulations to the team in Houston on the big move!

Pilot Freight Services

18951 Kenswick Drive, Suite 160

Humble, TX 77338

Phone: (281) 590-1197

Fax: (281) 590-1582

How valuable is your 3PL?

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Bullard) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:57:03 PDT

After putting together her last article on how 3PLs can minimize risks and handle challenges, Gail Dutton from WT100 Magazine turned her attention to how 3PL providers can provide the most value to customers.

When I spoke with her on the topic, we discussed the importance of various factors in the 3PL relationship, including having a strong process in place and having good local knowledge, particularly in the case of international imports and exports.

As I told Gail, the key to success in the logistics process is to “partner with the right vendor and document expectations as well as how the process will actually work. Having a clear statement of work, and understanding what the customer wants, makes it easier to design an efficient system for them.”

To read the full article, head over to the WT100 website.

Starting out 2011 on a high note

noreply@blogger.com (Richard Phillips) — Tue, 10 May 2011 06:44:29 PDT

Considering the fact that Pilot achieved such amazing milestones in 2010, it may seem hard to believe that the first quarter of 2011 brought in 34 percent higher revenue than Q1 of last year. Well, believe it!

At our National Sales Meeting in March, I told the Pilot team that we expect to hit $500 million in revenue for the year. And with a nearly $115 million Q1, we're well on the way to hitting that mark.

I have to give a special shout out to our automotive group, which had an impressive first quarter compared to last year, marking 13 percent growth and setting a new bar for themselves. The business unit is an area that we see great potential in, and I'm thrilled to see them doing so well.

For more information, read our full press release below.

Pilot Freight Services Reports Strong Revenue Growth in First Quarter

Revenue for the quarter jumped 34 percent over Q1 of 2010

Lima, Pa.—May 9, 2011—Pilot Freight Services, a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, today announced its fifth consecutive quarter of strong revenue growth. The company reported revenue of $114.7 million for the quarter ending March 30, 2011, a 34 percent increase over the same period in 2010. The company shipped more than 146.4 million pounds of freight, a 16 percent year-over-year increase. This continued momentum for Pilot extends its record-setting performance of 2010 and indicates that another record year is at hand in 2011.

Pilot’s automotive group saw its highest revenue numbers since being formed in 2007, up 13 percent from 2010. Additionally, the company saw strong growth from its national accounts, international and government business units.

“This was the best first quarter in Pilot’s 40-year history, and puts us on pace to set new revenue records in 2011. The strong demand we are seeing from customers, and our continued double-digit revenue growth is a testimony to our value-added business model,” said Richard Phillips, chief executive officer of Pilot. “Our team continues to do an incredible job servicing our customers and developing new business to sustain this aggressive growth.”

ABOUT PILOT FREIGHT SERVICES

Pilot Freight Services, Inc. is a full-service transportation and logistics provider with over 75 locations throughout North America. Pilot is also a founding member of the World Freight Alliance (WFA), operating in more than 190 countries worldwide. The company’s freight forwarding services encompasses every mode of transportation, including air, ground, and ocean, serving all corners of the globe. Pilot’s logistics programs offer a complete line of expedited and time-definite services, international shipping solutions, product warehousing, and inventory management. In addition, Pilot’s online shipment navigator, CoPilot, makes online shipping fast, convenient, and secure. Learn more about Pilot Freight Services at www.PilotDelivers.com.

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contact(s): Jessica@GregoryFCA.com
Web site: http://pilotdelivers.com/
Blog: http://blog.pilotdelivers.com
Press room: http://pilotdelivers.com/pages/pilotnews.aspx

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Risks and challenges in the 3PL world

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Bullard) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:17:03 PDT

Earlier this year, I spoke with one of the writers from WT100, Gail Dutton (who interviewed John Kelemen last year), and her latest story has come out—focusing on how 3PLs can minimize risks. In the article, Getting Past the Fear Factor, Gail addresses various issues of concern for shippers, ranging from delays and damaged cargo to civil unrest and regulatory changes. More importantly, she covers how 3PLs and transportation providers are helping their customers navigate these issues.

I talked to Gail a lot about how Pilot is helping our clients move into new markets—specifically in Latin America and Europe. We're seeing more and more customers showing interest in Latin America, thanks to the closeness to U.S. markets, and the availability of inexpensive labor. I explained that one of the best tactics in working internationally can be choosing great local partners. These partners are carefully vetted by us, but often have far more expertise on their region than we do, allowing our customers to benefit from that knowledge.

We also spoke about the growing trend of "merge and deliver" services, and how these can really help ensure customer satisfaction. Historically, manufacturing or service companies would ship parts directly to the customer before an install. That led to delays and confusion, as components were invariably misplaced. However, merge and deliver services eliminate that issue by having the different deliveries ship to Pilot sites. Before an installation team is scheduled, Pilot confirms that all the components have arrived at its warehouse, and coordinates their delivery with the installation team and the store.

To read the full story, head over to WT100’s website.

Pilot supports the Cadence Cycling Foundation and the power of dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Richard Phillips) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:57:21 PST

People ask me all the time why I do triathlons. I usually just fumble around and say something like, “I enjoy it.” But the truth is, I do triathlons to claim ownership over my future. Let me explain.

Eight years ago I had never ridden a bike farther than about a mile. I had never swum more than two laps in a pool. I was an okay runner, but not great. And then I got this idea in my head that I was going to become a triathlete. It turned out that that idea was more powerful than my reality at the time (my reality at the time was that I had little fitness, no experience, and no idea where to start).

I started swimming, gasping and struggling through two laps, then four, then six. I started biking farther and farther, often ending up completely exhausted, miles from home, with no way to get back except by somehow getting back on my bike and pedaling through the pain. I ran farther than I ever dreamed possible.

In the end, I became a triathlete, and in the process, a new person. I proved to myself that a person with an idea (better in my case to call it a dream) can fundamentally change his or her reality, if they have the determination to do so.

That ability to change our own futures is also why Pilot is so excited to sponsor the Cadence Cycling Foundation. The CCF offers cycling instruction, training, and racing opportunities to young people from under-served communities in the Philadelphia area. To date it has formed eight teams that compete and win against better-funded teams with more experience.

That is wonderful, but the reason we support the CCF is not to create cyclists, but to help these young people realize the power of their dreams and, the determination to make them reality. That is why the CCF does not stop with cycling. It provides SAT coaching and other services to help these young people become the person they dream they can be. If you have a minute, please read the college essay from one of our athletes, Leroy Hayes. Leroy is everything you imagine from the essay. He is remarkably bright, dedicated, and I can say from personal experience, one of the most delightful people you could know. What he does not say in his essay (perhaps because, like me, he knows that it is probably the least important aspect of his journey) is that he has become one of the top junior cyclists in the state. It’s a remarkable story.

After you read Leroy's essay, check out this recent Philadelphia Inquirer article about the organization and some of its members. Pilot is proud to sponsor Leroy and others, as they realize the power of their dreams.

“Spin Cycle” by Leroy Hayes

“Determination is the key to doing great things” – Ryan Oelkers

As a 283 pound 10th grader standing at 5’7” I slowly walked down the hall with my chin hanging to the floor. On my way out of school on a warm autumn afternoon, a blonde hair man with a smile that stretched from ear to ear snatched me by the arm and said “Would you like to join the cycling team?” The thought of actually joining a physical activity made me pause, because I found it tiring to walk up the steps to the fourth floor for my classes. Then he said “Come see what it is about.” While still in his vice-like grip he pulls me into a room filled with athletic looking students. I felt so out of place; I felt as if everyone was staring at me. I could see it their eyes “What is he doing here?” During that information session he explained the sport of cycling with so much enthusiasm that he convinced me to at least attempt the sport.

After practicing with the team for a few weeks, I felt like my body was being pushed to its breaking point. Almost every night half way through practice I felt like just calling it quits. The pain wasn’t worth it. Moreover, I felt my body screaming inside, that someone had set my legs aflame. At every practice my coach told me “determination is the key to doing great things.” It was his words that made the brutal workouts bearable. Now I am 100 pounds lighter and one of the best junior cyclist in the state.

During my eleventh grade year I struggled with the work load. That year, I had a hard time maintaining a grade high enough to stay on cycling team. The SATs arrived and I was not too confident about my test taking abilities. My cycling coach provided me with SAT prep classes to boost my self-confidence. The class was two and half hours of practice test after practice test every Wednesday for 5 weeks. As a result, I was able to get the highest SAT score out of my entire 11th grade class.

For my dedication and strides academically, I was named captain of the cycling team in my senior year. I was transformed from a 10th grade student who talked in a low voice and walked with his head held down to a person who walks with his nose in the clouds and makes it his objective to be heard. This year I was told by a junior cyclist “I want to be like you.” At that point, I knew that I was becoming the type of person I always wanted to be; someone others would look to as a role model.

It’s official: 2010 breaks all records

noreply@blogger.com (Richard Phillips) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:57:17 PST

After continuing to break monthly and quarterly records all year long, we have been anticipating for months that 2010 would be the largest year in Pilot’s history. I’m happy to officially announce that we crushed our previous records, with $423.5 million in revenue for 2010. This marks an incredible 31 percent increase over 2009’s numbers.

The thanks for our success, as always, goes to the incredible Pilot team, who works tirelessly to serve our customers above and beyond their expectations.

This is a huge milestone for our company. We have emerged from the recession stronger than before, with local accounts, international shipping, national accounts, home delivery, automotive and logistics all growing very well. And we have exciting things on the horizon for 2011, including the continued expansion of our services, and the opening of new stations domestically and in Europe. Stay tuned to the blog for more details on these exciting developments.

For more details on our 2010 numbers, you can read the full press release below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pilot Freight Services Closes Out Largest Year in Company History

Revenue for the year jumped 31 percent over 2009

Lima, Pa.—January 24, 2011—Pilot Freight Services, a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, announced today it recorded record annual revenue and shipment volume for 2010. Revenue for the year was $423.5 million, a 31 percent increase over 2009, and the company shipped more than 583.4 million pounds of freight in 2010, a 29 percent year-over-year increase.

Despite the struggling economy, Pilot achieved the highest annual revenue and shipment volume since its formation in 1970. The company has seen steady growth since late 2009, continually surpassing its own records. December was also the single largest month in company history, with $45.7 million in revenue.
Pilot achieved substantial growth across all business segments for the year, with its international shipping sector leading the way with 60 percent year-over-year growth. Other sectors showing large increases included logistics (26 percent), domestic shipping (18 percent) and national accounts (25 percent).

“We set some high goals for ourselves in 2010, not only in terms of our customer service, product offerings and on-time performance, but also for our revenue growth. I am proud to say that we have exceeded all of them,” said Richard Phillips, CEO of Pilot. “It’s been very rewarding to see that the hard work by the entire Pilot team has paid off. We’re looking forward to another record year in 2011, and we have some exciting events on the horizon, including the opening of our first office in Europe and the continued expansion of our product offerings.”

ABOUT PILOT FREIGHT SERVICES

Pilot Freight Services, Inc. is a full-service transportation and logistics provider with over 75 locations throughout North America. Pilot is also a founding member of the World Freight Alliance (WFA), operating in more than 190 countries worldwide. The company’s freight forwarding services encompasses every mode of transportation, including air, ground, and ocean, serving all corners of the globe. Pilot’s logistics programs offer a complete line of expedited and time-definite services, international shipping solutions, product warehousing, and inventory management. In addition, Pilot’s online shipment navigator, CoPilot, makes online shipping fast, convenient, and secure. Learn more about Pilot Freight Services at www.PilotDelivers.com.

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contact(s): Jessica@GregoryFCA.com
Web site: http://pilotdelivers.com/
Blog: http://blog.pilotdelivers.com

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Looking back, and planning ahead

noreply@blogger.com (Richard Phillips) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:22:48 PST

As we reflect on 2010, and look ahead to 2011, it is useful to think about all of the things that made last year such a success, and all of the things we will do in 2011 to improve our business. I recently had the opportunity to share some of these thoughts in a column for SupplyChainBrain. I talked a little bit about how 2010 will be remembered – as a year in which well-positioned transportation companies gained real momentum by offering greater value to their customers. I also offered some insight into what I believe are the keys to success for transportation companies this year.

My insights may not have been earth-shattering. In fact, they are all things that anyone could see if they were to go out and talk to customers, and then look around at their competition. From knowing that a customer never forgets the service we provide (for better or worse), to earning trust by putting the customer’s interest ahead of short term profits, to fostering customer communication at a deeper level than just shipment data, to working to customize our transportation solutions, it all comes down to a focus on real value that is felt by our customers.

Head over to SupplyChainBrain’s site to read the full column, “Expect Measured Growth in Transportation and Logistics in 2011 – and Customers to Demand More Value.”

When you’re done, I’d love to hear your thoughts – do you agree with my assessment of 2010? Any other thoughts on how transportation companies can best position themselves to succeed? Feel free to leave a comment and chime in.

Talking "white glove" services with WT100

noreply@blogger.com (John Kelemen) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:05:59 PST

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to talk about Pilot's white glove delivery services with a writer from WT100 magazine (formerly World Trade). The article came out in the October issue and talks about why white glove services are thriving, even in the down economy. As the article points out, e-commerce is one of the major drivers behind white glove services, as more and more consumers are purchasing large appliances, flat screen televisions and other large items online.

For Pilot, Special Services (which includes white glove services) has been a major growth area, with revenue rising more than 29 percent in the third quarter. We credit that growth to a couple of factors. First of all, we have an extremely advanced online scheduling tool called COMPASS, which allows customers to go online and choose not only the day, but even the time of their delivery. No more waiting around from 8am to 5pm for a delivery person to show up.

We've also seen from experience that the faster a delivery is made to a consumer, the lower the chance of that product being returned. Which, of course, is a big selling point for our customers. In the end, the key for us is listening to our customers and customizing our Special Services options to best fit them and their customers.

While this article focuses largely on home deliveries to consumers, it's important to note that white glove services go far beyond that narrow focus. In the commercial sector, white glove includes delivering medical equipment to hospitals and clinics, and really large screen televisions to board rooms and stadiums.

Check out the full article, Work Glove or White Glove?, for more of my thoughts, as well as insight from others in the industry.

Another record-breaking quarter comes to a close

noreply@blogger.com (Richard Phillips) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 05:56:17 PDT

When I spoke with Joe DiStefano from the Philadelphia Inquirer for a story about Pilot over the summer, the topic of the recession was a major theme. I explained to Joe that while our competitors were cutting jobs, facilities and services to stay afloat in 2009, Pilot saw the recession as an opportunity to grow stronger. We remained committed to maintaining our personnel and services during that difficult time. In fact, we continued to develop new service offerings, like our automotive and logistics services. We took the opportunity to add talent. And we stayed committed to taking market share. We continue to see the results of that commitment.

My interview with Joe came on the heels of an extremely strong Q2, including the largest volume month in Pilot’s history. Then Q3 started, and we blew away all of our old records. We announced today that the third quarter of 2010 was the largest quarter in company history, with $114.5 million in revenue. This number represents an incredible 36 percent growth over the same period in 2009.

In addition to our largest ever quarterly revenue, we had two record-breaking months in the third quarter. In August, we blew away all of the old records by posting $39.9 million. August represented 40 percent growth over the prior year. It was also an astonishing 13 percent higher than the previous record for any month in Pilot history. We had set a new bar. Then in September, we turned around and blew that record away, posting $41.2 million in revenue.

There’s no question that our ongoing success as a company can be credited largely to our continued focus on customer service. However, the explosive growth that we’re seeing now is really due to how we dealt with the economic slowdown last year. As a result of that strategy, as well as the continued hard work put in by our employees, 2010 will be the largest year Pilot has ever had. And more importantly, we’re positioned for continued growth and expansion of our services over the coming year. It’s an exciting time, and while the economy is certainly not out of the woods yet, I feel confident that I’ll be continuing to announce new broken records in the months to come.

To see the full press release, read more here.

Pilot Freight Services Marks Largest Quarterly and Single Month Revenue in Company History

Results are the second consecutive quarter in which the company exceeded its previous revenue record

Lima, Pa.—October 22, 2010—Pilot Freight Services, a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, announced record revenue for the third quarter of 2010. The company reported revenue of $114.5 million, up 36 percent from the same period in 2009. These results are more than 20 percent over the previous record of $94.9 million, set in the second quarter of 2010.

The quarter was closed out by the two largest months in company history, with $39.9 million in revenue for August, and $41.2 million for September. Pilot saw substantial growth across all segments of its business, led by its international shipping sector, which grew an impressive 71 percent year-over year for the quarter. Other sectors showing large increases included home delivery (38 percent), special services (29 percent) and national accounts (21 percent).

“We’re seeing great momentum, thanks to maintaining our personnel and continuing to develop new service offerings throughout the recession, while our competitors were making cuts,” said Richard Phillips, CEO of Pilot. “This was the second quarter in a row where we beat our own record revenues. We expect to see great numbers again in Q4, and anticipate that we’ll hit an all-time revenue high for the year.”

ABOUT PILOT FREIGHT SERVICES

Pilot Freight Services, Inc. is a full-service transportation and logistics provider with over 75 locations throughout North America. Pilot is also a founding member of the World Freight Alliance (WFA), operating in more than 190 countries worldwide. The company’s freight forwarding services encompasses every mode of transportation, including air, ground, and ocean, serving all corners of the globe. Pilot’s logistics programs offer a complete line of expedited and time-definite services, international shipping solutions, product warehousing, and inventory management. In addition, Pilot’s online shipment navigator, CoPilot, makes online shipping fast, convenient, and secure. Learn more about Pilot Freight Services at www.PilotDelivers.com.

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contact(s): Jessica@GregoryFCA.com
Web site: http://pilotdelivers.com/
Blog: http://blog.pilotdelivers.com
Press room: http://pilotdelivers.com/pages/pilotnews.aspx

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High praise for Pilot

noreply@blogger.com (Richard Phillips) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:13:00 PDT

More than anything else, Pilot’s success depends on our ability to provide our customers excellent value, and unmatched customer service. When you think about it, those two things are not only the core of our business, they determine the future of our company.

That is why I could not be happier to tell you that Pilot has been awarded a Quest for Quality Award from Logistics Management for the 21st time! For the first time this year, we were recognized not only in the Freight Forwarders category, but also as a Third Party Logistics provider. More importantly, among the freight forwarders we ranked number one in the nation in both the Value and Customer Service categories. This is great news for Pilot and a wonderful testament to our employees, who make the customer experience a great one.

In other good news, for the first time since adding third-party logistics services to our list of offerings, we were included in Inbound Logistics' Top 100 3PL Providers list. For a company that is relatively new to this sector of the industry, being recognized as a top provider nationally is remarkable. Our team has worked extremely hard over the past few years to build our 3PL services, and their success so far is only a hint of what is to come. Great work, everyone!

Thanks to the editors and readers for recognizing our hard work! And thanks to all of the Pilot employees who work hard for our customers every day.

New Pilot station opening in Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Attanasio) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 09:10:12 PDT

This morning, we announced that Pilot has opened a new station in Harlingen, Texas, along the Texas/Mexico border. I was able to sit down with Scott Lychwick, the owner of this new station, as well as the stations in El Paso and Laredo. Scott shared his thoughts on the new station opening, the industries that they'll be serving, some of the challenges of working with freight into and out of Mexico, and what he sees for the future.

Listen in to hear the full conversation!

The Pilot logo gets a makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:00:01 PDT

Some people have been asking why we changed the Pilot logo. I want to be clear that we didn’t change it just because it turned 40 – there is nothing wrong with being 40! But it is true that most of the known corporate logos that were created around the same time ours was were updated a long time ago.

For instance, let’s take Starbucks. They opened a few months after Pilot, and their logo featured a bare breasted mermaid. Their reasoning was that she was supposed to be just as seductive as the coffee. She was updated in the eighties with a new hairdo that made her a bit more modest. A few years later, when Apple Computers opened, they had a logo that featured Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This was almost immediately changed to the graphic apple with a bite taken out it that we all know so well. But back then, if you remember, it was a rainbow colored apple – very reminiscent of the popular at the time rainbow socks that had separate colored toes. I don’t know why they got rid of the rainbow, but my guess is they figured some of the IBM clients they were pursuing might hesitate at buying their computers from some Northern California hippies.

Logos are constantly changing. Earlier this month, the YMCA formally announced that it is now just the Y, with a very colorful, graphic “Y” logo. It’s not that they are abandoning any of their original principles; they just want to be recognized as a modern organization geared to serving the entire community. After all, everyone called it the Y already, except of course for the Village People. And, a couple of months ago, MTV dropped the “music television” from its logo after 30 years. They had a problem…they don’t really show music anymore. The once 24 hour music video channel is now almost exclusively reality TV, from The Hills to the Jersey Shore, so it was time for an update. Come to think of it, music is probably about the same percentage of their business as air freight is a part of ours.

So to best have the logo represent who we are today, we lost the plane, because today we are so much more than air freight. We kept the forward tilt because we are definitely moving forward. And we moved from the conservative, calming green to the bold, creative orange. The orange is invigorating, and it says I am not afraid to be noticed.

Oh, and one more thing…it’s Richie’s favorite color.

The Philadelphia Inquirer highlights Pilot's Q2 growth

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Attanasio) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:04:04 PDT

As you know, last week we announced some impressive revenue growth for the second quarter. The news caught the eye of Philadelphia Inquirer business columnist Joe DiStefano, who spoke with Richard Phillips and John Hill for his article, "Despite economy: Pilot Freight is growing."

Richard talked to DiStefano about how Pilot was able to not only survive, but thrive, by hiring throughout the recession and taking the opportunity to add talent and market share. He also noted Pilot's size, which is "big enough to handle heavy equipment but small enough to fill special orders ... and still make money."

DiStefano reports that Pilot's revenue growth was double the increase reported by FedEx's U.S. freight business for the same time period. And in a subsequent post on the PhillyDeals blog, he notes that while Pilot saw a 25 percent increase in the number of shipments in Q2 over the same quarter in 2009, UPS and FedEx only saw 2 percent and 1 percent rises, respectively.

To read more, flip over the full story on The Inquirer's website.

Hello, blogosphere.

noreply@blogger.com (Richard Phillips) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:56:10 PDT

Welcome to the new Pilot Freight Services blog! The launch of this blog, in conjunction with the totally re-designed Pilot website, marks a new step in the continued innovation and evolution of our company. As you’ll read about in an upcoming post from my sister Stephanie Phillips, Vice Chair and Chief Marketing Officer, we’ve been working very hard behind the scenes on a complete re-branding initiative.

My family has owned and operated Pilot Freight Services since the mid-90s, and we have grown to become the largest privately held U.S. freight forwarder operating today. Traditional business theory likes to portray private family-owned companies as slow to change and innovate, insulating themselves from the new forces shaping the marketplace and the rapidly changing needs of their customers.

I’ve always taken issue with that kind of stereotyping. In many ways a family business can be a better reflection of the values and aspirations of the people who work there. There’s no reason a family business, run by people who care passionately about what they do, should be less connected than public companies. And Pilot’s record of success speaks for itself.

When we talk about family here at Pilot we’re really talking about the hundreds of employees who keep our company running every day. You’ll meet many of them as part of this blog in the months ahead. We’ll also examine the new trends remaking the shipping and logistics industry, and talk about the challenges we all face as we navigate an economy that for now seems stubbornly stuck in neutral.

As a pilot myself, I’ve always thought many of the challenges we face at Pilot are comparable to skills needed to fly safely. Besides constant training, a pilot has to extensively plan every detail, and is always trying to manage multiple sources of new information to guide his or her decision-making. A pilot must also always be aware of his or her surroundings, and be ready to adjust course to find the smoothest flight. As our customers’ needs become more complex and the deadlines become ever shorter, the employee training, infrastructure and cutting edge technology at Pilot allows us to successfully meet those challenges. And we are constantly looking for smooth air, and new areas for growth. We will be sharing both these challenges and the solutions as they come up, in hopes that others can benefit from this knowledge.

All blogs have space for comment and we hope our readers will leave a lot of them. From my perspective, blogs have gained their popularity because they are a forum for dialogue. Our goal is to make the Pilot Freight Services “Piloting Business” blog the go-to place for discussion of trends, ideas and issues for the freight industry.

So enjoy the blog…and definitely let me know what you think.

New branding rolled out on Pilot trucks

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Attanasio) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:27:04 PDT

With our new website up, and new branding established, we're starting to replace all signs of the old Pilot look. Check out this truck at our Newark station, which is one of the first to have the new Pilot logo.

Closing out Q2 with a bang

noreply@blogger.com (John Hill) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:27:28 PDT

After a tough year industry-wide, I'm very happy to share the fact that Pilot just closed out the second quarter of 2010 with the largest volume month in company history! In June, we handled a larger number of shipments, and larger total weight than ever before. On top of that, it was the second largest revenue month we've ever seen.

This record month closed out a strong quarter for Pilot, with more than 27% growth over Q2 of 2009. I'm especially pleased to report that this growth was not in one particular segment of our business, but spread across the company. Every segment of our business was up in Q2, including automotive services, international shipping, logistics, home delivery and domestic expedited air freight.

Hopefully the new record set in June won't last long, as we're expecting to see continued growth through the remainder of the year.

Keep reading to see the full press release we put out today.

Pilot Freight Services Sees Substantial Revenue Growth in Q2

Lima, Pa.—July 19, 2010—Pilot Freight Services, a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, today announced revenue and shipment figures for the second quarter of 2010, ending June 30. The company reported revenue for the quarter of $94.9 million, up 27.5 percent from the same period in 2009.

Pilot saw the substantial increases across all segments of its business, including international shipping, logistics, home delivery and domestic expedited air freight. The automotive sector saw especially strong growth throughout the quarter. Additionally, June marked the largest month in company history in terms of the number of shipments and total weight handled, resulting in a 32.9 percent increase in revenue over June 2009.

“After a tough year for the shipping and logistics industries in 2009, we’re seeing a major turnaround in 2010, as shown by the strong numbers from Q2,” said John Hill, Executive Vice President of Sales for Pilot. “While the economy still has a long way to go, Pilot has managed to not only survive what we believe was the worst of the recession, but continued to evolve and expand our service offerings, while staying strong in each of our core business segments.”

ABOUT PILOT FREIGHT SERVICES

Pilot Freight Services, Inc. is a full-service transportation and logistics provider with over 75 locations throughout North America. Pilot is also a founding member of the World Freight Alliance (WFA), operating in more than 190 countries worldwide. The company’s freight forwarding services encompasses every mode of transportation, including air, ground, and ocean, serving all corners of the globe. Pilot’s logistics programs offer a complete line of expedited and time-definite services, international shipping solutions, product warehousing, and inventory management. In addition, Pilot’s online shipment navigator, CoPilot, makes online shipping fast, convenient, and secure. Learn more about Pilot Freight Services at www.PilotDelivers.com.

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contact(s): Jessica@GregoryFCA.com
Web site: http://www.pilotdelivers.com/
Press room: http://www.pilotdelivers.com/pages/pilotnews.aspx

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Pilot lends a hand to the Best Buddies Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Placido) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:28:12 PDT

Over the past five years, Pilot has been involved with a charity called Best Buddies, an organization working to establish a global volunteer movement that “creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).”

Best Buddies holds an annual “Best Buddies Challenge”, a fundraiser where participants can select from a 100, 50 or 20-mile bike ride, a 3K walk, or a 5K run. This year, we used our resources to transport bicycles to Boston for the latest event held on June 4th and 5th in Hyannis Port, Mass. In the past, Pilot has helped Best Buddies move equipment as far as Ireland and Qatar. This fall, we’ll be handling the cross-country delivery for fundraisers in California and Washington, D.C.

In addition to the commitment that Pilot has made as a company, CEO Richard Phillips (who has been personally involved with the charity since 2002) participates in the Challenge, coming in at an impressive 7th place in the 100-mile cycling challenge this year! Richard, along with his team, raised $10,000 for the charity this year as well.

Congratulations to everyone involved on a successful event!