Truckload Authority - Winter 2015-16

WAA: Logistically Speaking
By Lyndon Finney
What began as a gesture of kindness on the part of a Maine wreath manufacturing
company to honor the nation’s veterans and especially those who made the
ultimate sacrifice has become one of —if not the most — recognized annual Christmastime
traditions in the country in National Wreaths Across America Day.
It was 1992 and Worcester Wreath Co. owner Morrill Worcester was recalling
the day as a youth he had visited Arlington National Cemetery and how that
visit had made an indelible impression on him.
So with an excess of Christmas wreaths on hand that December, Worcester
made arrangements to have them placed in one of the oldest sections of
Arlington.
It’s no secret how that one simple gesture has grown to become an official
“day” each year as voted by Congress, but what is not known are the behindthe-scenes
logistical challenges of moving what this year may be nearly 1 million
wreaths to Arlington and other cemeteries across the America.
For the past several years, the Truckload Carriers Association has been
involved in those logistics, initially at the behest of Barry Pottle, president and
CEO of Pottle’s Transportation of Herman, Maine.
With its close proximity to Worcester’s headquarters in Harrington, Maine,
Pottle’s company had for several years helped transport the wreaths to more
and more cemeteries as National Wreaths Across America Day grew.
But now, with requests for more and more wreaths for the national day,
transportation logistics were becoming a challenge, or to be perfectly honest,
a nightmare.
Enter the Truckload Carriers Association.
Six years ago, TCA began helping with transportation logistics; four years
ago the association became the official logistics “partner” with WAA.
Each October, TCA and WAA staff go behind closed doors — nothing secret
about the meeting, it’s just that interruptions to trains of thought can delay
critical plans — and map out how to get the wreaths from Maine to cemeteries
all over the country.
Over 700,000 of them were delivered last year, which will swell to perhaps as
much as a million this year and involves not only getting them there, but removing
and disposing of the dunnage left behind when the wreaths are unpacked.
“Each year comes with new challenges and obstacles, and each year we
try to learn things from the previous year,” said Debbie Sparks, TCA vice
president of development, who chairs the de facto logistics panel. “One of
the things we knew we had to deal with this year was the supply of wreaths
transported to the West Coast. It’s just too much of a challenge to try to get
the trucks all the way from Maine to the West Coast, so we will continue to
use cross docks.”
The larger cross dock is at Arrow Truck Sales in Kansas City, Missouri. Another
is at Tenant Truck Lines in Colona, Indiana, and yet another is at International
Distributors in Richland, Mississippi. International Distributors is owned
by U.S. Xpress.
That burden of moving wreaths to the Kansas City cross dock will be lessened
by the moving and storage industry, whose participation has been led
by two drivers — Don Queeney and Steve Meyer — who wanted to increase
participation by moving vans.
“We came to find out that those big moving trailers floor loaded can haul
7,200 wreaths whereas a normal 53-foot trailer can carry about 4,000,”
Sparks said. “That means half the number of trucks needed for the Kansas
City cross dock.”
What’s more, the drivers of those moving vans have volunteered to floor
load all their trailers in Maine.
Once in Kansas City, those movers and volunteers will offload the 800 boxes
of wreaths per trailer, then shrink wrap and palletize the wreaths for the journeys
to veterans’ cemeteries further west via conventional trailer.
With TravelCenters of America and Pilot Flying J already deeply involved in
the Wreaths Across America initiative, TCA turned to Love’s Travel Stops and
Country Stores and shared that the independent moving and storage drivers
were asking for fuel assistance so they could help TCA with the initiative.
Without batting an eye, Love’s said yes to providing fuel cards for moving and
storage drivers who are mostly independent contractors and needed fuel assistance
to help make WAA successful.
Another logistical challenge is the removal of the dunnage from Arlington
National Cemetery.
Dominion Power, the utility which operates power companies along the East
Coast, sent volunteers to offload the dunnage after the wreaths were removed
from the boxes so truckers could leave the cemetery ready to carry a commercial
load.
Last year, getting all that cleared from the cemetery took until well past
midnight, and Arlington officials this year asked if the dunnage could all be
removed by 5 p.m., when the cemetery closes.
“They didn’t mandate this, but they asked if there was any way the trucks could
leave the cemetery carrying the dunnage,” Sparks said. “We said ‘absolutely.’”
The logistics planners reached out to Waste Management, a disposal company
which partnered with TCA and WAA to remove the wreaths in January.
“They just couldn’t find a solution for the volume we were talking about and
in the meantime I got a call from a gentleman out in Seattle who is a vice president
for International Paper, which makes the boxes the wreaths are delivered
in,” Sparks said. “He told me that last year International Paper attempted to
recycle the boxes, but got behind the eight ball because they didn’t recognize
the volume and scope of the waste.”
Turns out International Paper has a recycling center in Baltimore, Maryland,
but that meant an additional delay in getting the trucks back on the road, especially
those heading south.
Queeney and Meyer stepped in and after some e-mails and phone calls
helped locate a facility with a high capacity terminal of 20-plus docks and not
only did the owner of the facility say yes to using it, he agreed to make sure it
was staffed with manpower and equipment.
What’s more, the facility is only eight miles from Arlington National Cemetery.
Dominion Power volunteers will load the dunnage back on the trucks at the
cemetery.
“Then the trucks will leave Arlington and go right over to the terminal,”
Sparks said. “We calculated we could turn a truck in 10 minutes at the offloading
facility. It’s going to be the most efficient system we’ve had. International
Paper is going to be supply nine trailers and drivers to manage this logistical
operation.”
They’ll load up eight trailers with boxes and pallets and the ninth trailer will
carry the shrink wrap.
The eight trailers with the boxes and pallets will go directly to the Baltimore
recycling center. While the ninth truck will go to an appropriate recycling center.
On a personal Sparks note said, “it gives me great pride knowing that
in an endeavor of this size and scope not only will we leave no debris at the
cemetery, but that everything we used to haul the wreaths in will be recycled.
I can’t imagine a better way to leave an indelible image for Arlington National
Cemetery, Wreaths Across America and the trucking industry. This partnership
makes us good stewards of the environment and illustrates that we truly do
move America forward.”
Last year, wreaths were sent to 1,034 cemeteries. Arlington is the largest,
of course, with 70 truckloads. The second largest is Houston, which will have
13 trucks this year.
“All our carriers and drivers doing these donated loads will have from four to
15 stops,” Sparks said. “They have to call ahead and make arrangements with
the cemetery and let them know what time they will be there and it’s up to the
cemetery to supply the volunteers to meet the truck to unload, anything from
one box to an entire truckload.”
Because of the growth of the program, there has been talk about another
manufacturing location, but that’s all it has been, talk.
“This [a wreath made in Harrington] isn’t just a wreath. It’s a veteran’s
wreath,” Sparks said. “Every bouquet has a meaning. There are 10 bouquets that
make up a wreath. Morrill is very, very progressive as a farmer in the growing of
these pine trees. He has advanced the tipping process, which means every three
years when the tips grow out that’s what he cuts to make the wreath.”
Worcester also has land dedicated to veterans.
“Any veteran is welcome to come and walk the property. What’s more, there
is a ceremony where you place your dog tag or the dog tag of your loved one.
Then every three years that tree is tipped to help make the wreaths that go
across the country. That gives real meaning and helps bring closure, something
that is really important to our veterans and their families.”
Morrill Worchester is also designating different sections of the land for each
branch of the military.
“You can actually pick out a tree in the Marine Corps section for instance,”
Sparks said. “You hire another wreath company and the meaning and the love
for veterans wouldn’t be behind it.”
TCA 2015-16 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 41