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Penske Truck Rental Helps Fleets Deliver During the Holidays
Retailers are expecting a record number of holiday shoppers on Thanksgiving weekend placing parcel delivery companies in the spotlight to meet consumers' holiday expectations.
Explosive e-commerce growth during the pandemic coupled with last-mile deliveries has made it necessary for fleet managers to turn to companies like Penske Truck Rental for additional equipment.
Penske, which has one of the largest rental fleets in North America, works with parcel delivery companies throughout the year to anticipate rental truck needs heading into the holiday season.
"We meet with our providers and vendors in the first quarter of the year to evaluate the previous year. And then, we meet several times throughout the year to discuss preparations for the upcoming holiday package season. We have a great working relationship with the delivery companies and value our partnership." said Jeff Werner, director of commercial rental sales for Penske Truck Rental.
Chances are during peak holiday delivery periods a Penske rental truck will be there to help your favorite parcel company deliver during the holidays.
Holiday Shopping List
The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts holiday sales in November and December will increase to between $843.3 billion and $859 billion, an increase over 2020. Consumers are expected to spend an average of $997.73 during the holidays.
The holiday shopping period – Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday – will feature nearly 2 million more shoppers than last year, according to the results of a survey by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
"We're expecting another record-breaking holiday season this year, and Thanksgiving weekend will play a major role as it always has," said Matthew Shay NRF president and CEO.
Two-thirds of holiday shoppers surveyed plan to shop on Thanksgiving weekend, with more than 30 million planning to shop in-store or online on Thanksgiving Day.
Black Friday remains the most popular shopping day with 108 million consumers planning to make purchases followed by Cyber Monday and Small Business Saturday.
Meeting the Need
In previous years, late October and November have been months when rental truck requests from parcel carriers and others would start to increase. This year, the increase has occurred much sooner.
"Customers are purchasing items earlier to ensure they have them for the holiday season, which is causing the delivery companies to pick-up the trucks earlier than in past years. This will also ensure they have the necessary equipment for the last-minute holiday rush."
In addition to parcel delivery companies, Penske also supports the needs of small and medium-sized businesses that experience similar spikes in holiday demand.
"There are businesses (large and small), that are in need of extra equipment over the holiday season." Werner said. "With Penske's large fleet, we are able to work with the customers to provide equipment."
Penske draws on years of holiday rental demand experience to balance the needs of large parcel carriers and regional and local businesses. "Our teams are working hard to ensure there is equipment available for every type of business," Werner said.
While the holiday shopping season is in full swing, Werner advises businesses seeking rental trucks to act now.
"We constantly have new trucks coming in and customers returning trucks, so there is constantly an inventory turn around," Werner said. "Our teams do a great job of positioning equipment to take care of all of our customers."
Preparation is key.
"Customers need to plan ahead and give us a call at the earliest time they think they will need equipment," Werner said.
Penske offers a wide variety of rental trucks from large commercial semi-tractors and trailers to small box trucks. Penske encourages retailers and businesses to make reservations by calling its hotline for business rentals, 1-800-PENSKE1.
By Bernie Mixon
Penske Logistics Receives Supplier Excellence Award from Novelis
Penske Logistics was recently recognized with a North America Supplier award from Novelis, the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling. As a leading provider of dedicated transportation to Novelis North America, Penske is an essential component of its closed-loop aluminum supply chain serving top automakers.
The Novelis North America Supplier award was given to Penske Logistics for demonstrating an outstanding performance in overall logistics while receiving the best score from Novelis' key carriers throughout North America in 2020. This is Penske's second time receiving the North America Supplier award, accepting its first in 2019.
Penske Logistics executives receiving Supplier Excellence Award from Novelis
"Delivering performance and innovation is guided by a deep sense of responsibility at Penske," explained Jeff Jackson, executive vice president of operations for Penske Logistics. "With Novelis, we are committed to providing quality, reliability and a true partnership which resonates through the North America Supplier award."
Penske's dedicated trucking operation utilizes Novelis' closed loop recycling system and shuttles aluminum coils from Oswego, New York, to automotive stamping plants in Michigan. The aluminum scrap from the stamping process is then transported back to Oswego to be recycled and formed into new coils. This process runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – with a loaded Penske truck heading out on the road every 40 minutes.
"We are inspired by the work and passion Novelis has for a circular economy and are grateful to partner with them and receive the North American Supplier award for the second time," said Marc Althen, president of Penske Logistics. "Leading our success is our dedicated team of safe, professional drivers and well-trained staff. I would like to send my appreciation to that team for their focus and commitment to the network's infrastructure and procedures."
Novelis joins technology and strength innovation in the automotive industry. Due to fuel efficiency requirements, light weighting demands and the evolving mobility ecosystem, automakers enlist Novelis aluminum for sustainable solutions that enable the next generation of vehicles.
"At Novelis, our purpose is shaping a sustainable world together, and our supplier award winners demonstrate that commitment every day," said Tom Boney, executive vice president and president, Novelis North America. "We congratulate Penske Logistics on this accomplishment and look forward to an even more successful partnership in the years to come."
Novelis selects suppliers across 10 award categories each year that support its 16 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada.
Penske Logistics provides dedicated contract carriage services through its expansive network in North America with safe, professional drivers, and a modern truck fleet integrated with advanced safety systems, transportation management and real-time freight tracking systems. Penske Logistics handles deliveries for a variety of leading companies in industries including automotive, CPG, food, grocery, beverage, manufacturing, quick-service restaurants, healthcare, and convenience store chains among them. Penske is currently hiring truck drivers nationwide. Visit https://driver.penske.jobs/ for available positions.
By Tana Korpics
Penske Launches Offensive to Battle Catalytic Converter Theft
Catalytic converter theft has skyrocketed in recent months as organized groups of thieves continue to illegally cut these devices out of cars, SUVs, and rental trucks at an increasingly alarming rate.
While this has been an ongoing issue for several years, thefts have increased exponentially throughout the recent pandemic period.
Penske's corporate security team is now spearheading a significant outreach program to law enforcement at the city, state and federal levels and cooperating with various catalytic converter theft task forces in hotspots around the country.
"We're also undertaking an aggressive effort to use a new etching technology and exploring other methods to better track stolen catalytic converters within our expansive fleet of trucks," said Scott Brunner, vice president of Security at Penske Transportation Solutions.
Catalytic Converter Thefts by the Numbers
Catalytic converters are emission control devices used on vehicles including Penske's rental trucks that help reduce air pollution.
Thieves are stealing these devices because they often contain high-value metals such as rhodium, platinum and palladium. Once removed and stolen, these devices are then sold by thieves to metal recycling and scrap yards netting the thieves a hefty payday.
"Catalytic converter theft is an increasing problem for consumers and businesses," Brunner said. "It's not a victimless crime. The theft of these devices can cause customers great inconvenience, disables vehicles for repairs, and drives up costs for consumers."
A recent State Farm report examined catalytic converter theft claims from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, and found thefts grew nearly 293% nationwide, representing more than 18,000 instances.
Compared with the same time period just a year earlier, theft reports from the last half of 2019 to the first half of 2020 numbered just above 4,500.
State Farm reported the total paid to customers during the most recent 12-month period was more than $33.7 million. In the previous 12-month period it was slightly below $9 million.
When it comes to claims, California leads the way with more than 3 out of 10 claims being filed in the state. Texas is second, with roughly 1 out of 10 claims, followed by Minnesota, Washington and Illinois, according to State Farm's examination of data from the first half of 2021.
While the value of metals contained in catalytic converters is a driver of the increase in thefts, the National Insurance Crime Bureau linked the thefts to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We have seen a significant increase during the pandemic. It's an opportunistic crime. As the value of the precious metals contained within the catalytic converters continues to increase, so do the number of thefts of these devices," said David Glawe. NICB president and CEO. "There is a clear connection between times of crisis, limited resources, and disruption of the supply chain that drives investors towards these precious metals."
As of the end of February 2021, 18 states – Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia – are evaluating potential legislative actions to curb the theft problem, according to the NICB.
Protecting Your Fleet
Penske Truck Leasing recommends all fleet operators take note of this trend and to take protective measures including:
- Properly secure vehicles
- Park in well-lit areas
- Use perimeter fencing when vehicles are domiciled overnight
- Invest in parking lot video surveillance
- Train drivers to look for signs related to theft or tampering during their pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspections
- Inspect the catalytic converter area often
- Report catalytic converter theft to law enforcement immediately
By "Move Ahead" Staff
Penske Truck Leasing Piloting New Ford E-Transit Electric Light-Duty Truck
Penske Truck Leasing is adding to its industry-leading electric truck fleet by piloting the new light-duty preproduction Ford E-Transit truck. Penske is currently operating an E-Transit in its home market of Reading, Pennsylvania.
E-Transit, the first all-electric cargo van from a full-line automaker in North America, is the electric version of the Ford Transit.
Assembled alongside Ford Transit at the Kansas City assembly plant, E-Transit is designed to serve a wide range of commercial industries, providing its customers a choice of eight configurations, including a cargo van with three roof heights and three lengths, chassis cab and cutaway models.
"Penske and Ford have a longstanding and valued relationship," said Art Vallely, president, Penske Truck Leasing. "We're excited to collaborate with Ford Pro on the introduction and real-world testing of these new electric vehicles as the first truck rental and leasing company to do so. We expect to see strong utilization and interest from customers making final-mile deliveries, regional deliveries, and eventually consumer use for smaller household moves."
This unit will be rented to regional small- and medium-sized commercial businesses. Penske's long-term electric vehicle plans include adding units throughout its wider network, including Southern California.
Paul Rosa, Penske senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning: "We are very pleased to expand our electric vehicle learnings with the addition of the Ford E-Transit to our fleet."
"Our customers are telling us that they have ambitious corporate sustainability goals to reduce their fleet's carbon emissions through the integration of all-electric vehicles," said Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis. "E-Transit and supporting Ford Pro ecosystem, especially end-to-end charging, play a critical role in achieving those goals and maintaining their business operations without disruption."
The E-Transit is expected to begin arriving at Ford dealerships in Q1 2022.
By "Move Ahead" Staff
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