“Priceless,” is how Landstar Agent Michael Black describes the benefits of the Mutual Understanding of Safety Together or M.U.S.T. program. Landstar’s unique, shipper-specific safety program delivered valuable financial and safety support for Black’s top customer.

“No other company does this, offers the level of service that Landstar agents can offer to customers,” explains Black. “At my customer’s location, we conduct a weekly review of business. We are literally steps away from being able to respond to any customer needs.”

Black’s agency, MNY, is around the corner from his customer in Greene, New York. The independent Landstar agency handles much of the shipping for a forklift and pallet jack manufacturer, which Black credits to Landstar’s money saving solutions and his tight-knit relationship with his customer.

Engineering an Intermodal Solution

“It wasn’t long after we started working with them that the opportunity presented itself to offer a M.U.S.T. customer visit,” says Black. “The result of the collaborative meeting was the identification of multiple ways the customer could save money and improve securement procedures.”

Black and his customer worked closely with the members of the Landstar safety team to create an intermodal plan with a new approach to cargo securement in support of the shipper’s coast-to-coast needs. Instead of the customer’s freight making the entire trip to the west coast in a Landstar van, a rail-intermodal plan now moves the freight from the customer’s facility on a trailer to a rail yard, where it’s transported to a cargo train for the remainder of the trip.

“The costs for shipping over-the-road (OTR) versus the benefits of intermodal in conjunction with OTR made the situation a major win for the shipper and Landstar,” says Black.

“Aside from the intermodal solution, Landstar recommended better securement techniques and procedures for the customer’s industrial cargo,” says Landstar Transportation Logistics Rusty Cody, vice president of specialized hauling and intermodal. “Using more modern strapping, track systems and d-ring tie-down anchors, it took less material to secure the freight in the Landstar van.”

By eliminating a dated wood-block securement technique and instead using modern, lightweight straps, less weight would travel. This resulted in additional cost savings with both transportation modes.

“Together we saw a tremendous opportunity to enhance safety, reduce costs and improve the driver experience by revamping the load securement process,” says Black. “That’s priceless support and the foundation Landstar was built on.”