Ghent achieves a 74% reduction in damage claims and improves shipping times with ITS Logistics

ITS Logistics (ITS), a leading third-party logistics provider, has helped Ghent, a premier manufacturer of visual communication display products, achieve a 74% reduction in damage claims and improve shipping reliability through an LTL pool distribution strategy. By replacing traditional less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping with a streamlined distribution model, ITS has helped Ghent minimize handling, decrease transit times, and elevate their overall customer experience.

At the center of Ghent’s difficulties were the complexities of shipping fragile and non-palletized freight like whiteboards and glass display cases. Due to multiple touchpoints throughout a standard LTL shipment, damage is incredibly common. Sourcing and maintaining a network of carriers willing to transport goods with special handling needs is also an ongoing challenge. The combination of oversized products and delicate materials created a perfect storm for the manufacturer, threatening its growth.

“Our freight is ‘ugly’ — it’s long, awkward, and takes up too much space, making it costly to ship,” said Cory Goodwin, Director of Logistics & Accounting at Ghent. “Frankly, people aren’t fond of handling it, and it often doesn’t get treated well. Damage used to be our biggest challenge.”

The lack of well-established logistics solutions for so-called “ugly” freight presented challenges in Ghent’s existing processes, actively harming the bottom line through frequent damage and administrative overhead.

“Ghent’s number one concern was damage, but they also needed a carrier they could rely on to transport their wide product line,” said Jeremy Davidson, LTL Manager at ITS Logistics. “The only way to reduce claims, minimize damage, and improve service was to touch the freight less, and our LTL pool distribution was designed to address these exact challenges.”

Pool distribution regionally consolidates shipments for the longest part of the journey, eliminating unnecessary stops, reducing handling, and speeding up delivery times. By reducing touchpoints, the opportunities for damage to take place were reduced, which simultaneously decreased the time spent on claims.

Since implementing ITS Logistics’ LTL pool distribution solution, Ghent has accomplished:

• A decrease in damage claims from 5% to 1.3%

• A decrease of 85% in total touchpoints

• Seamless transition to one carrier for all product lines

• A single point of contact for all logistics needs

• Reduced carbon emissions

ITS Logistics continues to set higher standards in less-than-truckload services, helping shippers like Ghent build cost-effective solutions for difficult, awkward, fragile, and downright ugly freight.