Philadelphia Courier Dispatchers – Servicing Medical Labs by Going Above & Beyond

Keeping pace with the aging of our country’s population has spawned considerable growth among the medical industry in general, and medical laboratories to be specific.  In turn, the companies servicing this industry have experienced increases in their work loads and have inspired creative changes in their delivery options.

When considering changing their standard overnight deliveries to commercial evening flights, one national company specializing in dialysis deliveries calculated that they could have specimens to their labs a full six hours earlier than usual.  This would reduce the pressure and congestion for the morning shift workers and put lab results into clients’ hands much sooner.

With focused determination, this laboratory began searching for the country’s top-notch couriers with TSA (Transportation Security Administration) certification to partner with them in handling the local routed pick-ups and airport deliveries in a wide array of markets.

In a simplistic model of the courier business, driving parcels from Point A to Point B is all it takes.  This really doesn’t define the work of a courier, the details and precision involved, especially for handling medical specimens.  Prior to delivering their first specimen, TSA-certified American Expediting drivers are extensively trained in both OSHA and HIPAA regulations.  They also learn the customized methods required by each client for handling of packing and medical specimens. In the case of overnight blood specimens the drivers are following a specific protocol which includes packing of ice packs in a specific manner and also separating cultures.

The behind-the-scenes operational dispatch crews are following the progress of each specimen from pickup to delivery.  Their tasks entail but are not excluded to confirming specimen counts, alerting drivers to traffic conditions, periodic client updates on delivery status, and confirming out-going flight departures. 

Of course, there are exceptions, instances when circumstances are beyond the couriers control that result in delays, such as the email alert shown below from our Philadelphia dispatch team, and the corresponding testimonial applauding those who went above and beyond to help when an airline cancelled their evening flight.  

TO: Dan@NationalDialysis.com

SUBJECT: PHL to FLL flight 1201 cancelled

We received a call from Terry at Airline cargo PHL @ approx 17:45 letting us know that flight 1201 had been cancelled.  When pressed as to why flight had been cancelled, we were told "weather".  It was later determined that the reason was "air traffic control."

Airlines next available flight departed PHL @ 06:15 5/30.  We immediately began calling all other airlines for any flights direct or connecting to FLL. 

No flights available to FLL from the following airlines: Airline A per Jackie. Airline B per Cheryl.  Airline C per Chris. Airline D per Debbie.  Airline E- no answer, but I was not able to find any flights online.

We determined that the best routing at this point would be our backup plan, National Overnight Delivery Company. We then notified our Westville, NJ office as they also use Airline #1201, and instructed them to ship National Overnight Delivery as well.

Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

Thank You.

PHL Dispatch

Now, the client’s acknowledgement of the extra measures taken by the Philadelphia-based dispatch team:

Nice work. I really do appreciate the extra effort.

This is how it's supposed to be done !

You took this as far as it could be taken.

This is exactly the kind of dedication and excellent service I expect from all of my couriers, and it's nice to receive it. I wish all of my couriers were to put this kind of effort and thinking into action. With your permission, I would like to forward this example onto the rest of the courier teams that service National Dialysis Laboratory Company  in hopes that the 'light will come on"

Thank you again.

Dan

Thank you Philadelphia Dispatch team!  You make us proud.  You help us to  stand out.

We've Got Your Back American Expediting

American Expediting has the backs of many of our customers, 24/7/365. Every day, all yearlong, we help thousands of customers in countless
situations whether there is an AOG (aircraft on ground) delivery to get an airplane back in the air, a replacement heart rushed to a local hospital, or
a critical part required to get computer systems and production facilities back online.

Just last night, the need for backup coverage hit home when an accident to a telecommunications pole knocked out the phones and internet systems at our headquarters. Who came to our rescue? Our own National Call Center in Pittsburgh. Their managers worked through the night helping us
cover the Philadelphia and South Jersey markets. Using our mobile phones, we dispatched
all of our jobs to local drivers and captured critical updates in our Courier Management System software.

While this was a successful, yet unplanned test on our backup, it reminds us, and our customers, of the importance of having a round the clock solution for covering critical deliveries. With over 30 locations coast to coast, American Expediting plans hard for all contingencies.
American Expediting now has four offices operating 24 hours a day:Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Raleigh. Each is staffed with trained dispatch specialists to handle calls from multiple markets, and each has emergency activation procedures to ramp up personnel on a moment’s notice when situations arise. We’ve covered our three Florida locations when hurricanes caused local evacuations; Denver and Chicago sites during snowstorms, and our midwestern locations in Indianapolis and Columbus when recent tornados leveled entire communities.

So today we give a shout-out to our Pittsburgh call center for their excellent job and promise that we’re prepared to do the same in return.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND - American Expediting Gives Back

In this month’s edition of the American Expediting Company Blog, we will share a story that was run in the Pittsburgh newspapers about our company military support initiatives. In December, we received the Patriot Award from the Department of Defense for Employer Support of Guard and Reserve Organization. Basically, we help those servicepersons who do work on behalf of our company, and their family members who are full time employee’s. It is our belief that it is no accident that our company continues to expand. We offer great service, fair pricing, and find ways to give back to the country.

Read more: Solder's employer gets Patriot Award - Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Since the opening of our office in Boston last fall, American Expediting has continued its expansion. In January we opened our first office in the state of Colorado. Running the Denver facility is Georgia Garcia, a veteran of the air and ground freight industry. Her achievements servicing ground expedited customers for Mach 1, and for air expedited freight customers for major airlines made this a perfect fit for our company. Georgia and her husband more recently transplanted to the Denver area from warm and sunny Arizona, so they can follow their passion for bowling and open up a bowling center.

Also opening up in January is our Portland, Oregon remote station. Finding an increased need for same day and rush moves of critical parts from Portland to Seattle, our manager for the Seattle office, Phil McInerney, began piecing together a game plan for his customers. Since he’s placed local drivers in Portland, we have seen an increase in jobs for Aircraft on Ground (AOG) pickups originating out of Portland and delivering in Seattle (SEA), as well as local Portland-to-Portland hot shot moves for spare parts.

We would also like to introduce our March 1st opening in Rochester, NY. When one of our seasoned dispatchers, Chuck DeLella, came to inform the company that he and his pregnant wife were moving back home to Rochester to be closer to family, we found the opportunity too good to pass up. Having serviced the Rochester area for many years through an agent-partner, we had an already existing base of customers. Having grown up in the area, Chuck has a comprehensive understanding of the market, as well as connections with local drivers and businesses.

As we welcome back our servicemen and women from the Middle East, let’s also welcome Georgia and Chuck to our every expanding courier company. For a full listing of American Expediting Company office locations, or a free cost-savings evaluation, please contact your local representative, or email glenn@amexpediting.com.

Soldier's employer gets Patriot Award - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Soldier's employer gets Patriot Award - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Our Fearless Operation Director, Mark Sanner, receives award on behalf of American Expediting.

A true Red,White, and Blue experience. We are all so proud!!!

Beantown Here We Come - American Expediting Grand Opening in Boston

What do Gisele Bundchen, Bobby Valentine, and American Expediting have in common?

They all know how to score big in Boston. Gisele married three-time Superbowl champ Tom Brady, Bobby Valentine signed a multi-year deal to manage the Red Sox, and American Expediting opened its newest location strategically close to downtown Boston and the Boston International airport.

Why did American Expediting expand into Boston? For two reasons: (1) we’ve been delivering in the Greater Boston area for a few years through our remote call center and have experienced a strong demand from existing customers to expand our coverage area and service availability; and (2) as part of our national expansion across the United States, we believe Boston is an important piece of the puzzle and completes our core coverage along the Eastern seaboard. Along with our August opening in New York City and now Boston, American Expediting now covers all major cities from north to south: Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Atlanta down to Miami.

The types of customers that use our services in the Boston market are usually from our existing database of clients. Not only are they already pleased with our high levels of service and competitive price structure, they are often on a quest to reduce the numbers of vendors they are managing across the country. What they’ve found is that American Expediting is among the best covering multiple cities. Our after hours call center, local operations management, and consolidated accounting solutions help customers to add to their bottom line.

An example of one such customer is a national logistics and freight management company that utilizes American Expediting in multiple cities. When their local Operations Manager moved from Columbus, Ohio to Boston they found that the local branch was using multiple courier companies to handle their work. Learning about the grand opening in Boston helped this client make the decision to consolidate the amount of their vendors, as well as ensure that the local rates became more competitive. Another such customer specializes in servicing medical specimen deliveries. With our corporate training program, all of our drivers are trained and tested on the policies and procedures needed to ensure that our company maintains its high level of compliance with the TSA, OSHA and with HIPAA.

Whether you need to review your existing same day courier solutions, or are looking for a partner to help you design local and national logistics solutions, please consider American Expediting as your vendor in Boston or around the country.

American Expediting - Giving Thanks, Giving Back

As we experience the holiday season, if you are like my family, you are preparing for that round table discussion about the things we are each grateful for this year. Did you experience a great life-changing event like a wedding, promotion, or birth of a baby? Have you achieved a lifelong goal like running a marathon, earning a black belt, or have you reached a weight-loss goal? Or, are you simply happy to have your whole family sitting around the table eating turkey, ham, and stuffing? We are all very fortunate if these are the biggest thoughts going through our minds.
For our nation’s military families, there are different thoughts to ponder. Will my loved-one return from combat to experience another holiday with our family? When my loved-one comes home, will he/she be of sound mind and body? Will he/she be able to adjust to life away from combat?

Let me introduce you to an organization that American Expediting is supporting. Troops First Foundation is a phenomenal organization that has created several programs and specialized events designed for military service persons and their families. This programming targets relationship-building, readjustment, and reintegration. It also offers mentoring programs which help our soldiers reestablish themselves as they begin to move forward in their lives.The best part is that both non-injured and injured military personnel and their families are served at no cost to them. Additionally, Troops First Foundation develops initiatives to facilitate a greater recognition and an enhanced understanding of the quality and character of the men and women who volunteer to serve, their families, their daily sacrifices and the constant need to evaluate and improve their quality of life. Please visit the Troops First Foundation website to learn more about this worthwhile organization.

http://www.troopsfirstfoundation.org/">http://www.troopsfirstfoundation.org/

There are a variety of areas in our lives that we should never take for granted: our health, our families, those who help us put food on our table, and those who put their lives on the line for this country. On behalf of the management team, staff, and drivers at American Expediting, we would like to thank our customers for the ability to service your business over the past year. We hope that we reached our goal of exceeding your expectations, and look forward to supporting your company in the coming year!

THANK YOU!

Funny Stories in the Courier Industry

When this blog began publishing over two years ago, we stated that the purpose of the blog was to share the trials and tribulations of the courier industry. Included in this description was the desire to share funny stories that have come our way during the everyday course of doing business.

Many of you know that American Expediting handles animals in a variety of ways. From transporting specialty (high value) lab mice to a lab, tropical birds to your local pet stores, as well as handling the family pet. As many people find out the hard way, it is not so easy to transport your pets on a commercial flight. Enter, American Expediting. We know the multitude of rules and regulations that need to be followed and can make your move less stressful, as well as that of your pet.

Recently, we received an email requested through our website, http://www.amexpediting.com/, requesting us to handle their precious family pets. Before you read on, please make sure you don't need to use the bathroom. We wouldn't want to be the cause of a "people accident".

To whom it may concern:
I need to transport 2 Chihuahuas under 10 pounds each from Boston to Dallas. My ex and I share custody. I just moved to Boston making this difficult. He needs them in the winter months because it is just too cold for them in the Northeast. The airline carrier restrictions prevent me from bringing them on the plane. Could you please provide a quote?

You'll be happy to hear that both pets made it safely to their winter home, and with only a small amount of doggie accidents in their kennel.

American Expediting. The newest member of the Animal Transportation Association

FULL SERVICE COURIER OFFERS LIFECYCLE SUPPORT

Twenty-eight years ago when we started in this business, courier delivery was synonymous with document delivery. Attorneys, accountants, and engineers drove our business. As time passed, we acquired a wide array of customers, many with deliveries of a time-sensitive and time-critical nature. We were discovering that the service needs of our clients changed daily making the same-day delivery business truly unique.

Today, the term courier is more frequently associated with medical deliveries, including lab specimens and human organs and has pretty much become the backbone of our business. Now, with the predominance of medical work, we’ve noticed another aspect of our business that is particularly striking: the human element involved in our daily work. At the end of each day, as we evaluate our operations, we see the lives we’ve affected while doing our jobs, the people we’ve helped in ordinary and extraordinary ways. Those are the jobs most rewarding and of the greatest import to us and are exemplified in the following examples of jobs we did in a single day:

• Driver is dispatched in the early morning to pick up prenatal medications for an expectant mother on bed rest in her final trimester, helping to safeguard her from a premature delivery.

• Driver transports cord blood from a new mother donating it to a regional community cord blood bank, a future benefit for a needy recipient needing the cord blood to save their life. The delivery is performed via a flexible route pre-established to our clients evolving needs in the tri-state area of Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The route services multiple hospitals and a centralized storage facility.

• A college-bound student studying abroad depends on an American Expediting driver to get his personal belongings to a local Freight Forwarder for loading onto an ocean container ensuring the necessities of his life will be waiting for him upon his arrival.

• Reputed for their conscientious animal transport services, American Expediting receives requests from empty-nesters relocating across the country to move their special pets to their new residences. We handle hundreds of pet deliveries every year, offering door-to-door service and safe delivery for anxious pet owners.

• Out for a night on the town that includes a movie? You can bet that one of our drivers picked up the film reel at the airport then hand delivered it to the theatre. We assist the movie studios to ensure that their new releases are protected and not replicated without their permission.

• Diabetic patients in need of continuous insulin flow can receive it at home thanks to technological advancements in medicine. The insulin pumps and bags required for the process are stored and delivered around the country by American Expediting, a preferred courier of national pharmaceutical companies.

As you can see, our couriers touch many aspects of life each day and yet so many people still believe that couriers only deliver legal documents. We take real pride in knowing that we are helping others live their lives as safe and secure as possible.

Please send in a comment to our blog with your unique experience with a courier.


This blog is dedicated to the memory of Jennifer Blakely, a valued employee of American Expediting Company who managed our office in Toledo, OH.

Batting in the Clean-up Position, American Expediting Couriers

Across the country, most cities are experiencing the dog days of summer. Thermostats exceeding triple digits are becoming the norm, with many families taking vacations based around swimming and as my kids say, “chilin out.” Unlike companies in Europe that commonly shut down three weeks in August for holiday,” North American companies maintain the status quo with up to 20% of their workforce gone in any given week.


This temporary workforce reduction resounds with opportunities. For example, many small and medium-sized widget suppliers use small crews of internal employees to manage their daily deliveries. When one or more of them takes off for vacation, the company may not have the personnel available to drive cargo vans or trucks. American Expediting has and can provide quality substitute drivers, licensed for these vehicle types, and stocked with the equipment to move clients’ pallets. Lift gates, pallet jacks, blankets, and other equipment are all available with advanced notice. In this capacity, American Expediting is a valuable resource, temporarily or permanently, part-time or full-time, for all types of businesses throughout the United States.

As medical couriers, American Expediting finds many of their lab and hospital clients reaching out for help in both their backup routes and STAT specimen deliveries. With the required OSHA and HIPPA training, and knowledge of the medical campuses, American Expediting makes this a smooth transition. Our company also works with the clients’ operations teams to ensure that adequate reporting of pickups and deliveries are communicated in real time.

The extreme summer heat affects sensitive computer parts, increasing failure rates and the need for replacements ASAP. As hot shot couriers experienced in moving such components, American Expediting enjoys an increase in the calls coming in for rush deliveries locally, regionally and via air. Businesses call on us based on our reputation as a courier who can mobilize quickly.

We've Come A Long Way Baby

Do you remember the year 1983? Was your company in business 28 years ago? This was the year that Vic Finnegan started American Expediting out of his garage. Sounds like the story of how Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs started Apple Computer just 7 years earlier. While Vic may not have acquired the stardom of these inventors, he did pioneer the courier business in Philadelphia, and grew to become a premiere player in the rush delivery industry across the country.

Just to give you a perspective on how far the courier industry has come since 1983, I’ve listed four new products that were released in that year: The Internet was founded; Motorola introduced the first mobile phone; IBM released the PC XT the father of today’s computer for $8000 (without monitor); and Microsoft introduced Microsoft WORD. Today our offices communicate with each other over high speed internet connections, with computers that cost little more than a nice wrist watch. We teleconference our 34 offices on video, check on our customers via webmail on our smart phones, and notify our customers when their packages are delivered within seconds of completion.

With all this available technology, there is one constant in our business that may never change. That is the hard work of many incredible individuals. People with the attitude “I’ll do whatever it takes to help our customers.” The team behind American Expediting never sleeps. If any local office closes after hours, our National Call Center manages their fleet of drivers. We are known to really care about our customers. You could say we have a lot of “heart.”

Speaking of heart, did you know that the year 1983 brought us the first artificial heart? It was implanted in the first human, Barney Clark. Like the pioneers who helped extend his life, we at American Expediting like to believe that we have been helping to save lives for the good part of three decades. Advances in technology have helped us to improve on the quality of your lives. Whether we are rushing a heart valve to an emergency room, or taking care of a last minute shipment that allows you to head home to your family when you have the need.

Reports of the Death of the Rush Messenger Industry are Greatly Exaggerated

Reports of the Death of the Rush Messenger Industry are Greatly Exaggerated

How Emotions Affect Buyer Decisions in the Courier and Messenger Industry

The landscape for acquiring new customers in any business has changed dramatically since the expansion of the Internet and the growth of online advertising. Entire business models are shrinking to extinction. The days of print ads and regional trade shows to promote a company are but a fraction of their glory days, impelling entire sales divisions into revisionary actions. Old sales programs and presentations have been chiseled, sharpened and streamlined into attractive and user- friendly online campaigns--an undeniable necessity since potential customers will find your company more often then you will find them. Today’s new breed of customers have trigger points for qualifying a new supplier so instituting these contemporary pitches increases chances of acquiring new business. According to the Rapid Learning Institute, there are six emotionally based reasons that customers choose a new product or service. In the following paragraphs, we have used real-world business scenarios from American Expediting Company’s files, along with the question and specific emotion that drove a buyer to select us as their courier. Desire for gain: Will, and how will, this courier help me land more business? When a declining market for an industry leader in the secure document retrieval, storage, imaging, and destruction business was traced to an inept courier service, they turned to us, American Expediting for help in retrieving that business segment. We launched a two-fold plan that entailed training and testing our company’s Detroit office staff as well as the courier team to be used. These training sessions covered the specific “how’s” for handling our new client’s confidential documents as well as the importance of both courier and vehicular appearance. Almost immediately confidence was restored among our client’s customers and business picked up. Additionally, our client’s internal sales staff, which had ceased targeting that particular business sector, was inspired to renew their efforts. Says the client’s Director of Development, “The couriers’ professionalism won the confidence of our sales group who re-doubled their energies in selling that service.” Fear of loss: Will the services of this courier be 100% reliable to ensure continued loyalty on the part of my current customer base? “When plumbers, builders, contractors, engineers, and other trade professionals are working at a client site and need a replacement part, they call our client to supply them from one of their 1,000+ service centers,” says the Operations Manager of this national company. “Our ability to assure our clients that we have their part in stock, and that they can have the part delivered promptly, ensures that they don’t look to our competitors for order fulfillment.” A key part of that “assurance” is derived from their courier, American Expediting Company. Our national network of agents in over 250 cities, helps to secure on-time pick-up and delivery of time sensitive critical parts with a single call to our National Call Center. Comfort and/or Convenience: Can this courier effectively manage my deliveries and provide me worry-free time for other work as well as recreation? The work of a Pennsylvania facilities management service for a brand name motorcycle company is keeping the production line equipped with parts and other supplies round-the-clock. Failure to do so results in tens of thousands of dollars of production downtime. With suppliers for the motorcycle company scattered over a 300-mile radius of the facilities management service, the facilities manager chose American Expediting Company as its courier. “One selling point for us was their office locations,” says the facilities manager. “They have major sites in Newark, Baltimore, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Philadelphia so they were able to guarantee prompt pick-up and delivery to our client.” But that wasn’t all. The management service is also responsible for emailed progress updates to multiple parties covering numerous personnel shifts. They needed a courier that could provide ongoing and solid delivery status from pick-up to destination to all parties involved, a function coordinated and readily executed by American Expediting. The result is that the facilities management team, knowing that American Expediting is involved, can go home, worry-free, to their families. “It’s nice waking up from a solid sleep and seeing email confirming a completed, signed and sealed delivery,” notes the facilities manager. Security and Protection: Does this courier have back-up drivers who can substitute for my fleet in case of massive outages, vacations, or an unexpected increase in demand? When a world leader in medical diagnostics testing has one of their Western Pennsylvania internal drivers call off from work at the last minute business must still go on. Their clients expect a 24/7/365 pick-up/delivery option given the life and death issues in this line of work. Consider that biological samples must make it to the lab for testing so physicians can get results immediately and determine treatment. By partnering with American Expediting, which offers back-up assistance, this medical diagnostics testing lab has ready use of our routed and STAT drivers, day or night. Pride of Ownership (Prestige): Can this courier help me maintain the appearance of national coverage? Customers often like to work with a single vendor who can manage their national delivery needs. No matter the goal--facilitating vendors, vendor loyalty, lower prices, or increased support--many customers prefer to work with fewer vendors and often the local ones. However, the local couriers must give the appearance of countrywide coverage. To achieve this image, they turn to the larger vendors such as American Expediting for help in completing the deliveries outside of their home territories. Result: local mom and pop courier companies, thanks to the larger players such as us, give the impression and service of size and win the hometown clients. Ego Satisfaction: Can this courier convince my Sales group and/or Executive Management that a transportation service can improve on the company’s bottom line? Like any manager or supervisor, inventory managers for national medical distributors want to shine for their bosses. However, with the responsibility of securing the availability of thousands of supplies and parts to surgery teams around the country at a moment’s notice while controlling the costs of each distribution site’s inventory, failure is inherent in the job. “Shining,” is a luxury. But, depending on the reliability of American Expediting Company to help replenish inventory among locations within a 100-mile radius and reduce their risks, these managers are able to demonstrate a higher rate of fulfillment, a reduction in overall costs, and finally, an improved bottom line. Let ‘em shine! Capitalizing on customers’ emotions with understanding and supplying them with real world examples of how you have helped other companies with similar needs, such as those above, will help reinforce their reasons for contacting you in the first place, and give you a better chance to earn their business.

American Expediting Company, a Logistics Solutions Provider and Same-Day Delivery Service, Launches PA CoStar Supreme Services for Pennsylvania State

On March 1st, 2011, American Expediting Company initiated the service operations of the CoStar SUPREME Program, a customized statewide same-day and next-day delivery service established by the State of Pennsylvania. The programs goal is to help State and Local agencies save money during recent budget cuts, by creating optimized shipping routes throughout the State of Pennsylvania for maximum efficiency.

All businesses, whether or not they fall under the Pennsylvania State CoStar program, now have access to the expanded service levels for same-day and next-day deliveries available from American Expediting Company. The company was recently awarded the State’s contract for courier service (No. 4400007816). This contract allows for same day and next day shipments under its guise by PA’s 7150 CoStar members, local governments, school districts and most non-profit educational or health institutions. At the same time that CoStar members are reducing their shipping expenditures, local business may also piggyback onto these predetermined routes, and can save up to 50% on their current supplier rates.

Since 1983 American Expediting has been evolving and improving the speed and reliability of expedited shipping instead of simply maintaining proficiency in only one sector of shipping. Evidence of this is found in their certifications and/or training modules for TSA and HIPPA deliveries. The former permits the courier to deliver packages scheduled on a commercial airline, and the latter provides essential training for handling secured information within the healthcare industry. Both moves have resulted in an expansion of markets throughout the nation and assured a foothold in growth industries. This foresight and planning has propelled the Company upward, gaining them recognition as one of the premiere state and national courier services to date.

Handling the shipping needs of Pennsylvania State agencies is the company’s newest branch on its service tree. Among the agencies using the service are the Departments of Environmental Protection, State Parks, the Department of Health, Workers Compensation, Forestry Service, and the Inspector General.

Thus, on a day-to-day basis across Pennsylvania, American Expediting is moving hundreds upon hundreds of time-sensitive and chain-of-custody documents, samples and products to help keep the state functioning properly. Shipments include water samples testing for the West Nile virus, Rabies samples, drug test specimens, and payroll checks to name a few. But their Supreme Service can offer all state companies solutions to the budgetary cuts affecting their business. A list of various services include:

Routed Deliveries: For a substantial savings, place your Next-Day packages on CoStar’s pre-

determined routes.

Next Day Service: CoStar members enjoy next day deliveries at prices that are specifically rated

for the State of Pennsylvania.

Same Day Direct Deliveries: Direct pick-up and delivery with no stops. Shipments completed

quickly, safely and securely.

Warehousing Capabilities: Secured facilities for all types of storage.

According to Hank Minskoff, American Expediting’s CoStar Coordinator, the company is adding new agencies to this service daily. “We’ve come so far in three short weeks,” he says, “ and many agencies are choosing to use the web portal we’ve created to place their orders.” The use of technology for placing and tracking orders has instantly improved the level of service that existing customers were previously experiencing. Reducing the time needed to place orders, automatic confirmation of deliveries, and easy billing are all features of this customized, upgraded service. Aggressive pricing and increased levels of service are truly the

S-U-P-R-E-M-E reasons for all businesses to select this alternative delivery service.

Caution: Changes in the Same Day Delivery Models and the Effect on Your Business

American Expediting Friends and Family,

Thought you would like to see the latest Press Release we published on the evolution of the same day courier business. This will be available to news sources throughout the country.

Let me know what you think....GB

With over 7,000 established couriers across the United States, there are plenty of same-day couriers to choose from if you are looking to have your package delivered by the end of the day. However, only a handful are remaining loyal to the traditional courier model with drivers available for rush and immediate delivery shipments. This is, in part, due to a variety of market factors forcing couriers to change, resulting in delays that could cost you real business from your clients. This article addresses these market factors and offers safer solutions for finding the most appropriate courier for your needs and thus maintaining your client base.

February, 2011 – Philadelphia, PA: With early roots exemplifying the American Dream of the “mom and pop” business, the same-day courier industry has blossomed over the past three decades into a cultured and mature business model. Initially for most, the majority of the work concentrated on moving legal documents quickly between locations. As the industry grew these couriers began building upon their original pick-up and delivery work with the addition of time sensitive and Chain of Custody shipments. Examples of these services included the pick-up and delivery of medical samples at a specific time of day; the distribution of Hollywood movie releases to safeguard against illegal duplications, and transportation of birds, fish and small mammals.

Twenty-five year industry veteran, Mark Sanner of American Expediting, has seen a tremendous change in the small parcel industry since his days with the “big brown” company. “Twenty years ago the FAX machine began biting into our business but now there are dozens of ways to electronically transmit documents and never call a courier. This has forced our industry to look for alternative growth avenues.”

Unfortunately, Sanner notes, a company attempting to adjust to a new growth opportunity can do so at the expense of its grass roots business. “We’ve seen our competitors drawn away from the urgent deliveries that their clients require.”

Glenn Berger, Director of Sales for American Expediting affirms this notion. “Just this afternoon we received another request for on-demand deliveries of medical specimens from the largest lab company in the country. The lab had received three complaints in the past week from their customers about late pick-ups of both medical organs and specimens. For them, that’s three disgruntled customers with patients that had to be retested.”

What was eventually discovered was that the previous courier had been combining multiple deliveries with other non-related shipments. Test results needed in the hands of doctors within a few hours had not even arrived at the lab. Compounding the service failure was jeopardy to the specimen results due to the temperature instability from the lengthier delivery period.

To get an idea of changes in the landscape of the courier business, you just need to consider the retail industry. Just ten short years ago, consumers travelled to their local electronics store for televisions, to their local bookstores for new releases and to clothing stores for the latest fashions. Today many of those items are being delivered to homes as a result of convenient online ordering capabilities. To give you an idea of the volume of packages involved, a single Internet retailer is delivering up to 20,000 packages per day in the Chicago region.

”With courier companies becoming more involved in this routed business, many are losing site of their roots,” says Sanner.

Thus, the best solution is doing your homework. Ask potential couriers for references, especially in your geographic area. Make sure they are servicing similar customers in your industry. Obtain firm commitments on pick-up and delivery times, and request email notifications when your packages are being picked up and delivered. When your business reputation is on the line, you will want to only work with those couriers that can offer you solid, sensible solutions.

Same Day Courier Helping Night Time Customers

As the demand for American Expediting's same day delivery services expand, and we open new offices across the country, our shining star employees experience new challenges. Holiday weekends tend to bring special challenges with demand peaking just as businesses are shutting down for the weekend. As a 24/7 /365 operation, we never sleep.

This past Wednesday night, the Eve of Thanksgiving, brought a tremendous increase in business in our cities, including one special move out of our Seattle location. Our customer represents one of the larger Aircraft manufacturer's in the country. They had an Emergency parts move requirement, where a part was picked up at 10:00PM and needed to go delivered to an Aerospace repair shop in British Columbia four hours away. When the required paperwork to transport the product over the Canadian Border was delayed, our National Call Center agent, Bill Linko stepped to the plate and made sure that the delivery was made as quickly as possible. Here is the customer referral that we received, a true Thanksgiving Testimonial for using our company.

Please convey my sincere appreciation to your folks in PIT (Pittsburgh National Call Center) last night that did a fantastic job (especially Bill) getting our shipment through customs this morning. Any carrier can get a shipment from point A to point B. What differentiates the good carriers from mediocre carriers is how problems are handled as they occur. Your team was all over it until the issue was resolved. I also know that you were a part of the solution this morning as well; greatly appreciated. - Wayne, Owner , E.P.L.

When we are asked how did we grow our business in a struggling economy, I tell them that we keep our customers happy, giving them reason to use us again, and making them comfortable in using us in all of our offices. Customer Service is truly the backbone of American Expediting!

Same Day Courier Taking Orlando By Storm

SAME DAY COURIER TAKING ORLANDO BY STORM
In the midst of a struggling economy, local Orlando courier, specializing in same day deliveries, sees tremendous growth. Their dedicated 24/7 Operations team and local Sales/Support team are currently offering a FREE logistic evaluations for transportation professionals looking at options for increasing their own customer service offering. Crediting their success to a combination of factors including: expanded coverage, increased warehousing, and a national footprint service offering, with an end result of a 40% increase in year-to-date sales.
Orlando, Florida, November 18, 2010 – While leading transportation companies are experiencing six percent to 9 percent increases this year, American Expediting Company, a local Orlando courier company, is bucking the trend of a spiraling local economy, and is experiencing a forty percent increase Year-to-Date. Operations Manager, Bob Carabello, is predicting that their increase in both rush deliveries and routed deliveries foreshadows a better economy for the region. Bob states, “It’s probably a good thing that our business isn’t tied into the real estate industry.” “Our customer and our offering are extremely diverse, probably because our sales team, led by Joan Gordon, are clued into the current market trends.”
American Expediting is part of a National privately held company based out of Philadelphia, PA, with 36 offices across the country, and currently servicing over 200 cities. The Florida market also includes distribution centers in Tampa and Miami, and drivers throughout the entire state. The company is one of those amazing stories of a single entrepreneur, working out of his garage in the early 1980’s, with a determination to build a business based on customer service. This core principal has been integral to every office that they open, and has resulted in above average customer retention.
In the past twelve months the Orlando office moved their physical operation to Winter Park, Florida in order to accommodate the growing customer demand for increased parts storage. Six months after the move, they found themselves needing more space, and were fortunate to be able to double their space by occupying the spot vacant next door. They are centrally located to many key Orlando businesses and close to the MCO airport for customers requiring TSA certified drivers. Additionally, they have available couriers who are both HIPPA and OSHA-trained and are experienced in transporting blood specimens and transplant organs, as well as time-critical medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.
As a Sales Logistics specialist, Ms. Gordon helps her clients find efficient and effective solutions for expanding their delivery offerings. “With the growth of internet marketing, my customers want to find ways to step out of their local brick and mortar storefront, and offer their products to a customer base in a wider geographic area.” Says Ms. Gordon. In addition to working with retail based clients, American Expediting specializes in the following markets: Medical Supplies, Laboratory Specimen Testing, Emergency Parts Replenishment, Specialty Food Distribution, Process Serving, Transportation Partners, and Pet Deliveries. Ms. Gordon speaks about how her national sales team builds on the company founder’s philosophy of strong customer service. “We like to make a difference with each and every delivery made.” She ends her bi-weekly sales conference calls with the charge, AT AMERICAN EXPEDITING WE HELP TO SAVE LIVES.

American Expediting Courier Expands in Questionable Economy

Everyday, conflicting reports are issued by the media, the White House, and the economic experts about our economy: it’s improving, it’s holding steady, it’s declining. Who knows what to believe. This article studies a specific company in the same day transportation industry, and how their service industry is adjusting to the real market conditions by helping their customers to consolidate vendors.

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) September 1, 2010 – American Expediting,a national courier and logistics company specializing in same-day delivery of time critical packages and freight, is experiencing growth in many regions across the country. With this expansion comes the need to hire new operations and sales staff, therefore bucking the unemployment trend. We’re told that the unemployment level is one barometer for gauging economic health. When the unemployment numbers go down, the economy is thought to be growing. But there is a flaw in this theory. Could it not be that unemployment remains high while the economy grows healthier?

The answer is yes. Years ago when this country began feeling the effects of the economy’s illness, companies everywhere learned how to operate more efficiently. Consider: what once took eight employees to accomplish now takes seven. Businesses discovered and pared their “fat;” they learned and utilized the endless available technological applications and they perfected the art of redistributing the workload.

In other words, companies, such as American Expediting Company, are now working smarter and, despite the economic gloom, it is paying off.

This transportation service provider has created a network of carriers and has positioned itself to offer the benefits of such a program to companies utilizing multiple carriers.

“This move has been a dream of mine since 1983 when I started this company,” says Victor Finnegan, President and CEO. “We are now able to provide same-day transportation solutions throughout the United States and into Canada through a highly skilled and professional group of employees and courier agents.”

Director of Marketing, Glenn Berger, says “CFOs from companies across the country love the idea because they can consolidate their vendor relationships using a single source rather than 20 or 200 different vendors. This enables them greater control of their spending and provides uniform pricing resulting in significant savings on all fronts.”

Mark Sanner, Director of Operations, heads up the company’s National Call Center. He notes the investments recently made in people and technology helped streamline order-taking and the vendor management aspects of those transactions. “We like being able to pass the savings onto our customers and it’s great when they express amazement at being able to rely on us to handle all of their delivery requirements and still see savings on the bottom line.”

As the positive results of the program became tangible, American Expediting Company sought to maximize their existing locations by expanding their warehouses. In one month, three of their facilities expanded: the Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Orlando sites.

In Pittsburgh the office moved into a new location to make room for added parts storage and medical distribution customers. The new office location also accommodates the addition of a National Call Center staff, which operates on a 24/7/365 basis.

An increased demand for airport pick-ups and deliveries resulted in the company’s Cleveland facility to relocate to a site 25 percent larger than its previous space. In the same time period, American Expediting’s Orlando office more than doubled their existing warehouse space due to a greater demand for computer parts storage.

“These moves were the easy part of growing our business,” says Finnegan. “We have always believed in a slow and controlled growth process, growing from a one-facility operation initially to 34 locations currently.”

Additional company growth is evident in the mid-year opening of three new branches in Chicago, Hartford, and Clarksburg, West VA. These geographical markets have a built-in customer base that is already using the company’s services in other parts of the country.

This is a prime example of how to prosper under questionable economic times. Growing a business model that fits what the customer is looking to accomplish.....Consolidation. Whether you are in the courier industry or another service industry, this is the future. Teaching us the importance of staying ahead of the competition regardless of the publics perception of economic climate.

Courier Lab and Animal Deliveries During the Dog Days of Summer

While most of the country is experiencing extreme heat, which appears will continue for the next several weeks, our Operations team is reiterating the American Expediting courier procedures for handling medical samples and live animal deliveries. All locations are posting the following reminder...

Please make sure that when we are transporting temperature sensitive materials, such as lab animals, medication, blood etc- we are reminding the drivers of our clients requirements. A significant temperature change can cause samples and medication to become damaged and in the event of animals, it can alter lab results or even kill them.These products can become rather expensive so please, ask the drivers when dispatching to keep their air conditioning turned up, bring a second set of keys with them so that they can leave their AC running in between deliveries, and try to avoid direct sunlight onto the boxes.

Our company has had an excellent success record, and with these subtle reminders, we plan on keeping it that way.

Same Day Delivery in Pittsburgh - Making A Difference

178 yard, Par 3, Island Green Golf Course, Philadelphia, PA. Two Feet from a Hole in One. Had it gone in the hole, I would have bought the clubhouse a drink at the bar, called everyone that I have ever known, and definitely would have had a story to tell for the rest of my life. Instead, my loyal blog readers are the only people who share in this story, and how I combine it with how going the extra mile can make a difference in someones life.

My mother, Rene, is struggling with various ailments including cancer. The doctors at UPMC in Pittsburgh have been doing a great job of caring for her, but now the cancer has spread to her back. The result is excruciating pain, and the inability to get up from her bed. Once she is up, she is fine, it's lifting herself that is the problem. The fantastic long term life insurance we purchased will not allow for in home care until 90 days have passed from the requested day, therefore my brother, Jay, has been by her side 24 hours a day. Yesterday she had to have a treatment of Radioactive Chemotherapy to try to kill off some of the cancer cells, which comes with a warning that other people should stay away from you for 48 hours. I always thought my mother glowed, but now everyone can agree. The result, mom has to be secluded, without the ability to get out of bed for food, drink, etc.,

The moment the therapy was over, my siblings, Debbi and Jay, called to ask if American Expediting can pick up a special chair from Medic Rescue Healthcare and have it delivered sameday. Apparently, at 4:30PM no medical supply firms in the city had the ability to get something delivered in short notice. I called our Pittsburgh office to see if they could expedite a pickup 40+ miles away, during rush hour, and in a torrential rain storm. Not only did the driver arrive approximately one hour later for pickup, no fewer than five American Expediting employees watched over this job to make sure that it was delivered. The result, this morning my mother had the first decent nights sleep in a week, she had one less thing to worry about, and she didn't spread the radiation to her family.

Thank you to the Pittsburgh team for helping to make a difference in my families life. To Mark, Scott, Jennifer, Dale, and Fred for executing flawlessly, to driver 3383 for going the extra step, and finally to my brother-in-law, Joe Manich, the best son my mother could have, who bought the expensive chair in the first place.

If you are curious if I made the birdie putt, please don't ask.

BEWARE OF THAT BIG BAD TANTALIZING DISCOUNT

Are you enticed by a product advertisement promising 10% off your best price?

Many people are and just as many are being hoodwinked by wily manufacturers; manufacturers who have assigned different model numbers or names to the same, identical product. They do this so that they can sell their branded product to both large discount retailers who can afford to resell those items for less, and to smaller retailers who specialize in “service.”

These marketing-savvy manufacturers know that the simple addition of the word “discount” in their advertisements guarantees sales traffic if not outright sales.

But now there are technical tools available for consumers that help them perform an “apples vs. apples” comparison of the same products on sale by competing retailers. Such websites as Nextag, Shopzilla, and Bizrate enable a shopper to find specific model numbers, the stores selling these models (both online and brick and mortar retailers), and the various prices. With their help, the potential customer can weed through the comparative features of each model and make an educated decision on whether a 10% discount off of a competitor’s best price is of any consequence.

Does a service discount entice as well?

It is my opinion that the service industry is a different animal that doesn’t lend itself to discount advertising. If you don’t agree or wonder why, consider the following:

Imagine that a same-day courier service advertised a 10% discount off the best delivery prices being offered by their competitors during a specific month. Now, try applying the apples vs. apples products comparison model to this “services” comparison discount.

I find it isn’t applicable. That is because for 50% of service customers price is the priority, but for the other 50% of customers value and performance are the deciding factors. For that group, customer service, reliability, communications, online access and reporting all come into play.

A recent presentation by one of the top pharmaceutical suppliers spoke to this exact scenario. According to the assessment, couriers who cut corners to achieve lower prices can leave customers vulnerable to fines, theft, and late deliveries.

Being cognizant of those possibilities would certainly give rise to other service questions by that courier among prospective customers. They may worry that the assigned driver often gets lost resulting in rush delivery delays. They may wonder if their assigned courier has working air conditioners for transporting sensitive medical STATs. Or, they may question if their assigned driver is the one who fails to lock his vehicle carrying their pharmaceuticals valued at $100,000. These are all legitimate concerns and all actual incidences from the courier industry’s archives.

“Personally, I believe these advertisements a 10% discount cheapens the entire courier industry” says Victor Finnegan, President of Philadelphia-based American Expediting Company.

Finnegan, who is opening four new locations over the next month, plans to promote his sites by guaranteeing better service for every month of the year, not only in the new Chicago, Hartford, Boston and West Virginia offices, but in his other 28+ locations. By promising “better” service across the board, Finnegan stands behind his Operations Team, a dedicated team of professionals committed to delivering the best value and performance of any courier in the nation at competitive prices.

So, when you’re looking for the best service and value for your important package deliveries, be “penny wise, not pound foolish,” in the words of another Philadelphian: the late Benjamin Franklin.