Archived Logistics Help

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Messages
672
Hey Team!
Need some insight.... Without giving to much detail, my store has had HUGE trucks the past month. Im talking 2600, 2450, 2300 (three times a week) for a C volume store... Not to mention Repack counts like 230, 213, 199, 243... Some of our trucks are Larger than the AA volume store in the district.

I need insight into what I should be looking for? HQ is already looking at it, but any thoughts as to what I can look into at the store level.... Going to be honest Logistics is not my thing, I know the basics and a little more, but insight would be great! Thanks!
 
Are there colleges anywhere near your store? Because gotta get all those mattress pads and fridges in somehow. Also, Halloween is coming up. When I'm sorting repacks I've been getting costumes and fall home décor for a while now.

Its that time of the year where freight's going to ramp up. Partially because more reasons to buy things and also I'm guessing because the DC needs to make more room. Also maybe see if instocks is doing a lot of changing counts or something I guess?
 
Are there colleges anywhere near your store? Because gotta get all those mattress pads and fridges in somehow. Also, Halloween is coming up. When I'm sorting repacks I've been getting costumes and fall home décor for a while now.

Its that time of the year where freight's going to ramp up. Partially because more reasons to buy things and also I'm guessing because the DC needs to make more room. Also maybe see if instocks is doing a lot of changing counts or something I guess?

Average transition merchandise.... Not to many schools, were an unaffected store for Back To School..... I know its time for freight to start ramping up! Thats what scares me!!!!!!! We can't take any larger trucks.. Ive been attacking in stocks for a while now.... Its not that, from what I can tell. My STL and I even stopped scanning in stocks for two weeks, to see if that made a difference.... Nope Trucks over 2200! with huge repack counts :-( And were not making sales...
 
I am a lowly flow tm. I don't know my stores volume. We are a 6 am that recently started push all. We had 4 trucks a week. They were 2300 to 2500. We added a truck and usually they are 2000 at most. Don't know if that is an option for you but it helped us. We are number 1 in our district and a month ago comping up 6%.
 
I know since we are in the transition to Halloween (And dreaded trim-a-tree...Just saw a few of those the other day) the trucks may be full of candy and all that sorts.

By any chance is your store taking part in the 9/4 Star Wars event? That may be effecting it as well. I doubt it, but ASANTS..

We need the Flow gurus in here!
 
I know since we are in the transition to Halloween (And dreaded trim-a-tree...Just saw a few of those the other day) the trucks may be full of candy and all that sorts.

By any chance is your store taking part in the 9/4 Star Wars event? That may be effecting it as well. I doubt it, but ASANTS..

We need the Flow gurus in here!
I saw one of these come off the truck today, along with too many timers and switches for outlets over this week. Too soon man, too soon.
 
Shit's been cray-cray at the DC the last couple of months. We've been told that the stores have exceeded forecasts beyond what anyone expected for BTC/BTS. Even now, traditionally a lull from now til late Oct/early Nov, we're running like it's still mid summer.

A big thing HQ has been cracking down on us is also our cube metrics (how empty space is in a trailer), so improvement there would increase truck size.

Also, you might wanna see how much PIPO you're getting. Less PIPO means more for conveyable, ergo higher carton counts.
 
There are so many factors that could go into this.. Most stores are trending higher sales, there's several new sets coming in (Star Wars, Halloween Decor, Halloween Candy, Early Trim), Labor day and Football are coming (increased food sales), Instocks scans, OTL increases. The list goes on! As @dabeastfromtheeast said, I've noticed reduced PIPO pallets at my store (namely water, since the direct shipments are kicking in) so more stuff can fit.

What kind of stuff are you getting on these trailers? This would be a lot easier to diagnose if I could see your store :p
 
From my limited experience with logistics it sounds like the DC is dumping merchandise on your store. Busier stores don't notice it as much because they take more trucks and it gets spread out. You guys take 3 trucks a week so it will be more apparent.

I suggest trying to get approved for a 4th unload per week. Are you a push all? Is this frieght coming off as transition or already set? All of this makes a difference.
 
Shit's been cray-cray at the DC the last couple of months. We've been told that the stores have exceeded forecasts beyond what anyone expected for BTC/BTS. Even now, traditionally a lull from now til late Oct/early Nov, we're running like it's still mid summer.

A big thing HQ has been cracking down on us is also our cube metrics (how empty space is in a trailer), so improvement there would increase truck size.

Also, you might wanna see how much PIPO you're getting. Less PIPO means more for conveyable, ergo higher carton counts.

This could explain why the Ultra Ultra Low Volume store is getting a 2400 piece truck tomorrow....... :-(
 
My store gets at least one truck a night with 2300-2500 piece trailers. Some nights they get doubles. Heard Lod asking another ETL to help unload water pallets of a trailer. Later on saw 6-8 pallets of Polar Spring spread out through steel we normally don't place them.
 
My store gets at least one truck a night with 2300-2500 piece trailers. Some nights they get doubles. Heard Lod asking another ETL to help unload water pallets of a trailer. Later on saw 6-8 pallets of Polar Spring spread out through steel we normally don't place them.

Big question. Were they located? I can understand stuff being a little weird when someone is helping out, but if it is located? I can find it. That makes all the difference.
 
There are so many factors that could go into this.. Most stores are trending higher sales, there's several new sets coming in (Star Wars, Halloween Decor, Halloween Candy, Early Trim), Labor day and Football are coming (increased food sales), Instocks scans, OTL increases. The list goes on! As @dabeastfromtheeast said, I've noticed reduced PIPO pallets at my store (namely water, since the direct shipments are kicking in) so more stuff can fit.

What kind of stuff are you getting on these trailers? This would be a lot easier to diagnose if I could see your store :p

All of this^^^
It has to be transition or your sales are just through the roof. The DC will slide you some extra stuff at times, but not as such a steady pace, for a extended period without something else at play. When you say average transition, what around is that to you. I am the same volume as you and we have averaged anywhere from 300-450 every truck for two weeks, which is normal for the time of year, but you should not average that number all year I would not think.
 
Big question. Were they located? I can understand stuff being a little weird when someone is helping out, but if it is located? I can find it. That makes all the difference.

I meant in the general area of steel and no they weren't located. They seem like surplus to me.
 
I meant in the general area of steel and no they weren't located. They seem like surplus to me.
All stores got a direct shipment of their regional water (Ice Mountain, Deer Park, Ozarka) as it's on ad the following weeks and there's even an additional cartwheel starting Sunday. I think our shipment was 8 and we have another 8 due in 2 weeks.
 
We had to shove ours under the transition steel. Not enough lower bulk locations and too heavy to stack.
 
This could explain why the Ultra Ultra Low Volume store is getting a 2400 piece truck tomorrow....... :-(

This may be partially the case....

Many DC's no longer have true cut off times, they just can keep filling your trailer until either its full or they HAVE to send it (so if the truck driver has to leave the DC at 6PM to get to your store by 4AM, they will fill it until 5:55PM). This in general means that your trailers will be larger due to them not just canceling or sending smaller trailers even when they could have kept filling in the past.

However, this would not account for a consistent increase to freight in your building. You would wash out after a few weeks and have to cancel a trailer (still receiving the same amount of freight either way). You stated that the transition breakdown from the trailer is average compared to previous transitional periods? The extra eaches are not accounted for through transition merchandise?

If its not transition, and you are truly receiving consistently more freight without a sales increase (your forecasts and goals are not the same as your comps, you could be comping up 8% but just making "sales" if your STL adjusted them)... then you will have to answer a few more questions...

1) How are your A-Markdowns? Are any departments experiencing large problems?
2) Where are your top and bottom comping departments?
3) How is your OOS %?
4) How are your Flexible Fullfilment metrics? Are you a ship from store building? Are you receiving any changes to this process?
 
I dont know my volume but our forecasts avg 70k to maybe 95k or so on weekends the past couple months. 3 trucks a week. Our average since the summer has been 2200+ on almost all flow trucks. Couple 2600+ in there. Push all Process

This doesn't really contain the information needed to answer the question. If your store is ULV but your sales mix is heavily in commodities (food and hba) then you will naturally have a higher eaches on the trailers than a store that is heavily GM sales in the same sales volumes.

The question that needs to be answered is, "Is the increased freight flow and eaches actually selling?"... If your A-Markdowns are not seeing an increase then it appears they are sending you more product that is actually selling.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top