Transportation and logistics service provider Pilot Freight Services is delivering critical medical supplies and equipment—ranging from surgical masks to life-saving ventilators—to destinations across the country by using a safety-first “clean room” solution created specifically for the coronavirus crisis.
Pilot created the “clean rooms” within its logistics facility in Piscataway, New Jersey, saying the system allows medical engineers and technicians to inspect, clean, test, and validate patient monitoring equipment. Pilot adapted existing delivery protocols to meet rigorous safety standards to protect Pilot employees, client employees, and hospital staff.
As a result, medical equipment can be cleaned, tested, and repacked for delivery to hospitals in New York City that are in need, all within 24 hours of arrival. The company os also continuing to work with global partners in Asia to move critical healthcare supplies such as hand sanitizer and medical masks to the U.S.
“In this rapidly changing environment, Pilot is committed to rising to the challenge of providing critical logistics and supply chain support,” Pilot President and chief commercial officer John Hill said in a release. “I am very proud of our drivers and field team for their hard work and ability to create solutions quickly in these crucial moments.”
And in other examples of the logistics industry dedicating its assets to the coronavirus fight:
- Columbus, Ohio-based Rickenbacker International Airport and its logistics partners are connecting the region’s healthcare industry with critically needed medical supplies. For example, airfreight forwarding companies are using their connections to bring personal protective equipment (PPE) into the U.S.—RCS Logistics, which normally ships fashion products, is now receiving three weekly flights of medical supplies out of Shanghai. And Wen-Parker Logistics is coordinating additional weekly flights of PPE from Vietnam and Thailand.
- Crowdsourced delivery company Roadie has partnered with Tractor Supply to expand the retailer's same-day delivery service. The move meets increased delivery demand due to the coronavirus pandemic, and now allows customers to get anything they need the same day, without having to leave their farm or home—for products ranging from livestock feed and dog food, to power tools, tillers, riding lawn mowers, and chicken coops. The partners have ramped up same-day delivery to include all U.S. locations, adding the option for 80% of their locations in less than three weeks.
- Ocean transportation and logistics provider Seaboard Marine says recent expansions of its infrastructure are allowing it to handle a jump in demand triggered by the coronavirus crisis by boosting the volume of fresh fruits and vegetables imported from Central and South America. Seaboard has lately expanded the size of its container fleet and reinvested in its services, such as increasing its refrigerated power capacity and adding a cold chamber for inspections and transfers.
- Supply chain software provider One Network Enterprises has partnered with health care solutions vendor Vizient Inc. to create a health care supply chain transparency platform. The product is planned to launch by April 20 and will be offered at no cost during the coronavirus crisis to Vizient’s health care members, distributors, and suppliers. Specifically, the platform will support a two-sided marketplace that adds visibility and improves collaboration between health care organizations and suppliers, improving the the forecast, inventory availability, and consumption of goods.
To see further coverage of the coronavirus crisis and how it's affecting the logistics industry, check out our Covid-19 landing page. And click here for our compilation of virus-focused websites and resource pages from around the supply chain sector.
