"Together Talks" feature # 109: LOGSA Mil Moves presented by KLS, freight company
Some Background on LOGSA Mil Moves
For today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the opportunity to interview LOGSA Mil Moves and Isabel Schmitt, Co-Founder. LOGSA Mil Moves is focused on solving the problems of Quality and Care when it comes to servicing military households during relocation. They partner with the moving industry to add capacity, build relationships and focus on quality during the busiest and most stressful season of movement for our military members and their families. They help industry partners improve the customer experience and decrease claims. Their greatest assets are their certified packers, Military Spouses, who know and understand the frustrations, stress and need for increased professionalism and communication in the industry. With this force there is innovation, a can-do spirit, where packing is an art forged with the safe handling of every household's story - comprised of their precious items. THIS is why they are pledging to raise the bar and be the BEST in the industry.
Been there done that
In 2020, Co-Founders Isabel and (Enter name please!) created their company. Remarkably they were across the world with one here in the states in Washington DC and the other in South Korea. Both Co-Founders are not only Veterans, but Military Spouses as well. Unfortunately all of traction and momentum they had created came to a screeching halt due to the Pandemic. "We had done all of this training of crews prior to launching and then we couldn't book any business due to everything being shut down.", Isabel explained. They had planned on a huge first year, but during "busy season" for military moves (May 15th-August 15th), they had only 6 jobs.
Instead of that derailing their company, they used the extra available time to continue to train and really get into the weeds as Isabel put it. They became resourceful and trained every contractor over zoom. The work paid off as over the first three years not a single claim was filed against them. That is a remarkable accomplishment in this sector. Isabel also mentioned how they put a huge focus on collecting as much data as possible those first three seasons to propel them forward.
He main reason for creating this company was to add capacity for military household goods moving. Prior to their company they both worked as government contractors. They had the vision to solve a problem in the industry that relates to their community. At the same time they could offer employment opportunities by staffing military members and spouses. To them it was truly a win-win solution. What gave them the belief that they could enter this industry and make an immediate impact, well their experience for one. Between them they had moved a combined 27 times. Their combined experience being on the other side of the equation gave them first hand opportunity to evaluate what went right and what could be improved. Being the faces of the company they can relate to other members with each and every move.
Military customers
The current niche for LOGSA Mil Moves is military members themselves as the customers who would normally move through the government department system. Typically the government handles the move on behalf of the military member. However when military members move through LOGSA Mil Moves it is a completely different move. The move is completed using the Personally Procured Move. They are able to take their budget and take it out to the market amongst their network of contracted options.
Another aspect where this company really is different from the industry standard is their empathy, communication, and quality. Isabel said while most companies say boots on the ground, their motto is "Shoes in the house". "Our community of spouses and members moving have our own language and culture. We come from this environment. Our spouses are still active duty. We get it through and through.", Isabel explained. With so much experience they lean on their commitment to accountability with each move. She mentioned their slogan of "Shoes in the house", which is because their face and reputation is always on the line. LOGSA Mil Moves work with the best teams, drivers, movers, to create policies that are not only easily understood and implementable, but achievable each time. For every single move.
Partner with KLS
KLS offers LTL and FTL for both dry and reefer transportation.
Our nationwide coverage provides companies a reliable, consistent, and dependable logistics partner to handle your trucking needs.
For more information on how we can help call our office today 708-980-0920 or reach us via our email quote request here!
Post-Covid Labor
Coming out of the Pandemic finding labor become harder and harder. Isabel explained that quality labor was rarely available and even less was employable due to not wanting to be a 1099 contract. The moving industry is labor-intense type of work. Being a contract-heavy business means that without properly hiring they cannot fully handle their business obligations. This has forced them to be strategic with their growth to not enter a market without the necessary connections and partnerships to execute moves.
Isabel mentioned that while nationwide the east coast is their strongest region currently. The company's ability to understand that every emotion is tied to a home, gives them the connection to take pride and care with each move. "With how often we move and how little notice we get or choice of where we are going, where we live is a special place we curate to make it ours. The way you dress a home once settled is really important." Isabel explained. She continued, "When you become detached from friends, families, schools, communities, the only thing you have left is your new space you curate. It is what makes it feel like home." LOGSA Mil Moves understands this and the importance they put on protecting those items for a safe move so that a member can feel like they still have their roots in their new living situation is paramount.
Evidence of being claim free for the first three years, the company never compromises on quality which they believe makes them feel empowered. They've had opportunities to partner in ways that weren't in the best interest of their customer base, so they passed. They understand which opportunities support their vision and their goal and supplement their quest for achieving the highest quality possible. Isabel has found that their partnerships with smaller owner-operators have proven to be the most fortuitous. Growing and expanding means there is a larger chance of mistakes happening. But Isabel believes that by growing smartly they can put stopgaps in place to avoid pitfalls and maintain their expected level of quality.
Flexibility to create change
Having the authority to not be weighed down by restrictions and regulations to make company decisions is very appealing. Being outside of the defense system she can do the move how her and the company see fit and what is in the best interest of the military member. Being a military spouse and a Mother, Isabel credited the flexibility as what she appreciates most about leading her company. She is able to shape her schedule to be as efficient as possible and maximize time which she said is the greatest thing being a military spouse. The balance of life she has obtained with this new job is something she is very grateful of.
Isabel explained that they had no trepidation creating this venture, "We were determined to bust out of the door and say 'We are here to do this'. Then the industry said you can't, but we developed the proof of concept." Early on they had to learn what contracted labor looked like and what they were willing to pay. Understanding the process, becoming problem solvers, and creating a reputation that demanded an expected level of performance is the foundation in which they built LOGSA Mil Moves. Once the Pandemic was through the fears shifted from "are we in over our head?" to "are we growing too fast?" Isabel told us. But intelligently they shifted their mindset from fear and morphed it into strategy to handle supply and demand. She still operates with fear, but it is the fear of letting down a customer due to a service failure.
Reflecting on her journey, Isabel shared some hard lessons she had to learn along the way. "Recently I learned you can't trust everyone. A huge national company sent someone to learn what we were doing, but it was done deceitfully. While it is frustrating another company is trying to steal our processes, it is flattering right? It shows what we are doing works and ultimately signals success." Despite the hiccups of running a company and the recent experience Isabel stated how this opportunity brings her so much joy.
Piece of Advice
The conversation with Isabel ended with her sharing her piece of advice:
"Be your authentic self. Even if means you’ll give up too much or hold some cards really close. At the end of the day, that is why people are drawn to me. Time is our most precious resource. People you spend time with regardless of friends, family, or business partners you want to enjoy spending time with them. Attract the right type of people in your environment. There is enough business for all of us out here so do business with people you enjoy being around."
Interested in being featured with "Together Talks"?
KLS is booking our upcoming schedule now!
Contact us as we would love to learn your story and share it amongst our audience.
Weekly we provide 2 companies our platform to expand their reach courtesy of our campaign. Let's collaborate!!!
In Closing
KLS wants to thank Isabel Schmitt, Co-Founder of LOGSA Mil Moves for today's "Together Talks" feature. Follow along for their journey with their social handles below!
Klimson Logistics Solutions - Together Talks with LOGSA Mil Moves feature # 109
*Klimson Logistics Solutions is an Industry Leading Customer Service 3PL. Our focus and commitment to our clients has us striving to be the BEST customer service 3PL for LTL, FTL, Reefer, and Drayage in the country. KLS, freight company, is a 3PL providing nationwide logistics solutions. KLS shipping services include: LTL freight, FTL freight, Reefer LTL freight, Reefer FTL freight, and Drayage. Klimson Logistics Solutions thanks you for viewing our marketing campaign, "Together Talks". If you have any interest in being featured or questions regarding your freight operations please contact us today!
Why KLS?
Our precise and reliable effort.
We handle every shipment with the exact same process. It does not matter if you move one shipment a year or ten per day, you will receive the same level of customer service from us. When we started this company, we had one goal in mind, treat every shipment like it was our own. With our vast knowledge of the industry, we understood what a customer would want from a communication standpoint. We applied that process to be the standard here at KLS. Our reliability and being able to depend on our consistency is why we have such long-standing relationships with our clients.
Our Process?
Every shipment in our industry starts with a quote. We are firm believers that time is money, thus we strive to have quotes back in a 5-10 minute reply time for LTL and FTL, any FCL quotes are at the mercy of the carriers getting back to us. For LTL we have the flexibility to quote both off of NMFC and also Density depending on the carrier. Utilizing our services, you’re allowing us to use our expertise to class your freight accordingly to ensure we are providing the best rate we possibly can.
Once a quote has been submitted and a client chooses to proceed with KLS handling the arrangement of the shipment our full process begins. We create the BOL that will be used for the shipment. If it is a new location for our system, we will obtain all the important/special details (reference numbers, contact details, shipping hours, closed for lunch, dock/doors, etc.). We meticulously build every detail into our software for all future shipments involving that location. After we have both locations built and necessary reference numbers have been applied we will tender the shipment to the carrier. We use this method because it provides us a real time pickup number from the carrier to obtain updates prior to pickup. Our staff will either email the BOL directly to you or to the shipper (at your request) the minute after the tender has been accepted by the carrier. LTL carriers require a 2 hour window prior to close time in order to schedule it for a same-day pickup attempt.
The following morning you’ll receive an email from us. It will either provide the reason the pickup was missed (driver’s trailer filled up, driver missed the close time, truck broke down, shipper said no freight, etc.) or if the pickup was successful you will receive the PRO (tracking) number from us, along with the eta for delivery. Our staff will track it throughout the duration of transit and advise if anything happens that will alter the estimated delivery date. The day the shipment delivers we will email you with confirmation and the POD (Proof of Delivery), should you require it.
Your shipment has been quoted, scheduled, picked up, and delivered. The next step is waiting for the carrier to invoice us and make sure the rate matches up. If it does, we close out the invoice from the carrier in our system and automatically your invoice is created and sent to the requested party at your company. In the event the carrier has an additional charge on their invoice “Variance”, we will never send you an invoice with an additional charge without first identifying you of the charge.
Let us repeat, NEVER WILL WE JUST BILL OUT AN EXTRA CHARGE WITHOUT YOU BEING NOTIFIED.
You are our customer, we represent you. Should the carrier provide an extra charge on an invoice, “Lift gate, additional weight, reclass, detention, etc.) We notify you of the charge via email first. Second, within that email we identify what is required should you choose to dispute the charge. Again our goal is to honor your request, if you want to dispute, we will dispute. During a dispute we will provide you updates every step along the way. Once a dispute is closed out, whether it is approved or rejected, then we will invoice you as the invoice has been resolved.
For reference, our company only had 6.2% of all shipments go to dispute in 2022 and we successfully won 91% of those disputes on behalf of our customers.
This is our process for every single shipment you move with us. We don’t cut corners, we don’t hide from difficult situations. We believe in being available, honest, and transparent. We don’t ever want to tell you that a shipment is lost, damaged, misrouted, but it is our duty to notify you the second we find out something has gone wrong. We hate to present bad news, but it is part of the job. What you can guarantee is that we will work a shipment all the way through and turn over every stone until we get a resolution for our clients.
Services offered?
Our core business is LTL and FTL. Within these options we have options for both dry and refrigerated/frozen. We also offer FCL/Drayage options. Our company as a 3PL has nationwide options and services clients across the US.
Let’s breakdown our services more in-depth
LTL:
Standard and Guaranteed
CFS (Imports & Exports)
Tradeshows
Hazmat
Anything that is on a pallet can be moved LTL. Typically LTL is up to 10 pallets, but the sweet spot for a carrier is 6-8 pallets at most for an individual shipment. LTL quotes are good between 5-30 days depending on the carrier. LTL can be quoted either via NMFC or density to determine the class (we do this for you).
Volume:
Anything over 10-12’ of space in the truck is the technical rule for a volume shipment. When we run a quote for you we will determine if it qualifies for volume and provide you a rate if available. Volume moves allow you to get a reduced rate for larger shipments. The caveat to volume shipments it the quotes are only valid for 3-7 days and they move on capacity between terminals. If a terminal is backed up they will move their LTL freight first before the volume freight, which can lead to longer transit times for volume moves.
FTL/Dedicated/Expedited: 53’ Dry and Reefer 26’ Box trucks with lift gate Sprinter Van The main difference for FTL vs LTL is space and transit time. For standard pallets you can fit either 26 or 30 pallets in a 53’ dry van. The other main difference is transit time, for FTL each day counts in the transit time, whereas LTL does not count the day of pickup, weekends, or holidays in their transit time.
Reefer/Frozen:
LTL and FTL
We specialize working in the CPG space with food manufacturers. We regularly deliver to
the following locations:
Kehe
UNFI
Core Mark
DPI
Wegmans
Cugini
H.T. Hackney
Netrition
HEB
ALDI
Chambers and Owens
EBY Brown
Nassau Candy
Harris Teeter
Wakefern
NU INC
Long Distribution
What makes KLS different?
There are thousands of freight brokers and 3PL in our industry. Barrier to entry is rather easy and agents or owners will often hire sales people without any intention of properly training them. It results in high turnover for many freight companies and a forgettable experience for the client. We choose to operate differently through our consistency. We truly care about doing right by our clients and prospects too. While we would love to help provide our services to every company we speak with, that just isn’t realistic. We won’t always be the right fit for every company that moves freight and that is ok. Our authenticity as a shipping company sets us apart from the competition and that is backed up by our testimonials. We also run a marketing campaign bi-weekly called “Together Talks”. We interview, highlight, and promote two businesses every week. Our goal is to grow our network, make new connections, and learn something new with each collaboration. Check it out on our website and if you’re interested in being featured reach out.
Our company also runs a year long charity promotion. Book your first shipment through KLS and we donate to the charity of your choice in your name. Our way of thanking you for giving us an opportunity to show you the KLS way and what makes us one of a kind. This entire package is what we offer to every prospect and every client. Our goal is to help provide answers that customers may have when it comes to shipping. We want to always be available as a resource and will always offer a lending hand whenever we can.
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