Posts Tagged “KLLM Transport Services”
RICHLAND, MS – Accommodating significant fleet growth and modernization, one of North America’s leading refrigerated trucking companies, KLLM Transport Services, is adding 1,400 new Utility trailers refrigerated by Carrier Transicold units equipped with the eSolutions™ telematics platform and TRU-Mount solar charging systems.
“Thanks to continued investments to replace and upgrade our equipment and technology, we are, today, a 57-year-old company with one of the youngest, most advanced fleets on the highway,” said Jim Richards, president of KLLM, a Top-3 refrigerated carrier, headquartered in Richland, Mississippi.
“As a premier service provider, with more than 6,000 refrigerated trailers and domestic intermodal containers serving 48 states and Mexico, it is vital that we continuously renew our fleet,” Richards added. “This latest investment helps us keep our fleet new and modern for improved service, less downtime and to provide our customers with the advantage of the most current technology.”
The new Carrier Transicold systems include 1,325 X4™ 7500 single-temperature trailer refrigeration units to be deployed by KLLM, and 75 Vector™ 8600MT multi-temperature units to be used by KLLM’s Dallas-based Frozen Foods Express (FFE) business. All refrigeration systems will be installed on 53-foot Utility 3000R insulated trailers by Carrier Transicold and Utility Trailer dealer Southern States Utility Trailer Sales Inc., also located in Richland.
Carrier Transicold’s eSolutions platform helps refrigerated transporters operate more efficiently by improving visibility of their cold chain assets and intelligently providing a centralized data stream about their transport refrigeration units (TRUs) and cargo.
In addition to supplying critical data, such as temperatures, location and movement, the eSolutions platform will provide two-way control as well as analytic and diagnostic information about its refrigeration units. Carrier’s high-performance TRU-Mount solar charging system helps maintain the charge of the refrigeration unit battery, which supports the eSolutions telematics system, even when the refrigeration unit is off.
“The fact that the eSolutions system is integrated with the Carrier Transicold units is very important to us,” Richards said. “It will give us new abilities to download data and upgrade over the air, including our IntelliSet™ profiles – something we are certainly excited about.”
The IntelliSet feature is a software application included with Carrier Transicold’s APX™ refrigeration unit controllers that allows custom configuration of multiple refrigeration parameters to create profiles based on specific commodities or customer preferences. With the eSolutions system, IntelliSet configurations can be selected remotely, and parameter updates can be done over the air rather than manually, saving time and resources.
For additional details about Carrier Transicold’s transport refrigeration units, eSolutions platform and solar charging options, turn to the experts in Carrier Transicold’s North America dealer network.
About Carrier Transicold
Carrier Transicold helps improve transport and shipping of temperature-controlled cargoes with a complete line of equipment and services for refrigerated transport and cold chain visibility. For 50 years, Carrier Transicold has been an industry leader, providing customers around the world with advanced, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable container refrigeration systems and generator sets, direct-drive and diesel truck units, and trailer refrigeration systems. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, a leading global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions.
Nearly three months ago Haulproduce.com reported that refrigerated rail service McKay TransCold LLC of Eden, MN had closed its doors. Now it has been learned TransCold Logistics LLC, parent company McKay TransCold LLC has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation with debts of about $7 million.
The refrigerated rail service was launched in May 2014.
McKay TransCold worked with BNSF Railway to operate the TransCold Logistics hub-to-hub, dedicated refrigerated boxcar train between Selma, CA and Wilmington, IL. The operation began with two trains pulling 50 refrigerated boxcars in each direction, making the trip in four days.
It offered cold storage in California and as of September 2014 was still planning to add cold storage services in Illinois.
The company posted $2.47 million in gross revenue for 2012, according to court documents. In 2013 gross revenue dropped to about $533,000. In 2014 they climbed back to $5.23 million.
The company has a total of secured claims of $865,533, all owed to Marquette Transportation Finance, Minneapolis. Its total unsecured debt is about $5.9 million.
The top five unsecured debts are:
**** BNSF Railway Co., Chicago, $3.37 million;
**** KLLM Transport Services LLC, Birmingham, Ala., $735,486;
**** National Carriers Inc., Kansas City, Mo., $519,918;
**** Werner Enterprises Inc., Chicago, $384,830;
****NLCS-Wilmington, Ill., $235,945.
The first produce train service to fold in 2014 was Cold Train Express Intermodal service that suspended service last summer. Cold Train saw its on time service on BNSF’s Northern Corridor plummet from 90 percent in November 2013 to only 5% percent last April. Cold Train said the reason relates to soaring oil and coal shipments by rail.