Convoy Case Studies Waiākea’s Supply Chain Transformation for Sustainable Growth

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	Waiākea’s Supply Chain Transformation for Sustainable Growth Convoy

Waiākea’s Supply Chain Transformation for Sustainable Growth

Convoy

Technology Category	Functional Applications - Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Sensors - Utility Meters
Applicable Industries	Retail Transportation
Applicable Functions	Logistics & Transportation Warehouse & Inventory Management
Use Cases	Intelligent Urban Water Supply Management Leakage & Flood Monitoring
Challenge	Waiākea, a premium water brand, was facing challenges with its linehaul transportation, which was primarily less-than-truckload (LTL). The LTL carriers were less flexible, took longer to book, and the rates penalized the water for its weight. This was not only time-consuming but also costly for Waiākea. The company needed to convert their LTL shipments to full truckload while retaining their CarbonNeutral status. The growth of the company also meant that a network of warehouses had to be designed and built to serve the entire country. Waiākea wanted its warehouses to be within a two-day transit of each other, and they needed to be able to ship quickly to local distributors that were stocking shelves at retail locations, typically within five miles of their own locations. Read More
About Customer	Waiākea is a premium water brand that sources its water from a spring at the foot of the Mauna Loa volcano. The water naturally flows through thousands of feet of porous volcanic rock before emerging near the town of Hilo. Waiākea collects a tiny fraction of the water and bottles it in a nearby plant staffed by local workers. The bottles are made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephtalate (RPET), a sustainable material that Waiākea introduced to the premium water industry. Waiākea supports a number of sustainability initiatives, from reforestation in Hawaii to fleet electrification across the U.S. Waiākea was the first bottled water to be certified CarbonNeutral. Read More
Solution	Waiākea leveraged Convoy’s freight network to secure full truckload capacity. Convoy’s batching capabilities reduced empty miles, cutting down on unnecessary carbon waste. This helped Waiākea maintain its CarbonNeutral certification for both its product and business. A partnership with a parcel integrator’s carbon neutral program handled Waiākea’s direct-to-consumer shipments. LTL lanes were optimized to put multiple shipments on the same truck, and some over-the-road truckload shipments from the West Coast to the East Coast were now intermodal. Waiākea gradually gave Convoy more and more freight as its business grew and it converted LTL shipments to full truckload. Waiākea started by giving Convoy 10 loads per month; now it’s 95 to 100 loads per month, representing about 80% of Waiākea’s wholesale business. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Transportation Management Systems (TMS)

Sensors - Utility Meters

Applicable Industries

Retail

Transportation

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Warehouse & Inventory Management

Use Cases

Intelligent Urban Water Supply Management

Leakage & Flood Monitoring

Challenge

Waiākea, a premium water brand, was facing challenges with its linehaul transportation, which was primarily less-than-truckload (LTL). The LTL carriers were less flexible, took longer to book, and the rates penalized the water for its weight. This was not only time-consuming but also costly for Waiākea. The company needed to convert their LTL shipments to full truckload while retaining their CarbonNeutral status. The growth of the company also meant that a network of warehouses had to be designed and built to serve the entire country. Waiākea wanted its warehouses to be within a two-day transit of each other, and they needed to be able to ship quickly to local distributors that were stocking shelves at retail locations, typically within five miles of their own locations.

About Customer

Waiākea is a premium water brand that sources its water from a spring at the foot of the Mauna Loa volcano. The water naturally flows through thousands of feet of porous volcanic rock before emerging near the town of Hilo. Waiākea collects a tiny fraction of the water and bottles it in a nearby plant staffed by local workers. The bottles are made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephtalate (RPET), a sustainable material that Waiākea introduced to the premium water industry. Waiākea supports a number of sustainability initiatives, from reforestation in Hawaii to fleet electrification across the U.S. Waiākea was the first bottled water to be certified CarbonNeutral.

Solution

Waiākea leveraged Convoy’s freight network to secure full truckload capacity. Convoy’s batching capabilities reduced empty miles, cutting down on unnecessary carbon waste. This helped Waiākea maintain its CarbonNeutral certification for both its product and business. A partnership with a parcel integrator’s carbon neutral program handled Waiākea’s direct-to-consumer shipments. LTL lanes were optimized to put multiple shipments on the same truck, and some over-the-road truckload shipments from the West Coast to the East Coast were now intermodal. Waiākea gradually gave Convoy more and more freight as its business grew and it converted LTL shipments to full truckload. Waiākea started by giving Convoy 10 loads per month; now it’s 95 to 100 loads per month, representing about 80% of Waiākea’s wholesale business.

Impact #1	The transformation of Waiākea’s supply chain strategy has resulted in significant operational improvements. The company has been able to maintain its CarbonNeutral certification while increasing efficiency in its network. This has led to reduced costs, transit times, and carbon emissions, all while fulfilling just-in-time orders to local distributors who carry very little inventory. The company has also been able to manage seasonal volatility effectively, with Convoy helping Waiākea understand when and where trucking capacity is tightening as the summer progresses. The company still has a goal of moving to 100% full truckload transportation in its linehaul network, which will further enhance its operational efficiency.

Impact #1

The transformation of Waiākea’s supply chain strategy has resulted in significant operational improvements. The company has been able to maintain its CarbonNeutral certification while increasing efficiency in its network. This has led to reduced costs, transit times, and carbon emissions, all while fulfilling just-in-time orders to local distributors who carry very little inventory. The company has also been able to manage seasonal volatility effectively, with Convoy helping Waiākea understand when and where trucking capacity is tightening as the summer progresses. The company still has a goal of moving to 100% full truckload transportation in its linehaul network, which will further enhance its operational efficiency.

Benefit #1	Reduced empty miles by 45% through Convoy’s batching capabilities.
Benefit #2	Converted 70% of LTL shipments to full truckload, saving time and money.
Benefit #3	Increased freight given to Convoy from 10 loads per month to 95-100 loads per month, representing about 80% of Waiākea’s wholesale business.

Benefit #1

Reduced empty miles by 45% through Convoy’s batching capabilities.

Benefit #2

Converted 70% of LTL shipments to full truckload, saving time and money.

Benefit #3

Increased freight given to Convoy from 10 loads per month to 95-100 loads per month, representing about 80% of Waiākea’s wholesale business.

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Overview

Waiākea’s Supply Chain Transformation for Sustainable Growth

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit