Customer Background

Our customer is a prominent convenience store chain with locations throughout Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Unlike many other convenience store chains, this company is a food service leader that is vertically integrated across most of its product lines.

The Need

Our contact from this C-store sought specialized support for specific lanes, requiring both brokerage and additional asset support. They sought a true partnership with the Refrigerated Food Express (REFE) team that could identify opportunities to maximize efficiency and streamline operations, and that’s what we provided them. We started building the relationship and established a footprint within their network.

The Solution

We initiated operations within their network with steady truckload volume, scaling to three loads per day. One of our team members personally visited the headquarters in Wisconsin to address pain points, tour the facility, and better understand operational procedures. We expanded our services through ongoing dialogue and a clear understanding of their needs.

The Results

Over time, performance across the entire network increased resulting in a larger volume award. Trust, open communication, and continuous improvement were key factors. By the beginning of 2023, Refrigerated Food Express (REFE) had become the top carrier within their network, managing over 50% of all truckload volume. Moving forward, our focus remains on providing creative solutions for our shipper to ensure deliveries, cost and capacity are all being effectively managed. Our partnership with this convenience store chain has not only expanded our reach within the food and beverage sector, but also introduced us to other shippers. Our enhanced buying power, facilitated by network development on the carrier network level, has significantly strengthened our position within this chain’s vendor network and the industry at large.

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