An Amazon Freight & Charles Kendall Case Study

Snapshot

Amazon Freight partnered with enterprise shipper Bulldog Products Limited (Bulldog). Global logistics firm Charles Kendall conducted business worldwide, but their freight forwarding partners were failing to deliver reliable service. By partnering with Amazon Freight, they gained needed flexibility, could ship directly to Amazon FCs, secured competitive rates, and saw an increased rate of on-time deliveries.

Customer Intro

Charles Kendall Freight is a comprehensive end-to-end supply chain management group specializing in freight forwarding, logistics, procurement, and consultancy. They serve governments, multinationals, construction, and industrial-scale groups, as well as SMEs and individuals globally. Founded in 1945, with decades of experience and a global presence, CKF offers tailor-made transportation and logistics solutions across air, ocean, and road freight.

Problems / Goals

For FBA Ocean Import Supervisor Kristina Demjanova, managing freight logistics for Amazon shipments is demanding yet rewarding, requiring fast decision-making and constant learning. Meeting volatile demand, tracking shipments, and forecasts accurately are critical. All documentation must be correct to avoid disruptions and impact customer satisfaction.

Before partnering with Amazon Freight, Charles Kendall struggled with reliable performance, with customer complaints primarily focused on delivery times. They sought a freight forwarder that could outperform their current partners, boost efficiency and timeliness, and offer competitive prices.

Solution

Amazon Freight's fast and flexible solution addressed Charles Kendall's delivery schedule challenges in two key ways:

1. Inbound into Amazon Fulfilment Centres

   Previously, Charles Kendall faced issues delivering directly to Amazon Fulfilment Centres. With Amazon Freight, they gained access to an integrated team that facilitated a seamless inbound shipping process.

2. Shipment Edits

   For full-truckload (FTL) shipments, Charles Kendall utilized Amazon Freight's Edit Shipment feature. This provided flexibility for last-minute changes or opportunities to adjust consolidated shipments. It allowed them to pre-book deliveries and amend pallet quantities after unpacking a container with loose cargo.

Amazon Freight's responsive customer service team was available to provide assistance and advice. Kristina noted that Amazon Freight was highly competitive on price compared to other hauliers. The intuitive booking process simplified obtaining invoices, proof of delivery, and identifying any issues.

"If I could describe Amazon Freight in three words, it would be: fast, reliable, supportive. The booking system is really easy to use, so it's quick to get invoices, proof of delivery and identify any issues. The customer service has been brilliant - our account manager Tanya is always quick to respond, very helpful, and offers solutions to our problems."

Results & Benefits

• Charles Kendall's FTL & LTL shipped volume with Amazon Freight has more than doubled Year-over-Year (YoY).
• Amazon Freight's Operational Efficiency:
  • FTL Q1'24 on-time delivery: 96%
  • LTL 3-day SLA: 95% 3-day Delivery SLA met

A look into the future

"We're excited to see how Amazon can help us get more flexibility into our logistics. For example, editing shipments once they are booked - during peak times there is 1-2 week wait for any delivery slot in Amazon FC, and it is important to book the exact amount of pallets which is known only after the container is unpacked and goods palletised. Editing the shipment option allows us to pre-book the deliveries with approximate pallet count, and amend it after the container is unpacked and exact pallet count is known. This way we can deliver Amazon packages in less than 5 days from container's arrival to the port."