Truck-Fleet, Inc. is a small company that offers domestic logistics services such as distribution management and transportation management. Truck-Fleet owns a small fleet of trucks and offers movement, tracking, and handling of inventory for clients. Although Truck-Fleet is relatively small, with revenues of $500 million annually, it is growing rapidly as companies place greater emphasis on fast transportation. Truck-Fleet utilizes technology such as bar coding to facilitate consolidation and distribution of products. Its strength lies in its dedicated employees, such as drivers with excellent driving and safety records and a good management staff.

Truck-Fleet needs to become a JIT service provider to remain competitive. You have just been hired to help direct its growth. Use the Internet to identify Truck-Fleet’s main competitors and their capabilities. Identify specific companies that offer just-in-time pickup and delivery against which Truck-Fleet can benchmark. Then, identify the characteristics of main competitors that enable them to provide just-in-time services. Finally, establish specific guidelines for Truck-Fleet to follow in becoming a JIT service provider. Problem-Solving Tip: One potential competitor is Ryder (www.ryder.com).