What's New at Holland

Value versus price

As in other industries, there are transportation companies that focus on price to woo customers. Now that the economy is in recovery and capacity is getting tighter, some of those good deals are going away.

Holland customers think it's smarter to focus on the value they get for their transportation dollar. 

For more than 80 years, we've built our business on service excellence, hard work, continuous improvement, respect and integrity.

What does that mean for your business?

• Your operations can rely on our service. We manage our cycle times so that shipments consistently are picked up and delivered on time, so you aren't faced with stock-outs, production delays or even plant shut-downs.
• You avoid the delays and costs associated with damaged shipments, which often include the most costly price of all—your customer's overall satisfaction. We take high-quality handling very seriously by implementing training, procedures and policies, which almost eliminate loss and damage claims. In fact, our claims ratio so far this year stands at 0.35 percent!
• Your supply chain can be more flexible. In addition to our leadership in next-day service, we're finding new ways to move shipments even faster—in the last 12 months we accelerated service on hundreds of thousands of ZIP code pairs. This enables you to get products to market more quickly, giving you a competitive edge.
• You have opportunities to strengthen relationships with your customers. Online tools and services, such as our guaranteed window delivery, help you anticipate and respond to ever-changing and increasingly stringent customer needs.

At Holland, we price our services competitively. When you consider the quality that goes with our service, you'll find our value delivers real savings.

Talk with your account executive to learn more about the best-in-class value Holland delivers to your supply chain.

Holland drivers progress to the "Super Bowl of Safety"

Nationwide, only about 400 drivers earn the right to compete in the National Truck Driving Championships, the American Trucking Associations' "Super Bowl of Safety". Before even entering the competition, a driver must be accident-free for the 12 months before the state competition.

At state events, drivers are tested on the safety of the vehicle, safe driving rules, first aid and fire fighting. Then, it's on to the field course where they demonstrate how safely they can handle the equipment. A driver must win at the state level to progress to national competition.

We proudly announce that—to date—three Holland drivers have earned the right to compete at the National Truck Driving Championships on Aug. 3–7 in Columbus, Ohio. 

Ken Nichols
Greensboro, N.C.
Class: 5-Axle
Considered by his supervisor to be the "consummate professional," Ken started with Holland in 1998 as a city driver before moving into the position of a linehaul driver. Whatever the assignment, Ken represents Holland proudly and carries out his responsibilities to the best of his ability with safety foremost in mind. Ken is a repeat competitor in the truck driving events.

Jeff Whitaker
Charlotte, N.C.
Class: 4-Axle
Ask those at the Charlotte service center, and they'll tell you Jeff is a model employee and a pleasure to work with. A city driver with Holland since 1999, Jeff approaches his job, our customers and other employees with absolute professionalism. Jeff spent many hours of personal time studying and preparing for the North Carolina driving competition, and he has the trophy to show for it!

Michael Gaskins
Atlanta
Class: Tanker
Mike has been driving Atlanta city routes for Holland for the past 12 years. A first-time entrant in the truck driving competition, he used the same skill and precision on the road test as he applies to every pickup and delivery while on the job. Although driving a tanker was another "first" for him, Mike demonstrated the depth of his expertise and experience.

At Holland, we take safety very seriously, and we are very proud of the safe driving records of all our drivers, including those who excelled at their state driving competitions.

With summertime comes different safety risks on the roads—more motorcyclists, vacationers and children out of school—and more reasons to drive safely.

We'll continue to proceed with caution for the well being of all by sharing the roads, and, of course, asking the same of you.

For safe driving tips from professional drivers, visit YRC Worldwide Insight.

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News & Other Services

Holland: More than a next-day service provider

With more than 3,000 next-day lanes—almost 10 percent more than our fastest LTL competitor—it's clear Holland is the regional leader in next-day service.

Still, we can offer customers so much more!

Whatever your business objectives . . . leaner inventory levels . . . retail scorecard improvements . . . a smooth product recall . . . greater supply-chain flexibility . . . Holland has the transportation solutions to help you meet your current circumstances and needs.

You'll want to talk with your account executive about your specific needs; however, here are a few of the ways we can help you keep your customers happy and your supply chain running smoothly:

• Multiday Window™ for MABD (must arrive by dates) lets you deliver shipments whenever your retail customers require them, helping you eliminate chargebacks and improve scorecard performance.
• Guaranteed and Expedited solutions for critical shipments and time-sensitive delivery needs.
• Consolidation and distribution solutions improve the efficiency of your supply chain by eliminating delays and reducing costs associated with shipping and warehouse storage.
• Chemical and hazardous materials shipment solutions take a comprehensive approach from pre-shipping analysis to the safe delivery of your product to your customer.
• Cross-border solutions keep your supply chain running on schedule with a wide range of services and almost 20 percent more next-day lanes between the United States and Ontario than our fastest LTL competitor.
• Freeze protection services maintain you product's integrity during cold-weather shipping.
• Reverse Logistics solutions support product recalls, standard returns, seasonal projects or charitable donations with ease and expertise.

Put Holland to work on your supply chain. Call your account executive or customer service at 1-866-465-5263.

A place Holland calls home: Toledo, Ohio

From the top of the Owens-Illinois steel and glass skyscraper of One SeaGate to the marshes along the western rim of Lake Erie—Toledo, Ohio is rich with history, natural treasures and entertaining attractions.

And it's one of the places Holland calls home.

Take a visit to Toledo and check out the baby polar bear and Hippoquarium^® at the Toledo Zoo; visit the internationally acclaimed Toledo Museum of Art; or witness the migratory activities of waterfowl, songbirds and shorebirds at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

Watch the Mud Hens take on the boys of summer at Fifth Third Field stadium, or harness horse racing at Raceway Park or motor racing at the Toledo Speedway.

If you're interested in performing arts, add the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, the Toledo Opera Association and the Toledo Rep and Village Players to your must-see list.

For history buffs, don't miss Fort Meigs, a reconstructed fort and museum, or Wolcott House with its collection of arts and artifacts from 19th century river valley life.

Or take a short jaunt and see all the sights on Kelleys Island, or the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky, or enjoy dinner on the Old Road Dinner Train in Blissfield, Mich.

From fishing on the Maumee River, to walking in the city's beautiful parks, there are plenty of things to do in Toledo.

Holland has been a proud member of the Toledo community since 1978, delivering regional transportation solutions that help businesses better serve their customers. 

Holland knows Toledo, and shippers know they can count on Holland, the leader in next-day service.

To schedule a pickup, go to hollandregional.com or call 1-866-465-5263.

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Industry News

Consumer confidence on the rise

The May report by The Conference Board shows U.S. consumer confidence at its highest level since March 2008. Contributing to the improving picture is the expectation of more jobs to become available. However, the research group cautions that the debt crisis in Europe could stall this growing sense of optimism.

Motor carrier tracking information may guide infrastructure planning

Data collected by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration helps identify road congestion, information that can be useful to federal, state and local governments making spending decisions.

In the ATRI's recently released 2009
Bottleneck Analysis, Chicago's I-290 interchange with I-90 and I-94 was identified as the worst bottleneck in the country.

U.S. goal to double exports generates nation-specific plans

President Obama's five-year plan to double exports has led to commercial engagement strategies for Brazil, India, China, Vietnam, South Africa and other nations, according to Francisco Sanchez, undersecretary for international trade at the Commerce Department.

Sanchez says the Commerce Department
has plans to work with companies that are
new to exporting and expand the focus of
those already selling abroad.

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Tips to Make Your Life Easier

Map it out!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, perhaps a coverage map can answer a thousand questions!

Find coverage maps for all the Holland service centers at hollandregional.com by clicking the Service Maps tab.

• If you know the ZIP code, enter it on the Service Center Locator page and click the Find Terminal button on the right side of the page.
• If you don't have the ZIP code, find the desired state/province on the pull-down menu or simply click the general area on the North America map. This will take you to a local map, showing service center sites.
• Once on the page for the selected state/province, use the city pull-down menu or click the map to find contact information for the service center. To see a detailed map with next-day, second-day and third-day delivery destinations, simply click the Service Map button on the right side of the page.

  Once online, you can use other tools to track shipments, determine transit times, get rate quotes, complete and print forms, schedule pickups and so much more!
  
  Check it out at hollandregional.com.

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