In the current era of volatile markets and hyper-complex supply chains, treating raw material logistics as a mere operational cost is a recipe for delay and risk. From automotive OEMs and high-tech manufacturers to pharmaceutical and food processors, the steady, compliant, and cost-effective flow of materials (metals, chemicals, frozen ingredients, and more) is the non-negotiable foundation of business success.
A forward-thinking third-party logistics (3PL) partner is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity for staying ahead. Taylor is built to help large shippers transform their raw material challenges into a decisive competitive advantage.
The Raw Material Pressure Cooker
Raw materials sit at the start of every value chain, yet they present a unique set of cross-industry challenges:
- Automotive & Heavy Industry: The need for metals and plastics to be staged for Just-in-Time (JIT) production schedules is paramount.
- Chemical & Industrial: Compliance with hazardous materials (HazMat) standards, including specialized storage and segregation (e.g., oxidizers from flammables, as mandated by OSHA), requires operational expertise.
- Food, Pharma, & Biotech: Materials are perishable, often temperature-sensitive, and subject to stringent traceability and compliance (FDA, HACCP, SQF) rules. The rapid expansion of the cold chain, driven by consumer demand for fresh and frozen goods, means modern logistics must support multiple precise temperature zones.
Manufacturers are also under growing pressure for transparency and traceability, not just for compliance, but for quality assurance and risk management. Without the right infrastructure, spoilage, regulatory risk, and costly production delays are inevitable.
Taylor’s 3-Pillar Solution for Raw Materials
Taylor solves these challenges by combining specialized physical infrastructure, advanced technology, and dedicated operational support.
1. Dedicated Shuttle Operations: Bridging the Plant-Warehouse Gap
One of the most critical pain points is the constant movement of materials between your plant and off-site storage. When production lines sit idle waiting for materials, the cost skyrockets.
Taylor eliminates this friction with dedicated short-haul shuttle fleets. This model, proven to drive massive operational efficiency for major manufacturers, synchronizes transportation directly with your production schedules.
The Taylor Advantage:
- Eliminate Downtime: Drop-trailer programs, hostling, and yard management services free up your dock doors and ensure a constant, predictable flow of material.
- Reduce Cost: Dedicated short-haul lanes reduce premium freight costs and improve overall operational efficiency.
- Seamless Integration: Our drivers and team become an extension of your own, ensuring reliability and the ability to scale operations effortlessly during peak seasons.
2. Comprehensive Freight Management: Beyond the Shuttle
While our dedicated shuttle operations ensure the seamless flow of materials between local sites, Taylor is a full-service 3PL brokerage, managing all modes of transportation to get your materials from any origin to our facilities or directly to your plant.
We provide complete freight management services across North America by leveraging a vast, qualified carrier network.
The Taylor Advantage:
- Access to Qualified Capacity: We maintain a rigorous vetting process to establish a network of high-quality, reputable carriers nationwide. This network offers the flexibility to cover challenging lanes and maintain continuous capacity.
- Multimodal Expertise: We manage transportation across all key modes, including Full Truckload (FTL), Less-Than-Truckload (LTL), and specialized moves (e.g., flatbed for metals, refrigerated for perishable goods).
- Cost and Risk Reduction: By combining the freight volume of all our shippers, we negotiate competitive rates and pass those savings to you. Furthermore, utilizing our vetted network significantly reduces the risk associated with using unknown carriers, thereby enhancing security and reliability.
3. Precision Synchronization and Specialized Infrastructure
Manufacturers rely on precise timing. Raw materials must arrive JIT to sustain production without bloating inventory. Taylor uses the industry-leading Synapse Warehouse Management System (WMS) to make this synchronization seamless.
We integrate Synapse directly with your ERP and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). This ensures that orders, forecasts, and inventory levels are perpetually in sync.
| Service | Challenge Solved | Taylor Capability |
| Cold Chain & Frozen | Preventing spoilage and meeting strict temperature compliance for foods, pharma, and biologics. | Our network includes freezers capable of maintaining −10∘F (−23∘C), continuous monitoring, and backup power systems to ensure product integrity. Compliant with FDA and HACCP. |
| Traceability & Recall | Reducing the scope of a recall and protecting brand reputation in a crisis. | Lot and batch tracking across our WMS. We conduct routine mock recalls that test your traceability system, verify communication, and ensure your recall plan is effective, turning a potential crisis into a routine drill. |
| Hazardous Materials | Meeting legal and safety standards for the storage and segregation of chemical and industrial components. | Facilities and teams adhere to OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, maintaining specialized storage rooms and safety protocols for compliant handling. |
Beyond the Core: Value-Added Services and Partnership
As a full-service 3PL, Taylor goes beyond storage and transport to provide services that directly impact your production floor and bottom line:
- Kitting & Assembly: We consolidate raw components (e.g., bolts, screws, components) into ready-to-use kits, ensuring they arrive at the assembly line prepared, which reduces lead times. We also offer specialized labeling and repackaging services.
- Dedicated On-Site Support: Our accounts receive dedicated on-site support teams who act as an extension of your staff, proactively managing inventory, coordinating shuttle movements, and handling compliance.
- Technology and Visibility: Our WMS offers pallet-by-pallet visibility, real-time reports, and a secure customer portal that provides access to live inventory data, allows you to run reports, and enables order entry 24/7.
Logistics partnerships are increasingly valued not just for cost savings, but for improved customer service and innovative solutions. Taylor delivers both by combining decades of raw material expertise with best-in-class technology and a passion for proactive customer support.
