How CHEP U.S. strives to increase supply chain efficiency

CHEP U.S. says it is helping growers and their partners across the supply network transport fresh produce more efficiently, sustainably and safely, says Jason Adlam, vice president of new business development.

CHEP is part of the Brambles Group and operates in approximately 60 countries, with part of its largest operations in North America, he said.

“For over 60 years, CHEP has been the leading global provider of shared, repaired and reused pallets, crates and containers,” Adlam said.

CHEP U.S. is an active member of industry organizations such as the International Fresh Produce Association, Western Growers, California Fresh Fruit Association and National Watermelon Association, among others, he said.

“We participate in industry events throughout the year to learn how we can do more for our customers and communities while sharing insights from our knowledgeable experts with others,” Adlam said. “Through industry engagement and collaboration, we can build a more innovative, sustainable and efficient supply network, together.”

Trendspotting

CHEP U.S. is elevating its customer experience, Adlam said.

“At CHEP, the customer is at the heart of everything we do,” he said. “We want to hear from our customers on how to best serve their businesses, so we continue to introduce new ways of working to help make their jobs easier.”

For example, scale and speed are important to CHEP customers, and the company has responded by continuing to grow its asset pool and capabilities in North America.

“Over the past five years, we’ve invested in state-of-the-art automation in our facilities to improve our network flexibility and capacity," Adlam said. “This investment has increased our ability to serve customers by 20% year over year​ while delivering a more consistent quality pallet at the same time, no matter what season it is.”

Based on customer feedback, Adlam said CHEP knows there is a need for self-service options that can support the process of ordering, monitoring and managing pallets. As a result, the company says it continues to enhance features in its self-service portal, myCHEP, including updating its ETA notifications to include real-time delivery tracking with live traffic conditions and weather updates.

“We will continue advancing myCHEP to better support our customers with a personalized digital experience,” Adlam said.

Customer feedback was also integral to the company's development of a customer storage solution, he said.

That solution helps meet the unique needs of the fresh sector while ensuring quality pallets are readily on hand during peak harvest to ship produce quickly, he said.

“We’ve also noticed that manufacturers and retailers are increasingly seeking supply chain partners to help improve their operational efficiencies, reduce costs and meet their sustainability goals,” Adlam said. “A few ways that CHEP is collaboratively problem-solving: We eliminate waste, eradicate empty miles and cut out inefficiencies across the supply network through our Zero Waste World program, test products and packaging performance at our ISTA-certified Innovation Center to ensure goods will arrive shelf-ready and partner to reduce transportation costs and carbon emissions through transportation collaboration. In our 2023 fiscal year, CHEP North America’s collaborative transportation solutions helped customers eliminate 3.5 million empty miles from their networks, averting [over 10] million pounds of CO2.”

In addition, CHEP U.S. is supporting customer automation journeys to ensure greater pallet compatibility, increase throughput and avoid customers’ costly equipment retrofits, he said.

“Additionally, we’re field testing our smart assets, providing more data-driven solutions to increase supply chain efficiency and productivity, anticipate demand fluctuations, improve forecasting and reduce waste across supply networks globally,” he said. “CHEP produce customers have reduced their exposure to unnecessary waste through new insights captured from impact, vibration and temperature monitoring during transport from harvest to retailer.”

Core mission

Adlam said sustainability is at the core of CHEP’s circular business model and ways of working, which ultimately benefits its customers and partners through shared environmental savings.

During the company’s 2023 fiscal year, CHEP said its customers in North America averted 333,325 U.S. tons of carbon dioxide by using its pooled pallets, when compared to single-use alternatives.

“It’s a win-win for CHEP and its customers, providing value through cost-saving solutions that reduce supply network waste and inefficiencies for everyone,” Adlam said.

Overall, he said CHEP's vision is to build a regenerative supply chain, which means giving back more than we take from our environment.

“We continue to challenge ourselves and our supply chain partners to take bold steps to improve our shared impact through aggressive goals, collaborative solutions, sustainable product innovation and community stewardship,” Adlam said. “Together, with our customers and partners, we can deliver the sustainable supply networks the world needs for the future.”