Author: SysAdmin

all-chem-truck-driving-past-iso-container-stacks

Driving To Success: Jana’s Journey in Chemical Logistics

Written by SysAdmin on March 11, 2024. Posted in Employee Spotlight, The All Chemical Team.

Driving To Success: Jana’s Journey in Chemical Logistics People come to the chemical logistics industry—and to All Chemical—from many backgrounds and for many different reasons. A few reasons include job security, a promising career trajectory, or more job autonomy.

In Jana Huckaby’s case, many reasons bring this bright, hardworking woman to what would soon prove to be the career of her dreams as a long-haul truck driver for All Chemical.

If you’re not familiar, a long-hauler is responsible for the efficient and safe transportation of goods across long distances, often across many state lines. The job entails extensive periods of driving, often spending days, weeks, or months away from home.

Meet Jana

Before Jana became a truck driver, she worked as a customer service representative for 15 years. Soon, though, she noticed how little chance there was for upward growth. After a brief stint with cosmetology and massage therapy, Jana determined that these skill sets weren’t a fit for her.

That’s when she turned her sights to trucking.

Trucking and chemical logistics were in her blood. Jana’s grandfather owned a truck stop, and her father worked as a long-haul trucker for over 40 years. Why shouldn’t she follow in the family trade? Jana subsequently earned her CDL license, and has never looked back.

When Jana found All Chemical, she was excited by the excellent pay and benefits, which directly contribute to the company’s stunningly low turnover rate.

“Every day, I catch my eye in my rearview mirror and say, I can’t believe I get paid to do this!” Jana says, grinning. “It’s a great career, a great living. To be honest, I can’t see myself doing anything else—ever!”

A Rewarding Career

Jana is enthusiastic about the benefits of the long-haul trucker’s life, while realistic about its challenges. “I’d be the first to say this career isn’t for everyone,” she explains. Despite the freedom this job provides, there are a few unavoidable trade-offs. “I’m single, and my kids are grown. When they were younger, I couldn’t have been a long-hauler. Even now, I miss some holidays and special occasions.”

Still, the trucker’s life is the life for Jana. “For me—as someone comfortable with minimal social contact yet not a homebody—the fit is pretty near perfect,” she says. “I even sleep better in my truck than I do at home!” she adds.

Like the rest of the team at All Chemical, Jana keeps safety at the forefront of her work. “Safety is my highest priority,” she asserts. “There is nothing worth my life or the life of another person.” She always has an updated copy of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) handbook in her cab, as well as the HAZMAT guidebook, and several emergency response guidebooks. She is constantly keeping abreast of industry trends and chemical logistics regulations to ensure compliance.

This focus on safety led to one of the proudest moments in her career. “Once, from my cab, I saw a woman veer off the road in her pickup truck and hit a tree. All my safety training came rushing in, and I immediately pulled over and called 911.”

Keeping a cool head, Jana assessed the situation. The woman had been thrown partially through the windshield and would need emergency medical attention. Jana stayed with her and held her hand while both women waited for EMTs to arrive.

“She survived,” Jana says. “I was so glad I was there to help.”

Women in Transportation

While popular opinion might see truck driving as a male-centric occupation, Jana begs to differ. She believes long-haul trucking can be a great fit for women and encourages those interested in pursuing a career in chemical logistics to reach out to women drivers, or sign up for a course at a local technical school.

“It’s the best decision I ever made,” she says.

Industry trends show that plenty of women are taking Jana’s advice. Though male truck drivers still outnumber women by about 6 to 1, in recent decades, the number of women truckers in the U.S. went up by 68%. Jana thinks the best way to recruit more women truckers is for the industry to target women in their 40s and 50s whose children are grown, and who are looking for a way to spread their wings. Alternatively, there are a considerable number of women who love to drive, have an interest in travel, and are looking for a rewarding career with great pay and benefits.

Professional organizations like the non-profit Women in Trucking are a great resource for current and aspiring female truck drivers.

Though other women in chemical logistics report problems with discrimination and other gender-related issues, Jana has had only positive experiences in her eleven-year career—especially working for All Chemical.

“The industry is rough on everyone. Both female and male drivers work incredibly hard doing a rough and stressful job, hoping we make it home all over again.”

Stay tuned for more of All Chemical’s behind-the-scenes spotlights, and contact us today to discuss your ongoing chemical logistics needs! And for your next All Chemical order, Jana may be the one ensuring it arrives safely and on time!

Adding Value & Versatility: Inside Our Transload Logistics

Written by SysAdmin on March 4, 2024. Posted in Service Capabilities.

Adding Value & Versatility: Inside Our Transload LogisticsOur team at All Chemical specializes in transload logistics, such as taking on complex projects like the transloading of chemicals from ISO containers to tanks.

Transloading products requires careful planning and execution to prevent any accidents or spills. Our team is committed to upholding the highest safety standards throughout the transloading logistics process.

Transloading involves transferring commodities from one mode of transportation to another. In our case, we often transload hazardous and non-hazardous bulk liquids from our customers’ ISO containers into our trailers.

We are known for our ingenuity and our customizable service offerings, which includes transloading. Because there is nothing we cannot, will not, or do not take on, this has led us to some unique transloading experiences.

Seamless, Customized Transloading Services

Transloading allows for products to continue their journey to their final destination using a different mode of transportation, or to consolidate shipments for greater efficiency. This plays a crucial role in supply chain optimization.

This is transloading 101:

There are many variables to take into account when transloading a customer’s order: viscosity, ambient temperatures, and container specifications, to name a few!
On average, the process takes an hour and a half to 2 hours. That’s a rough estimate, because we take as much time as needed to get the job done right.
We transload just about anything with the exception of heavy inhalation hazard chemicals, like Benzoyl Chloride. In our rigorous commitment to safety, we don’t handle chemicals that could pose a safety risk to our team or the surrounding community.
We can pick up your container from the pier, bring it to our facility to steam before, and wash after delivery, too!

There are a multitude of reasons why All Chem is everyone’s top choice. Between our dedicated problem solving, our stellar customer service that begins with “Sure, we can do that. How else can we help?”, it’s also because…

We are one of a handful of transload facilities in New Jersey, and our secondary containment capabilities put us a level above.

Not only are we one of the only facilities that can transload, we also aren’t stopped by inclement weather! While weather is a challenge for other carriers, if there is rain or snow, we can easily move operations to our roof-enclosed wash bays. Even better, we have lengthy processes in place to prevent rain from getting into the tank and potentially contaminating the product.

Rain, sleet, and snow… we’ve got you covered!

Over the past few years, we have made significant investments in secondary containment. If a spill or hose breakage occurred during the transloading process (or any of our other transportation services), it’s much more manageable and isolated. There would be no sewage seepage into the ground, waterways and drains. Remember, we are fully compliant in secondary containment regulations with NJDEP (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection)!

We’ll Take It From Here

From a standard, routine transloading move to a complex and intricate request, we’ve got it covered.

We prioritize safety, efficiency, and innovation in everything we do, ensuring that our customers receive the highest quality of service, innovation, and flexibility every time, for every job.

Trust us to deliver excellence every step of the way, ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience for your transloading needs and beyond.

The Chemistry of Excellence: Customer Service & Chemical Logistics

Written by SysAdmin on February 27, 2024. Posted in Employee Spotlight, The All Chemical Team.

The Chemistry of Excellence: Customer Service & Chemical LogisticsWhen it comes to wrangling with chemical logistics, time is of the essence and change comes at a rapid pace. In this landscape, customers need competent, prepared, hassle-free companies they can trust to haul important hazardous and non-hazardous loads.

Yet so often, carriers drop the ball in the customer service department. Why? Because their bottom-line myopia means they miss what we at All Chemical have known from the beginning:

If you put the customer first, never compromise on safety, and lead with your values, everything else will fall into place.

The All Chemical Difference

So, why do our customers display such enthusiastic loyalty to All Chemical when it’s time to address their chemical logistics projects? It’s because with us, “customer first” is a commitment to action—a proactive stance to ensure that safety and service form the backbone of every interaction.

We achieve this through the tireless efforts of our Customer Service Team: Barbara Fonseca, Sherrie Aniolowski and Mary Stowers. Their approach to service stands on three central pillars: timely communication, accurate tracking, and proactive problem-solving.

At All Chemical, our team goes beyond answering calls and putting out fires. They meld vigilance with versatility and anticipate customer needs. They’re about crafting chemical logistics solutions that flex to the unique needs of each customer. This is a service style that doesn’t simply respond to the now but looks ahead, ensuring that we head issues off at the pass.

Chemical Logistics Preparedness in Practice

Because of our stellar service style, emergencies don’t take our team by surprise. At All Chemical, preparedness is part of our DNA.

Emergency readiness means more than having a plan; it means having the right plan, one that’s shared and understood across departments. By fostering close collaboration between our customer service, billing, and dispatch teams, this tight-knit group jumps into action when the unexpected happens. Everyone acts quickly and in accordance with established protocols, minimizing disruptions with practiced ease.

Operating this way enables us to:

share critical chemical logistics information swiftly
provide real-time shipment updates to drivers, customers, and staff
anticipate and prevent problems before they escalate
make necessary adjustments proactively

This holistic policy means keeping things running smoothly, even under pressure, providing a hassle-free process for our customers.

That seamless service experience—especially when placing orders—is our goal in all we do. We frequently solicit feedback from customers, making suggested changes or taking action immediately so as to exceed customers’ expectations. We believe in transparency: our customers trust us with their business, and we take that seriously.

The Best Part of Our Job

We derive great satisfaction from relieving our customers’ stress and delivering high-quality service. The secret? Exceptional attentiveness. In this way, customer satisfaction becomes a shared happiness: a testament to our value-led culture where everyone wins.

“The true joy of our work lies in the meaningful relationships we forge,” according to our Customer Service team members. “Daily engagements with our customers allow us to understand their chemical logistics needs deeply, thereby strengthening the bonds that All Chemical has sustained over years… even decades!” We honor the legacy of our long-term customer relationships while also warmly welcoming new customers into the fold.

Whether you’re a new or returning customer, contact us today to experience the All Chemical difference: stress-free, one-stop-shop chemical logistics services from a team who truly cares.

Safety 101 with Don: An Introduction to All Chemical’s Safety Standards

Written by SysAdmin on February 13, 2024. Posted in Don Wrege, Director of Safety.

Safety 101 with Don: An Introduction to All Chemical’s Safety Standards If you’ve been in the liquid bulk transport game for more than a minute, you’ll soon notice: everybody talks the “safety” talk, but few walk the “safety” walk.

At All Chemical, our safety record is exemplary—not because we do the easy thing and talk about it, but because we put in the grunt work. That means upholding our stringent safety standards consistently, even and especially when no-one’s looking.

Learn more from Don Wrege, our Director of Safety & Maintenance, on how we uphold All Chemical’s impressive record year after year.

Safety 101: How We Measure Up

Don oversees our driver safety programs, OSHA compliance, and equipment maintenance. He says the key to All Chemical’s stellar record is our refusal to take shortcuts.

“Some liquid bulk transport companies might steer by the motto, ‘Just do your best,’ and that sounds like great advice,” says Don. “But I’m here to tell you: When you don’t have the tools to do the job safely, don’t do it. Safety comes first. That’s the real way to do your best.”

We set the bar high, and we don’t cut corners. In fact, our standards far exceed federal standards for liquid bulk transport companies like ours. That’s how we’ve earned such an excellent CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) score.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) established CSA scores to spot high-risk carriers and thereby increase public and driver safety. The FMCSA determines company scores by pulling data from roadside inspections, crash reports, registration information, and other sources to create a full picture of a company’s overall safety performance.

Let’s just say, ours is a very flattering picture. To point to one example, in the entirety of 2023, we incurred only one Department of Transportation (DOT) recordable accident. (That’s an accident all transport companies are required to report because of any injury, towing or a fatality.) Because of this, we earned the DOT frequency score of 0.156! In years past, a comparable number to our 6.3 million mileage bracket was 0.943!

Plus, we pursue innovation, technology, and other means of constant safety enhancement:

Our new Motive AI camera system, which helps monitor drivers’ road performance (tailgating, speeding, improper lane changes, etc.)
Our driver trainer (through Smith System), reviews daily performance and provides coaching for individual drivers
Don’s role on the National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) Safety Council, where he receives regular updates about regulation changes
Our connection with a third-party compliance monitoring company to provide quarterly reviews

In short, we’re always on the job prioritizing safety protocols, ensuring and exceeding industry benchmarks.

Liquid Bulk Transport Emergency Preparedness at All Chemical

We know emergencies are a fact of life. That’s why we prepare for them before they happen—so we’re ready when they do.

We rigorously train our drivers in our specific safety protocols for emergencies. They know how, when, and what to communicate with the proper personnel to ensure a swift and effective response. Spills, accidents, injuries, you name it: our drivers know what to do. They know when to report, when to ask for help internally, and when to make contact with Chemtrec, the industry-celebrated 24-hour emergency call center for incidents involving hazardous materials.

We follow transparent procedures for investigation, reporting, and developing preventative measures to avoid future recurrence:

Driver incident reports
Prompt carrier notification
Picture documentation
Data gathering

Once we’ve taken all these steps, we review the details of the incident in question.

What was the root cause?
What additional training can we implement?
Do we need to update our systems, equipment, design, or methodology?

We contact media outlets where necessary, and we communicate with customers in all cases of an incident involving a customer’s product, regardless of fault. In other words, we’re committed to the safety of the public and of our drivers.

How We Maintain a Safety-First Culture

It takes our whole team to maintain our impressive safety standards. From leadership on down, we are committed to proactively cultivating a safety-conscious culture. To do this, we employ

Semi-annual drivers’ meetings to stay sharp on safety
Cash incentives to drivers for clean roadside inspections
Quarterly bonuses for accident-free driving
A new fuel bonus program
Smith5Keys training for all personnel, including mechanics, tank washers and all office personnel

At the end of the day, safety is our number-one priority, because safety benefits everyone. We pursue it together, and we benefit together.

“I’ve been in this business for 50 years,” says Don, “and I live by this philosophy: share all results—good, bad, and indifferent—with your employees for their input.” Don and his team are working behind the scenes to keep our people, our customers, and the public safe.

Read more about Don Wrege and his impressive legacy at All Chemical.

A Complete Guide to Meeting Your Chemical Logistics Needs with All Chemical

Written by SysAdmin on February 6, 2024. Posted in Service Capabilities.

A Complete Guide to Meeting Your Chemical Logistics Needs with All Chemical We love to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the workings of All Chemical. You’ve met a few of our stellar staff members, and regularly hear from members of our leadership team, like our Founder and Owner, Steve Quadrel.

Now, we’re peering behind the curtain to look deeper into the process our team conducts with existing customers expanding their services with us, or customers that are new to All Chemical.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions our team receives. From our team to yours – here’s a helpful recap to continue to fulfill your service needs with us.

Q: How will we work together?

A: We’ve made it a best practice to dive into the “who, what, when, where, and why” of our customer’s needs to gather all of the necessary details we need to be your seamless, reliable, one-stop-shop partner for your bulk liquid transportation needs. We pride ourselves on being a one-stop-shop for all of our customers’ needs and going above and beyond to take on jobs others cannot, will not, and do not.

We will take the time to learn more about your company, your needs and pain points and provide a contract for our services. If you agree to it, we’ll collect the necessary billing information and get started with your chemical transportation needs.

Q: Why All Chemical?

A: We’re a family-owned business, serving our community since 1978. We are well-known industry leaders, early adopters of technology and innovative pioneers. We have a strong focus on excelling in safety, compliance, and customer service. We pride ourselves on being a one-stop-shop for all of our customers’ needs and going above and beyond to take on jobs others cannot, will not, and do not.

Q: Tell me about your safety and compliance standards.

A: Our standards are high and our efforts are rigorous! Our truck drivers and staff are well trained and expertly qualified. They are diligently vetted for government work and nuclear power plants, with a team of reserve staff waiting in the wings when emergency strikes. We have all of the necessary credentials: CDL-certified, HME, and TWIC!

In short, our resilient team holds the gold standard in effort, expertise, and care.

Q: The industry is turbulent. How do we know you’ll be there when we need you?

A: Our people are our priority. We assure stability through loyalty to our team, and to you. Our industry has tremendously high rates of truck driver turnover—in fact, the national average turnover rate for our industry is a whopping 80–90%.

Ours is 5%.

In addition to our unparalleled safety standards and top-of-the-line equipment, the secret is a mix of competitive pay, high-quality healthcare and retirement benefits. We aim to be here when and where you need us with our dedicated, customer-focused team.

Q: What additional services are you offering due to the recent construction?

A: We finished construction upgrades on our Lakewood, NJ HQ to greatly increase our capacity, enabling us to handle much larger volumes of product while maintaining our high safety standards. This includes 2 new wash bays, 16 additional steam stations, 4 new ISO container storage pads, and a state of the art wastewater treatment facility.

That means more tanks and trailers to wash and steam for you!

Here’s a reminder of our steam and wash options:

Tank Washing:

Standard chemical washes
Diesel washes
Specialized washes for heavy, oil-based products
USP/Food grade washes
Kosher-certified washes (Standard)
Kosher-certified Upgrade washes (or “Rekosherization”)

Tank Steaming:

Low- and high-pressure capabilities
Steam-regulating capabilities
Hot water heating
Capacity to put over 50 containers on steam simultaneously
Redundancy with two independent steam boilers
On-call boiler maintenance to fix an issue immediately: 24/7, 365 days a year
24/7 monitoring with fixed interval monitoring, as requested by the customer
Biometric probing with real-time temperature updates and automated temperature monitoring

Q: Who are a few of your long-standing partners, and routinely carried chemicals?

A: While we take on unique and speciality jobs more often than not, we do have some tried and true long-standing customers and routinely carried chemicals. We are the trusted providers for power, water, and pharmaceutical companies and regularly carry glycerin, caustic, bleach, ethanol, acetone, methanol, and transformer oil.

If you don’t see your product on this list, and have unique storage and chemical needs, give us a call! We’re prepared down to the smallest detail, and we always follow through. It would be our pleasure to help.

Setting the Standard: Our Portfolio of Associations and Certifications

Written by SysAdmin on January 23, 2024. Posted in Steve Quadrel, Founder and Owner, The All Chemical Team, The All Chemical Way.

Setting the Standard: Our Portfolio of Associations and CertificationsAchieving success is a collaborative endeavor at All Chemical. We define success as outstanding customer service, rigorous safety standards, exceptional employee care, continuous innovation, and a steadfast commitment to our core values. Our success is further underscored by our industry associations, reflecting our enduring dedication to elevated standards in ongoing education, safety, and training.

Our Associations

All Chemical can boast membership status with several nationally recognized professional and trade organizations, such as the New Jersey Motor Truck Association (NJMTA), the American Trucking Association (ATA), the Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD), and National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC).

These organizations, both local and national, are committed to transportation advocacy and education: helping the public, the media, federal and state officials, and lawmakers understand the crucial role that liquid tanker trucking companies play in the economy and the functioning of society at large. They offer education and training in safe chemical transport procedures, collaborating with officials, companies, government agencies, and organizations to enhance highway safety, educate drivers, and advocate for policies benefiting the industry’s long-term well-being.

We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with these associations, knowing their values align with our own and help us better serve our community, ensure safe chemical transport, and advocate for our employees and truck drivers nationwide.

In fact, as of January 1, our own COO Anthony Coruccini is serving as Chair of NTTC’s Chemical Committee! Together, we are improving the liquid tanker trucking industry from the ground up.

Our Certifications and Awards

In addition to our professional association partnerships, we’re also proud of the certifications and awards we’ve earned.

All Chemical is certified with SmartWay Transport, an initiative by the Environmental Protection Agency helping liquid tanker trucking companies advance supply chain sustainability by measuring, benchmarking, and improving freight transportation efficiency. The environmentally conscious nature of this program aligns well with our focus on green initiatives.

We are also certified with Smith System, using its Smith5Keys program in our truck driver training. The Smith5Keys help truck drivers see, think, and act their way through various driving environments, challenges, and changes that exist regardless of where they travel or the vehicles they operate. With this program, we’ve achieved 100% compliance in truck driver safety protocols and training. The Smith System’s reputation for the highest levels of safety falls right in line with our top-notch safety standards.

Finally, we’re pleased to announce that All Chemical was the recipient of Trainual’s “Top 20 Customers” award in 2023. We use the Trainual software to centralize our company processes and procedures; it’s our central playbook our employees can reference at any time. With Trainual’s process systematization, we get things right the first time, giving us us the ability to distill magic in a bottle and flawlessly replicate that success!

As an All Chemical customer, you already know how committed we are to upholding the highest standards of safety and customer service. These associations, certifications, and awards make good on that promise. Contact us today to help with your chemical transport needs!

When in Doubt, Jim It Out: Innovation at All Chemical

Written by SysAdmin on January 17, 2024. Posted in Jim Notarfrancesco, Director of Operations, The All Chemical Team.

When in Doubt, Jim It Out: Innovation at All ChemicalWe’re a bulk liquid transport company who puts a high focus on innovation. We strive for pioneer status among chemical trucking companies, and we’ve done so for the 45 years we’ve served in this industry. New technologies, ingenious problem-solving strategies, creative pivots and diversifications: we leverage them all so we can go above and beyond for our customers.

We’ve done this through the collective efforts of individual innovators and tireless team members—like Jim Notarfrancesco, our Director of Operations. His gift for ingenuity and perseverance gave rise to a catchphrase from one of our customers:

When in doubt, Jim it out!

Meet Jim

Jim’s been in the transportation industry for 39 years and counting. His driving career began in 1985, and after just a few short years, he moved into management and launched a terminal of his own. After a wave of career success, he served as Regional Operations Manager for several large organizations.

Then, in 2021, Jim joined our team at All Chemical as Director of Operations, heading up Trucking, Dispatch, Customer Service, Tank Wash, and Depot Operations.

Let’s just say: he fits right in. When it comes to exceptional business performance, you get the best results when you’re working with a team of like-minded people. With Jim, we couldn’t have asked for better.

He shares our company’s values: uncompromising safety standards, customer-centric service excellence, and a commitment to innovation among chemical trucking companies.

Already in the three years he’s spent with All Chemical, he’s organized dispatch operations, reorganized our tank wash protocols, elevated our customer service processes, and upheld compliance in waste handling, documentation, safety, and containment. (Under Jim’s leadership, All Chemical is at 100% secondary containment compliance!)

Innovation on the Ground

When you’re a chemical trucking company who prides themselves on undertaking the jobs others cannot, will not, or do not do, that calls for unprecedented levels of determination and ingenuity. Over and over, Jim rises to the challenge. Since All Chemical is a Kosher-certified carrier, Jim directs countless cross-country loads. Newark to Louisiana? No problem. Texas to Illinois? Houston to California? Jim is on the job.

Any single job is a constantly shifting landscape of factors: where is the load at each moment? Who’s taking it to the next checkpoint? Where is strategic equipment held, and who can access it? Miss one link in the chain, one crucial update, and the whole thing might go south.

Jim manages processes and systems to ensure accuracy, regularly updated information, and excellent intra-team communication. Our customers have come to rely on his cool head in a crisis; they know a call or text to Jim will soon result in a solution.

Putting Innovation into Action

So, what are Jim’s secrets to success, when it comes to keeping All Chemical a leader in innovation for our industry?

Know your customers. Jim can strategize and deliver great results precisely because of how well he knows our customers. He builds outstanding relationships with them so he has a handle on what they prefer, what they need, and what best supports them. Our Kosher customers might prefer certain tankers that never came out of Kosher service. Others might gravitate to a different type of trailer for their hauls. Whatever the need, Jim has it in mind. No wonder customers stay with All Chemical!
Unique equipment investments: He believes in the investment of equipment to better serve customers. More timid chemical trucking companies may not take the leap, but Jim knows it will pay off. Equipment investments allow the team to take on even more jobs that others won’t, can’t, or don’t.

When in Doubt, Jim It Out!

When you pair Jim with the rest of the All Chemical team, you get an unstoppable force of ingenuity! With his guidance, we can keep bringing innovative technology and processes to the table, providing our customers the unparalleled service that is synonymous with the All Chemical name.

So, don’t wait: give us a call today, and learn how our team can help you, too. And remember: When in doubt, Jim it out!

All Chemical’s Tried and True Tactics for Winter Driving

Written by SysAdmin on January 9, 2024. Posted in Road Safety Tips.

All Chemical’s Tried and True Tactics for Winter DrivingNo matter the season, we put safety first in everything we do. Our highly trained drivers are familiar with the hazards each season presents, and winter requires unique forms of vigilance and preparation.

Ensuring safety on the road during winter, especially when sharing the highways with large trucks, is of paramount importance. The colder months bring challenging weather conditions, including snow, ice, and reduced visibility, creating a hazardous environment for all drivers. Fostering a culture of mutual respect and understanding on the road ensures a safer and more secure winter driving experience for everyone, promoting a shared responsibility for road safety.

For the non-truckers among us, we want to take a moment to share the skills, considerations, and tips we regularly practice that make for safe winter driving. Adhering to a few key safety measures can drastically reduce the risks and make your journey a much safer one—and that’s a goal we all share!

Winter Driving Preparedness

When preparing for a winter trip, whether short or long, there are a few questions it is wise to ask before setting out.

“Have I allowed enough time for the journey?”

This means planning ahead and considering the weather reports, which can change rapidly and become unpredictable, especially in winter. Maybe it’s mild and drizzling at home, but at your final stop, there’s been a hard freeze, making the journey more hazardous than anticipated. When in doubt, give yourself more time than you think you’ll need to reach your destination safely.

“Is my vehicle ready for winter conditions?”

Sure, you might be ready to head to your destination, but is your car ready? This might mean a stop at your local mechanic to equip your car with winter-ready tires and adequate levels of antifreeze. Keep your fuel tank full rather than letting it run low; gasoline doesn’t freeze as readily as water, so having a full tank will help prevent your fuel lines from freezing. Check your battery, brakes, and fluid levels before embarking on any long or arduous trips. Packing some extra snacks, batteries, and a flashlight—and wearing a good winter coat!—could prove to be a lifesaver in case of emergencies.

“Do I really need to make this trip?”

While it might be tempting to brave the winter conditions so you can make a social event, evaluate the importance of your journey. If it’s not necessary, consider postponing it or staying in. Your safety, and the safety of all the others on the road with you, comes before any social commitments.

What to Watch For

Once you’ve set out, keep these considerations in mind to ensure a safe journey for you and your loved ones.

During bad weather conditions, don’t keep going at all costs. It’s always better to stop at a safe spot and wait for the weather to clear. Our experienced drivers know to pull off into the nearest truck stop and wait for better weather rather than trying to push through, and you should, too.
Keep a lookout for snowplows. They are essential for keeping the roads passable during winter, so when you encounter one, give it plenty of room to work. Whenever possible, keep your distance; not only do they need space to work effectively, but also, the snow cloud they create can often reduce visibility temporarily.
Be mindful of black ice, especially on bridges and overpasses, which freeze first. Black ice is difficult to see but extremely slippery, so staying observant and slowing down can help avoid unwanted incidents.
Be conscious that you are sharing the road with other vehicles. Remain alert and aware that trucks are much heavier, and applying the brakes will take longer than cars. When traveling in close proximity to a truck, avoid hard braking or cutting in front of them.

A snapshot from our most recent driver safety meeting.

As leaders in safety-conscious driving for the bulk liquid transportation industry, we here at All Chemical are wishing everyone a safe and warm winter season.

Let’s continue to prioritize safety for ourselves and those around us.

2023: A Year of Growth at All Chemical

Written by SysAdmin on December 13, 2023. Posted in Construction Updates.

2023: A Year of Growth at All ChemicalYear’s end brings reflection. We’re taking the opportunity to reflect upon what the year brought us—and to envision what’s ahead.

Here at All Chemical, we’re always busy, upholding our high standards and developing innovations that will enable us to provide our customers with increasingly excellent service. Yet now and then, we like to pause in retrospection. In addition to our 45th anniversary milestone this past November, it’s been a busy year at All Chemical’s HQ!

Accomplishments of 2023

Our Lakewood headquarters was filled with activity this year as we undertook major expansion projects. The goal? To drastically increase our wash rack, storage, and processing capacity, so we can better serve you! Talking numbers, this means:

2 added wash rack bays
An improved wastewater treatment filtration system
16 additional steam stations
4 new ISO container storage pads

We are near completion on all our proposed projects, which has us excited and optimistic as we look to the coming year.

2 Additional Wash Bays

The roof overhang will be installed within the coming weeks. Our wash types:

Standard chemical
Diesel
Specialized for heavy, oil-based products
Food grade
Kosher-certified: Standard wash, tank upgrade and maintenance
Re-Kosherization

Wastewater Treatment Facility

Equipped with cutting-edge technology, this maintains 100% compliance with the NJDEP (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection).

16 Additional Steam Stations

In addition to our overall expertise, we boast these unique options:

Low and high pressure capabilities
Steam-regulating capabilities
Hot water heating
Capability to put 50+ containers out on a steam
Redundancy with two independent steam boilers
24/7/365 On-call boiler maintenance to fix an issue immediately
24/7 monitoring with fixed interval monitoring as required by the customer

4 New ISO Container Storage Pads

We have the capacity, redundancy, and resources to pick up and deliver your container, and provide long-term storage.

Even better, we achieved these goals while remaining 100% operational. While expanding our wash bays and wastewater facilities, we utilized 3 roof overhangs to address the issue of secondary containment. Installing these overhangs extended the longevity of our systems and our technology—all while making it possible for us to continue servicing our full customer base without interruption.

And we didn’t just do this in the arena of construction and expansion. We took our passion for improvement into other technological systems and processes at All Chemical this year.

Our customers know us as innovators who constantly bring them the best that’s on offer in this industry. In 2023, we reached a new level of technological efficiency, fully digitizing our wash rack and steam informational systems. Not only did this boost efficiency, but it also increased our transparency, reduced redundancy issues, and further streamlined our service processes—a win for all concerned!

Finally, taking care of our team is always forefront in our minds, and 2023 was no exception to this. We set goals for ourselves to improve several internal systems and launch initiatives that would improve our already high-quality company culture. In short, our team is incredible, and we know it. Not for a moment do we lose sight of the fact that our people are integral to our success.

Looking Ahead to 2024

Several projects and goals have us enthusiastic as we plan for the coming year. Chief among them is our goal of garnering recognition as a Responsible Distribution member with the Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD).

The ACD Responsible Distribution program is a well-respected name in this industry, providing a comprehensive set of security, health, safety, environmental, and sustainability standards for players in the bulk liquid transportation game. Their guidelines and framework align with our own company values for transparency, stellar communication, and upholding the highest safety standards.

With dips in the last handful of years, the market is inching upward once again, and we at All Chemical are attuned as ever to our customers’ needs, responding and pivoting as the situation requires. In 2024, we’ll be holding to our motto, “There’s nothing we cannot, will not, or do not do for our customers!”

What It’s All About

So, as we approach the end of 2023, what do we most want our current and prospective customers to know?

We care.

We’re not some huge, faceless corporation to whom clients are numbers and all that matters is the bottom line. At All Chemical, we pour our attention and passion into each customer’s order, with great concern for what your service experience is like with us—from the point of first contact through each shipment we complete.

At the other end of every email, every phone call, is a real person on the All Chemical team who genuinely cares about your needs. We put our full effort into each account and every single order we fulfill. And we’re constantly attending to quality: taking to heart whenever something goes awry and putting tremendous energy into improvement.

That’s why, as we enter 2024, we invite you to contact us here at All Chemical when it comes time to tackle your bulk liquid transport needs, and learn for yourself the benefits of working with a customer-centric company like us.

All Chemical Celebrates 45 Year Milestone

Written by SysAdmin on December 5, 2023. Posted in 45th Anniversary.

All Chemical Celebrates 45 Year MilestoneAs we all make our way further into the holiday season, there’s a different kind of celebration taking place at All Chemical. While the world anticipates the joy of winter festivities, we are ushering in a milestone of our own.

On November 30th, we celebrated our company’s 45th anniversary!

This milestone has us reflecting on our history: where we began, the values that formed us, and the successes and challenges we’ve met along the way.

In short, we’re celebrating everything that brought us to where we are today as one of the leading, most trusted names in our industry.

It All Starts With Values

When our founder, Steve Quadrel, started All Chemical back in 1978, he modeled the company after the guiding values of his family’s business, Quadrel Brothers (already an early leader in the bulk liquid transportation industry):

Unparalleled customer service
Exceptional quality
Early adopters of innovation
Excellence in partnership

These were values that had become synonymous with the Quadrel name. So, when it came time to form the All Chemical leadership team and establish its company culture, Steve knew what to do. He’d lead with those values and watch the company expand and flourish, one relationship at a time.

Satisfied customers spread the word of our exemplary services, our dedication to meeting customers’ needs, and our exacting safety standards. Soon, our reputation solidified: All Chemical was known as a highly trustworthy bulk liquid transportation company that never hesitated to go the extra mile for those we served.

Taking Care of Our People

You don’t need to work with us long to learn: We’re all about taking excellent care of our people, whether that’s our staff or our customers.

How do we do this for customers?

We have a “yes, and” mentality when it comes to meeting our customers’ needs. Where other companies might keep to pre-determined limits, our policy is that there’s nothing we can’t, won’t, or don’t do for our customers.
We’ll work under weekend and off-hours time crunches to make sure we get the job done right.
When issues arise, we don’t quit; we just brainstorm solutions!

This leads to surprising innovations and levels of adaptability that keep us competitive and relevant, operating right at the cutting edge of our industry. In turn, our wonderful customers stay loyal to us, trusting us time and again with their portfolios of chemicals. They know that with us, they are always treated as our top priority.

And we don’t just do this in response to immediate needs. We also consider our customers’ long-term needs, anticipating these based on each customer’s array of services on offer. That way, when a new need arises, they don’t have to look any further afield. We’re already one step ahead, well situated to offer the services they didn’t know they were going to need.

In everything we do, we maintain short-term operational growth while simultaneously developing long-term strategic objectives to ensure sustainability far into the future.

A big part of this is how we treat our own team. Good businesses are built from the ground up, and that means taking care of your people. At All Chemical, we intentionally cultivate a positive employee culture, which naturally leads to a motivated team.

Leadership has been in our teams’ shoes, having to problem-solve and exercise ingenuity in demanding circumstances. That’s why we lead with empathy and an open-door policy. It’s important to us to stay in touch with what our team needs and expects from us.

In return, we err on the side of over-communication, so our workers understand all of our policies, protocols, and the reasons behind them. This, we have found, ensures the best safety outcome for all concerned.

In addition to those guiding values mentioned above, we’re also dedicated to maintaining a level of professionalism and courtesy that is no longer standard in the trucking industry. Because of how loyal we are to our team, our drivers take pride in their jobs. We ensure they have top-of-the-line equipment they feel safe to drive, and we provide them with competitive pay and benefits.

Being an All Chemical team member makes our employees stand taller, secure in the knowledge that we’ve got their backs.

Keys to Our 45 Years of Success

So, what key accomplishments have proved the most pivotal to our lasting success?

Our Lakewood, NJ property. All Chemical entered a new level of success with the acquisition of the 20-acre lot that is now our company headquarters. Property ownership gave us the critical foundation required to develop our exceptional one-stop-shop services, through the construction of our wash bays and wastewater facilities.
We expanded the reach of our business to ISO container storage. This meant drastically augmenting our wash rack and adding on further service offerings, causing us to grow into the self-sufficient bulk liquid transportation carrier we are today.
Our Kosher certification forms our third key accomplishment. While we ship throughout the continental U.S. and even parts of Canada, here in our local sector—the Northeast corridor—no other companies besides us provide certified services for transporting raw Kosher materials. This is a critical gap, since communities in need of these services are a growing and vital part of our world. They deserve trustworthy, certified carriers who can transport the materials they need while meeting all Kosher Law requirements.

Heartfelt Thanks as We Look to The Future

We’ve seen the industry change during these past four decades and watched many bulk liquid transportation companies rise and fall, unable to adapt in the face of a shifting landscape. But here at All Chemical, our deep commitment to our customers—and our willingness to go above and beyond to meet their needs—has kept us innovating and thriving.

This anniversary, we reflect on the contribution of our employees (past and present), our vendors, and our loyal customers, and we say “Thank you.” We appreciate your contribution to our success and look with great optimism to what the future has in store.