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Troubleshooting in Chemical Logistics: All Chem Goes Back to School

Written by SysAdmin on . Posted in Jim Notarfrancesco, Director of Operations, Service Capabilities.

Troubleshooting in Chemical Logistics: All Chem Goes Back to School There’s no getting around it: chemical logistics calls for strategic troubleshooting. Hauls require forethought and ingenuity, and when the unexpected strikes, carriers need to think on their feet to orchestrate solutions.

In our four-decades-plus of experience doing just that, we’ve earned our reputation for creative pivots and smart troubleshooting on behalf of our customers. That’s why, when a complex project struck at an East Coast college for our transportation partner, Univar Solutions, they knew to call All Chemical to help!

Calling for Troubleshooters

It all started with a call from Univar. “Hey, we’ve got a half dozen loads we’re hauling out of Illinois. We need everything delivered to a local college this summer. Can you help?”

The Univar rep, Amanda Strohl, filled us in on the details: a strict timeline, plenty of restrictions and ordinances specific to college property, complex chemical logistics and terrain issues, plus a finicky product with some environmental risk.

As we gathered more information, we learned the college had recently installed a new energy system, and they needed this bulk chemical product offloaded safely in order to charge the system. But the more Univar told us about the restricted parameters of the job, the more we realized we needed to see for ourselves.

All Chem to the Rescue

Our Director of Operations, Jim Notarfrancesco, drove out, together with seasoned driver trainer Gerry Madonna, to get the lay of the land. Sure enough, the job came with a number of complications:

  • An insufficient offloading area with no space for a typical bulk chemical offload
  • Multi-level terrain barriers between the equipment and the offloading area
  • Tightly constructed, older architecture at the location making maneuvering difficult
  • Containment issues requiring customized pipe fittings to prevent spillage
  • Steam fitters on site who were unfamiliar with the tankers, pumps, and hoses the job required

But for us at All Chemical, troubleshooting complex chemical logistics is what we do. Our motto, “When in Doubt, Jim it Out,” was made for moments like this!

So, we got to work. We called on a couple of our most experienced drivers to navigate the tricky hairpin turns and corners it would take to get the tankers into place—even, at one point, parking a tractor at the base of a hill and running lengths of hose to it to pump the product up the hill, through a basement window, and straight up eight feet to reach a fitting in the ceiling.

Then, Jim came up with our next clever solution—using our own tankers with pump systems that would allow us to offload the product faster. We even retrofitted customized lengths of pipe with the elbows and valves (with the help of those onsite steam fitters) needed to create a closed fitting for the actual offloading process.

Once we’d picked up the product for them and transported it, we oversaw the offloading ourselves and installed drums and other spill prevention measures, disposing of any residual according to the highest level of environmental containment regulations.

Long story short, we got the job done in just three days during the summer term, and the whole endeavor went off without a hitch.

The college was thrilled, and so was Univar. Amanda said, “the customer was extremely happy and thankful that everything went as planned.”

The moral of the story? You can trust us to troubleshoot safe solutions for successful chemical logistics outcomes—not just once, but every time.

So, if you need a reliable partner for your bulk chemical logistics needs—one who’s resourceful and committed to the highest safety standards—don’t hesitate. Contact All Chemical today!

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Flexibags: Expanding Our Service Capabilities at All Chemical

Written by SysAdmin on . Posted in Jim Notarfrancesco, Director of Operations.

Flexibags: Expanding Our Service Capabilities at All ChemicalDid you know that there’s an even cheaper, yet effective shipping alternative to the versatile ISO container—and All Chemical has it?

In this third installment of our ISO container series, we’re talking about Flexibags, the groundbreaking new shipping technology that we here at All Chem offer to our customers.

By now, you’re familiar with our impressive ISO container services—those unsung heroes of chemical and liquid bulk transportation—and such services are central to our success. Well, the Flexibag is like the icing on the cake of what we already offer. They’re cost-effective, readily available, and convenient, yet most bulk liquid transportation companies don’t offer this service to their customers.

It’s our feather in our cap that we provide this service!

The Flexibag Advantage: A Customer’s Story

Recently, a customer approached us with a Flexibag transloading opportunity. Now, at All Chemical, we live by the motto, “There’s nothing we cannot, will not, or do not do for our customers.” So, our team jumped at the chance to help this customer out!

When we arrived on the scene, the customer’s product (coconut oil) was essentially hard as rock, yet it needed to be transloaded—that is, moved from one method of transport to another in the course of shipping. We put our heads together and came up with a plan.

To prepare the oil for transloading, we knew we’d need to set up a heating system. Now, ISO containers have temperature gauges; Flexibags do not. But because of our Flexibag expertise, we knew we could utilize our in-house laser system to troubleshoot and test our way to achieving the product’s required temperature.

Sure enough, it worked! We carefully brought the oil to the exact right temperature to reduce viscosity enough for transloading. Then, we backed up the trailer, hooking a 3-inch-wide hose from the Flexibag bladder to the trailer itself.

From there, it was a matter of throwing the system in reverse, opening the dome lid on the tank, and drawing the oil out until we had a flat bag of product. We could then put the tanker on heat and send it out for delivery, washing and steaming the original trailer to prepare it for its next load.

Another job well done—and another satisfied customer!

Why Flexibags?

As the customer testimonial shows, Flexibags (also called “flexitanks”) do involve a slightly more complex process than typical ISO containers. But they’re more than worth the effort!

Each 20-foot Flexibag has framing around it so the container can be stacked and shipped with ease, but because of its simple construction, these containers tend to be less expensive—and more readily available—than ISO containers.

We offer our customers Flexibag options because versatility is key, in our ever-changing industry. We know that the power to pivot is the power to survive and thrive, for us and for our valued customers.

Flexibags are an important part of that. These innovative containers offer unique benefits:

  • When the ISO and importing business is skyrocketing, customers often struggle to keep shipping schedules on track, as ISO containers are leased out at rapid rates and availability plummets. As a relatively new technology, Flexibags can fill the gap.
  • Leasing and shipping costs for traditional ISO containers skyrocket sometimes, too. When this happens, Flexibags are a cheaper solution, without sacrificing safety.
  • Even when markets aren’t in flux, Flexibags still represent a streamlined option for transport. Because of materials and regulations, ISO container leasing is more complicated. The Flexibag route can mean less headache for you, the customer.

At All Chemical, we’re constantly innovating and exploring the newest technologies to give our customers the above-and-beyond services we’re known for. For us, adding Flexibag offerings was a no-brainer. As other carriers hung back, slow to adopt this emerging method of shipping, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.

With our trademark safety and compliance standards at the helm, we’re proud to give our customers the pivot power the Flexibag option presents. If the market takes a turn, we’re prepared. And with us on your side, so are you!

Q & A: All About Flexibags

If you’re wondering whether Flexibags might be right for your needs, let us answer a few common questions about this versatile shipping option.

What materials can Flexibags haul?

All non-hazardous materials. Currently, for the transport of hazardous materials, ISO containers are still the industry required standard, due to safety and secondary containment concerns.

What chemicals are best for Flexibags?

Though Flexibags can accommodate a wide range of products, we recommend less viscous materials, since lower viscosity makes the product easier to pump out. As befits our “nothing we can’t, won’t, or don’t do” motto, however, we still work with such loads when needed, using steam regulators to adjust to differing PSIs, slowing the pressure to ensure less strain on the bag itself.

What secondary containment procedures do Flexibags require?

Secondary containment standards are the same for Flexibags as they are for ISO containers. Despite knowing this, most competitors avoid working with Flexibags for fear of secondary containment issues.

Thanks to our full compliance in secondary containment regulations through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), our team and our customers can rest easy! We bring our high safety standards to the table with Flexibags as with everything we do, using our thorough, tried-and-true DPCC plan (Discharge Prevention, Containment, Countermeasure).

What do you foresee in the use of Flexibags for liquid transportation and transloading with All Chemical?

Bottom line, our Flexibag service offerings give us a competitive edge that directly benefits our customers. Already in this industry, transloading services are hard to come by, and they’re often a multi-vendor hassle at best.

As hard as that process is for ISO containers when working with other carriers, it’s 3 times harder with Flexibags, because most carriers simply don’t have the expertise and familiarity with this new and innovative technology. As an All Chemical customer, you’re covered! We can load, transload, transport, wash, steam, and store—no matter the container you’re using.

Flexibags, ISO containers, all-in-one steam and wash services, transloading, and storage: our ever-growing array of offerings give us the ability to handle any and all your needs.

Contact us today and discover for yourself the peace of mind that comes with using All Chemical for one-stop-shop bulk liquid transportation!

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

Written by SysAdmin on . 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!