When your company is experiencing a spike in demand, whether anticipated or unexpected, you don’t have time to search for, secure and set up an additional warehouse. Even if time did allow, finding the space, in the right location, at the right price and terms can be extremely challenging. So, what can you do instead?
Storage trailers provide a timely, scalable and cost-effective solution to help you meet increased demand in a pinch — and, better yet, prepare for it ahead of time. Here’s how one of our many customers at Mckinney use our storage trailers as a standard operating procedure.
Meeting Seasonal Peaks with Relative Ease
Our customer, a major player in the food retail distribution industry, sees fluctuating demand throughout the year in tune with holidays that center on family gatherings. Particularly from Labor Day through the New Year, the customer needs to be agile and responsive to ensure products reach grocery store shelves on time.
"We rent different types of equipment for various needs throughout the year," our customer said. "Storage trailers add extra capacity to our operations for distribution to retail grocery stores as well as the distribution center."
The customer explained how they use Mckinney’s storage trailers for more than just holiday demand, listing equipment replacement, project remodeling, expansions and distribution centers as just a few examples. Even so, volume spikes are the key use case. And while there will always be a degree of stress during the busiest times, having instant access to storage trailers helps reduce complexity and costs.
When do the seasonal spikes pick up? According to the customer, it starts with a moderate but noticeable increase around Labor Day and really takes off toward the end of October, just in time for the holiday season, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Perhaps your business sees the same.
Planning, Collaborating, Communicating
Communication and collaboration are the keys to effectively manage seasonal peaks. Our customer maintains a base rental inventory for everyday needs while keeping in touch with us to prepare for upcoming seasonal demand. For example, they begin discussions for holiday requirements as early as August, ensuring that they are well-prepared for the surge in volume. This forward-thinking approach, coupled with our responsiveness and reliability, allows the customer to improve their peak season performance each year as planning becomes more routine and data-driven.
Reducing Downtime and Costs
Trailer downtime due to equipment breakdowns, maintenance or repairs can be costly. Our customer emphasizes the importance of keeping their wheels in motion to drive performance, another area where storage trailers make a difference.
"Especially with rental equipment, since it's an additional cost to the operation, our goal has been to get as much utilization as possible," the customer said. “Mckinney's rapid response to downed equipment and efficient communication regarding repairs have both been instrumental in achieving this goal.”
Aside from quickly responding to needs, Mckinney focuses on preventive maintenance to address potential problems before they lead to downtime. This proactive approach ensures our customer’s operations remain efficient and cost-effective. Meanwhile, eliminating the need to expand brick-and-mortar warehousing removes another layer of costs that many organizations grapple with when they need to expand quickly but not necessarily permanently.
Creating Availability
Our customer recognizes the importance of equipment availability. Different types of equipment, including reefers, dry vans and specialty equipment, are essential to their operations and are all available through Mckinney. We’re also increasing our fleet of electric reefer trailers, which are gaining traction as an alternative to diesel-powered refrigeration units.
Our variation in equipment, including trailer size and suspension types, provides flexibility, which leads to more business for our customers. Our customer attributes Mckinney’s storage trailers as a large part of their ongoing growth.
Setting the Foundation for Sustained Success
In the two years we’ve been working together, our customer says the communication is exceptional. “Mckinney helps us move our business forward,” they said.
Whether you're dealing with holiday spikes, expansion projects or unexpected inventory levels , Mckinney's rental storage trailers can be the key to unlocking growth, reducing downtime and maintaining cost-efficiency. Ready to explore how our storage trailers can benefit your business? Contact us to rent, lease or buy storage trailers today. Your success is our priority.
