Bulk Commodity Transportation in Georgia - Howard Sheppard
Truckload Services
The OTR Division of Howard Sheppard, Inc. is responsible for providing transportation services for our customers shipping liquid, dry bulk, bagged and general van commodities. Our OTR Division provides local, regional, and over the road truckload services. Our diversified trailer fleet consists of liquid tanks, pneumatic dry bulk tanks, vans, and flatbeds. Commodities commonly transported include kaolin (liquid, dry, and bagged) products, sodium silicate, chemicals, concrete beams/pilings, and dry van freight. In 2007, the OTR Division expanded the van services offered into a Van Division, fully staffed and with its own fleet of tractors and vans. While the expansion of the Van Division is new to Howard Sheppard, Inc, we are not new to the business. We have serviced a limited amount of van business over the years and have mainly used this to provide an expedited service and complement the business to our current bulk and liquid tank customers, kaolin customers, and many others. Utilizing many of the tactics that has made our OTR division so successful, the Van division will reach many areas not previously available to Howard Sheppard, Inc, our customers, and drivers.
The OTR terminals are located in Sandersville, GA, Augusta, GA, and Savannah, GA. Each terminal is staffed with personnel responsible for the day to day operations. The terminal is responsible for working with its customers and managing the fleet operations. Vehicles and drivers are dispatched by each terminal to which they are assigned. Strategically locating the outlying terminals in Augusta and Savannah provided HSI the ability to concentrate on niche regional markets that complemented the kaolin industry but allowed us to expand beyond the kaolin industry. We have prided ourselves over the years for finding the niche markets and providing excellent service.
Our corporate office in Sandersville consists of a terminal dispatch staff, the Van Division staff and a logistics department. The terminal dispatch and Van Division staff is organized similar to the outlying terminals in that it has its own assigned drivers and vehicles and works with its customers accordingly. The logistics department is responsible for dispatch oversight between all terminals and divisions. This improves Howard Sheppard Inc.'s ability to respond to over flow and emergency orders by cross dispatching between terminals and divisions to utilize all of the company's fleet to maximize equipment use.