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Landstar Moves To Expanded, Newly Built U.S./Mexico Logistics Service Center In Laredo

LANDSTAR MOVES TO EXPANDED, NEWLY BUILT U.S. / MEXICO LOGISTICS SERVICE CENTER IN LAREDO

 Facility to Feature 30-Bay Cross-Dockand Custom 120-Ton Stand-Alone Bridge Crane

Landstar System, Inc. (NASDAQ:LSTR), a worldwide, asset-light provider of integrated transportation management solutions delivering safe, specialized transportation logistics services, today announced the opening of its Landstar U.S./Mexico Logistics Service Center in Laredo, Texas. The company has provided Mexico cross-border services out of Laredo since 1999, and has moved its operations to this new, expanded logistics center.

The 31,000-square-foot logistics facility is located on a 50-acre site that accommodates 450 trailers and provides room for future expansion. The Landstar U.S./Mexico Logistics Service Center features a highly secured C-TPAT certified site, including a 30-bay cross-dock and transload facility, along with a dedicated platform and Heavy/Specialized freight area with a custom 120-ton, stand-alone bridge crane.

“We have expanded our cross-border and Mexico freight transportation operations to meet the needs of our customers,” said Landstar Transportation Logistics Executive Vice President of Operations Eric Meyer. “Landstar is known for its high level of service and extensive geographic coverage, servicing the Mexico market using more than 1,000 van and platform trailers to accommodate the broad range of commodities that comprise cross-border trade. The facility will better serve Landstar’s customers, capacity providers and agents, and we believe it will position Landstar as the premier freight transport provider of cross-border operations.”

The logistics center is one of the largest facilities of its kind in Laredo. Its 30-door cross dock is comprised of more than 20,000 square feet designed to bring efficiencies to both less-than-truckload (LTL) and transload services. This complements Landstar’s LTL business by allowing consolidation of several LTL shipments into one truckload before crossing the border into Mexico. The new yard is capable of holding more than 450 trailers, which is 2.5 times the capacity of Landstar’s previous facility, and has a dedicated heavy-haul section of the yard that includes a custom designed, 120-ton stand-alone bridge crane. This crane has a clearance area of 35 feet high and 37 feet wide to accommodate the ability to transload many of the largest super loads.

“The 120-ton bridge crane is unique to the cross-border market. It is used to transfer oversize, heavy and specialized loads between various types of platform equipment coming to and from Mexico,” said Landstar Transportation Logistics Vice President of Mexico Operations Steve Wisnieski. “Landstar commissioned and directed the design of the new bridge crane to meet our current and future needs, and to allow load transfers to happen safely and efficiently.”

The Landstar U.S/Mexico Logistics Service Center also features conference rooms and meeting space for Landstar customers and agents, and a state-of-the-art area for Landstar business capacity owners (BCOs), the company’s term for truck owner-operators leased to Landstar. The BCO area includes a lounge, media center, computer room, laundry and much more, all designed with comfort and accessibility in mind.

Landstar’s Mexico service offerings include truckload, rail, LTL, transload and customs brokerage. Manufacturers and shippers that want more information about Landstar’s Mexico cross-border services can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 412-741-1700 or 972-222-0000.

Landstar Ranked Largest Specialized Transportation Company In North America

Landstar is first on the 2016 American Cranes & Specialized Transport (ACT) magazine’s list of North America’s largest specialized transportation companies.

Landstar Transportation Logistics has held  its top-place ranking among ACT’s Transport 50 for the 6th consecutive year, posting a fleet size of 12,651 for 2016 and a total capacity of 108,990. Landstar’s available fleet and capacity is more than double of the number two transportation company in this year’s Transport 50 rankings. 

“This ranking  reinforces Landstar’s standing as the premier heavy haul and specialized carrier in the United States. The wide array of capacity in the Landstar network, coupled with some of the industry’s best heavy/specialized owner-operators, allows us to serve as the primary  provider for any size shipper or project,” says Rusty Cody, Landstar vice president of heavy specialized and intermodal services.

In August of 2016, Landstar ranked fifth among the World’s Largest Specialized Transport Companies according to the 2016 Transport 50 International Cranes & Specialized Transport ranking

Safety Thursday: 6 Tips To Reduce Distractions While Driving

Distracted driving is defined as any activity that takes your attention away from the road and can endanger the driver, as well as the motoring public. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the three main types of distractions while driving are visual, manual and cognitive distractions. Visual distractions cause drivers to take their eyes off the road. Manual distractions make driver’s take their hands off of the wheel. Cognitive distractions, like listening to the radio or talking on a phone, cause drivers to take their minds off of the task of driving. 

Every time an owner operator’s focus is not on the road ahead, lives may be put in danger according to the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA.) The FMCSA considers distracted driving a deadly epidemic on the nation’s roads. Research from the FMCSA shows in 2014, 3,179 people were killed and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

Here are six tips from the FMCSA to commercial drivers or independent owner operators on ways to reduce distractions on the road:

  • Don’t let outside objects be a distraction, stay focused on driving the truck. Anything that takes eyes away from the road can be a dangerous distraction.
  • Never text while driving, it is illegal and one of the most dangerous distractions to any driver.
  • Do not use a dispatching device while driving, mobile and portable dispatching devices cause drivers to take their eyes off the road.
  • Do not dial a handheld phone while driving. Consider using a voice-activated or hands-free phone app that does not require drivers to take their hands off the wheel while driving.
  • Do not read, write or use paper maps while driving.
  • Avoid eating and drinking while driving.