The Shipper of Choice award, presented by FreightWaves and sponsored by TriumphPay, recognizes the manufacturers, distributors and retailers that do the best job of keeping the American economy moving by fighting driver detention, providing accessible facilities and understanding what it takes to remove inefficiencies from the supply chain.
Among the top 25 Shippers of Choice for 2023 is … Univar Solutions.
Founded in 1924, Univar Solutions is a global chemical and ingredients distributor. In addition to the U.S., the Downers Grove, Illinois-based company has operations in Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
On Aug. 1, private equity firm Apollo completed its acquisition of Univar Solutions. The purchase includes a minority investment from a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
About Univar Solutions
| Headquarters: | Downers Grove, Illinois |
| 2022 net sales: | $11.5 billion |
| 2022 net income: | $545.3 million |
| Shipper of Choice history: | First appearance |
Why Univar Solutions is a Shipper of Choice
As a chemicals distributor, Univar Solutions purchases large quantities such as barge loads, rail cars and full truckloads from chemical producers, then breaks them down to repackage, market, sell and distribute to customers from over 100 distribution centers around the country.
In addition to the company’s privately owned trucking fleet, those customers also rely on Univar Solutions’ third-party truckload and LTL carriers. “They are carrier- and driver-focused, and work consistently to make working with them easier,” according to one of the company’s third-party carriers.
Being selected as a FreightWaves Shipper of Choice “is quite an honor” the company stated.
“For us, it’s about having long-term strategic partnerships with carriers,” a company spokesperson told FreightWaves. “The freight markets have their ups and downs, with rate advantages shifting back and forth from shipper to carrier. But we keep our carriers whole when times are rough so that they stick with us when the market shifts the other way.”
Because the company has such a large private fleet — over 1,000 trucks — Univar Solutions has a heightened perspective of what it takes to keep drivers happy and productive.
“That’s why even though third-party drivers might not wear the same uniforms that our drivers do, we treat them with the same dignity and respect, and as an extension of our own employees,” according to the spokesperson.
Also, the need to be extremely safety-focused as a handler of hazardous materials requires that Univar Solutions set high standards for its carrier approval process, according to the company. That includes certifications from the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay and the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care programs.
About Shipper of Choice sponsor TriumphPay
TriumphPay is the transportation industry’s premier payment network, trusted by leading shippers, brokers, factors and carriers. Its innovative and highly automated fintech payment solution brings cost savings and efficiencies to antiquated transportation payment processes for network participants. Integrated financing options leverage the strength of TriumphPay’s parent bank and can provide liquidity and cash flow visibility.
TriumphPay is a division of Triumph Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: TFIN).