Forward Air (NASDAQ: FWRD) announced Monday further expansion of its non-airport less-than-truckload network. The Greeneville, Tennessee-based company will now offer its expedited LTL service in California’s Inland Empire.
The new facility in Fontana, California, will be able to accommodate the entire region, which is seeing historical volume surges at the ports. This is the company’s second facility in the area and is expected to support pickup and delivery operations and help improve efficiency at Forward’s Los Angeles airport terminal.
“The Inland Empire region plays a strategic role in our expansion plans. While we can support some of our largest customers here, we are also able to link smaller businesses to our portfolio of service offerings,” said Chairman, President and CEO Tom Schmitt. “We are growing our footprint in Southern California and supporting our existing operations at the same time.”
The Fontana facility is the latest in Forward’s LTL development beyond its traditional airport-to-airport network. In November, the company announced plans to roll out expedited LTL service in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In September, Forward added terminals in Columbia, Missouri, and Roanoke, Virginia, to the LTL roster after first launching the service out of its Savannah, Georgia, final-mile facility in July.
The LTL expansion is part of Forward’s plan to leverage the current network of facilities that have been impacted by a decline in airfreight during the pandemic. The Fontana terminal connects to Forward’s national network of services, which include truckload, intermodal drayage and final-mile delivery in addition to LTL.
Forward has also been expanding its portfolio through acquisition. The company recently acquired drayage provider Value Logistics and final-mile carrier CLW Delivery.