FARMINGTON, NEW YORK – October 8, 2024 – Leonard’s Express — a leading transportation services provider offering refrigerated trucking, dry van, warehousing, and freight brokerage services – has been named a 2024 Top Food Chain Provider by Food Chain Digest, the official magazine of Food Shippers of America (FSA). For the second year in a row, Leonard’s Express was named to the prestigious list of 25 companies for delivering outstanding service to food shippers.
“Food shippers rely upon their logistics partners and carriers to help manage a productive, efficient, and seamless food chain,” said Brian Everett, Group Publisher and Editorial Director of Food Chain Digest. “This program highlights providers that are helping shippers successfully navigate through their food chain challenges to accomplish their business goals.”
To be eligible for the Top Food Chain Provider award, companies must successfully complete a rigorous nomination process that includes demonstrating how their service or product solves a business problem for food shippers. Each nominated business must generate at least $5 million in annual revenue and operate either as a third-party logistics provider (3PL), freight broker, motor carrier, or rail, intermodal or maritime company.
Food Chain Digest staff evaluated all nominations to assess the value they provide to food shippers and their achievements over the last 12-18 months. Food Chain Digest also called on food manufacturers, retailers, and distributors to vote for each nominee, validating the submissions by industry professionals. The final list was then audited and reviewed by FSA leaders to confirm the quality of providers named on the list.
Leonard’s Express continuously modernizes its fleet and recently built a state-of-the-art refrigerated warehouse to serve its food-grade customers. “Our refrigerated trailers utilize i-bright technology to ensure temperature integrity for all products shipped, and an assertive trade cycle on our equipment results in reliable and safe capacity,” said Leonard’s Express CEO Kyle Johnson. “The addition of our 114,500 square foot temperature-controlled warehouse in the Northeast augments our transportation by providing the ability to efficiently store and re-distribute food shippers’ products.”
Earlier this year, Leonard’s Express rolled out Optimal Dynamics, an AI-based load acceptance and dispatch optimization software, to make better routing decisions. “This will enable our drivers and dispatchers to deliver an even higher level of service to food shippers,” explained Johnson.
Through challenging economic times, Leonard’s Express continues to turn its trucks over every four years, refrigerated trailers every seven years, and vans every ten years. “While other fleets have aged, we’ve stayed on schedule providing new and reliable equipment and technology to our customers.”
Food Shippers of America will recognize Leonard’s Express and other winners of the Top Food Chain Provider award in the next edition of Food Chain Digest magazine and in FSA’s Food for Thought newsletter this fall.
About Leonard’s Express
Leonard’s Express is a family-owned, asset-based transportation provider based in Farmington, New York with offices located throughout the United States. We provide transportation solutions for a wide range of customers that encompass many industries. With our nationwide footprint we are prepared to tailor a solution to fit your specific supply chain needs. With our state-of-the-art technology and dedicated staff, Leonard’s Express is willing and able to provide dependable, diversified, and creative solutions that are responsive and cost-effective. For more information, please visit www.leonardsexpress.com.
