Beginning with one man, a truck, and the passion to create a better experience for transportation needs that exceeded what the market was offering, Lanter Delivery Systems has become a major player in the US supply chain. We speak to Steve Lanter, CEO, to learn more.
DELIVERING EXCELLENCE NIGHT AND DAY
The delivery services industry has an extensive history that continues to shape the global economy with its endless advancements and innovation.
No company recognizes the critical nature of this evolution more than Lanter Delivery Systems (Lanter), having borne witness to myriad changes within the industry for over 40 years, becoming a recognized leader within the sector.
Steve Lanter, CEO, was raised in the trucking industry, crediting his father for not only blazing the trails by initiating the long-standing business but for inspiring the family-oriented and relationship-based culture that has become embedded in the company’s DNA.
“One of the lessons my dad taught me was that if you provide exceptional service, have great relationships with your customers, and deliver a solution that adds value, you’re always going to be in business. This has been our winning formula for over four decades,” he opens.
This belief in working with honesty and integrity has allowed Lanter to see exponential growth and retain long-lasting customers who are confident in the company’s ability to provide dedicated quality and shared value.
Serving customers nationwide in essential industries, including automotive, agricultural, heavy trucking, and industrial, Lanter’s network spans 48 states with approximately 90 hubs and forward cross-docks and makes over 11,000 stops every night, Monday through to Saturday.
“At Lanter, we take immense pride in ensuring that every team member, regardless of their level or position in the delivery process, understands the critical role they play in getting vehicles back on the road and tractors back in the field,” notes Steve.
“Whether it’s a single parent’s car, driver’s truck, or any other vehicle, our commitment to providing excellent service makes a tangible difference in our customers’ lives and the lives of their customers.”
One of the most distinctive qualities of the company is that it runs the most extensive shared network of anybody in the country, allowing Lanter to develop a customized, detailed delivery plan that ensures even the most specific of needs are met and that all safety and security standards are aligned.
Ultimately, when in need of a fast, reliable, and time-tested delivery of parts and materials anywhere in the continental US, Lanter is the go-to choice.
DELIVERY OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE
The company represents the classic American business success story, having become a leader in the overnight delivery of critical parts and daily stock orders, with countless companies and their customers relying on its nationwide network to deliver various goods.
This, understandably, requires dedication, timeliness, and synchronous teamwork to meet such high expectations.
“Working at Lanter necessitates passion; it’s not just a nine-to-five job. With delivery commitments throughout the night and into the morning, success requires a tightly managed series of events,” expands Steve.
“You have to care, be a great communicator, and address issues head-on without hesitation.”
Attention to detail and a flexible logistics system is what has allowed the company to achieve an enviable track record of 98 percent on-time delivery.
One of the lessons my dad taught me is that if you provide exceptional service, have great relationships with your customers, and deliver a solution that adds value, you’re always going to be in business. This has been our winning formula for over four decades.
Steve Lanter, CEO, Lanter Delivery Systems
Lanter offers different delivery options to accommodate its clients’ distribution requirements, all of which are designed to ensure all freight is delivered safely and on schedule while incorporating sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices in the process.
Lanter’s core service offering of unattended night delivery not only provides convenience and efficiency for its clients but also supports its green initiatives. By arranging the pick-up of shipments from clients’ regionalized Parts Distribution Centers in the afternoon and delivering them to clients’ locations before the start of business the next day, Lanter helps reduce the need for additional freight storage on-site, thereby minimizing carbon footprint and promoting resource efficiency.
Additional value-added benefits include end-to-end scanning for complete visibility of the shipment, a centralized customer service department for proactive alerts, an interactive customer web portal, and more.
Alongside these benefits, Lanter offers scheduled less than truckload (LTL) shipping, which provides companies with a daily, planned delivery cadence going to dealerships, stores, or branches at set times.
Finally, the company provides retail pool distribution, an aspect it is looking to expand even further in upcoming years. This form of distribution combines LTL shipments on fewer trucks and sorts them at terminals for final-mile delivery, significantly reducing the number of vehicles on the road and leading to lower emissions and decreased fuel consumption.
Overall, Lanter’s day and night freight transportation solutions enable high-volume shippers to ‘pool’ freight traveling to multiple destinations in full truckload quantities, resulting in cost savings, streamlined supply chains, and a greener footprint.
REACHING ONE BILLION
With an unparalleled track record, Lanter’s vision and goals for the future continue to be ambitious.
“Initially, we set a goal of trying to double in size over the course of five years. We were able to achieve that target in three years and then continued to set robust expansion goals that we worked hard to successfully meet,” enthuses Steve.
“As we look to the future, our next big goal is to become a billion-dollar company. To achieve this quest, we have an aggressive growth strategy.”
With the help of its partner, Equity Group Investments (EGI), the private investment firm founded by Sam Zell, Lanter has devised a three-legged strategic growth plan.
The first part of this strategy involves looking at the company’s night unattended business. This pre-8am delivery offers a unique opportunity for those looking to optimize their efficiency and reduce disruptions. This can range from industries in healthcare to automotive to food and beverage.
Leg two consists of leveraging overnight dock networks that normally sit idle during non-peak hours. This will allow the business to expand into same-day delivery, as many customers are calling for assistance in getting core deliveries returned to shippers after other transport companies have gone under.
“The thought right now is, how can we make this network more productive? We believe that all freight candidates can fit into our network, so even if we aren’t able to deliver in the middle of the night, we can deliver on that final mile route,” explains Steve.
Finally, the third leg focuses on mergers and acquisitions (M&As), as Lanter believes there are businesses that will hugely benefit from this combination of resources.
In addition to these three pillars, the company is highlighting its IT strategy and providing customers with modern technology solutions that deliver visibility, transparency, and insight.
“Our technology-enabled business process final mile platform creates the experience shippers and customers are looking for in today’s highly demanding supply chain,” insights Steve.
The delivery platform Lanter offers is unique for each customer’s needs to ensure seamless distribution, transportation, and logistics solutions. Additionally, the technology and process enables package-level scanning, tracking and tracing, a customer portal, data-enabling analysis and insights, industry-leading contactless delivery, and photo proof of delivery.
By continuing to fulfill its commitments, work with integrity, and maintain its reputation as the preeminent transportation and logistics provider in the crucial supply chain sector, the company will continue to expand its nationwide footprint and provide industry-leading service.
DRIVING TOWARDS SUCCESS
To summarize in a single word, Lanter’s workplace is dynamic. Something new is constantly happening, and the company boasts a vibrant, problem-solving environment ready to tackle anything that comes its way.
Operating throughout the entirety of the continental US, there is no place it can’t go to meet businesses’ logistical needs. This achievement is a tribute to the value the company prizes above all else – building deep, enduring relationships with the team and its customers.
These relationships have come to fruition and remain strong due to the founding principles that have helped shape the core of Lanter: its ‘non-negotiables’.
“We have eight non-negotiables that we live by, all revolving around how we treat one another and our clients,” notes Steve.
These non-negotiables stem from the top down, guiding the leaders in supporting and bringing out the best in everybody and helping the team create an environment that encourages growth on all levels.
“One thing that we do is lead a call where people share the non-negotiables they used in the past two weeks or plan to use in the upcoming month. It started as a small 30-second chat that has now evolved into a whole presentation that people get excited about,” expands Steve.
This showcases the pride Lanter has in promoting not only open communication but creative innovation within its workspace.
The company’s strategic, process-driven approach has been embraced by the marketplace for over four decades and is continuing to set new service standards for the automotive, agricultural, heavy industrial, and heavy trucking industries.
Lanter envisions a bright future for the road ahead and is looking forward to bringing its proven solutions to many new industries. Those at the company will continue to build long-lasting relationships as they push ahead to live and work by the well-established and family-oriented culture that has allowed Lanter to become an industry leader.
LANTER DELIVERY SYSTEMS PARTNERS
