Employees at Snyder’s-Lance Inc. are so passionate about snacking that they developed their corporate purpose around it: “Snacking is a part of life – Our passion makes it better.” This passion has helped Snyder’s-Lance grow its business significantly over the last several years.
The company’s commitment to quality extends from the ingredients used in its products to how it moves its products to market. Snyder’s-Lance delivers its snacks in Great Dane trailers that are custom spec’d to ensure safe and efficient deliveries.
Grainger Smith, DOT Compliance/Safety Program Manager for Snyder’s-Lance, said that in 2006, after an acquisition, the company shifted its product mix to more salty snacks requiring larger cube trailers.
The Transportation and Logistics team worked closely with a Great Dane sales representative from the Great Dane branch in Charlotte, North Carolina, to design a custom 53′ shallow drop electronic van with maximum cube capacity.
From 2007 through 2010, the company purchased 110 53′ Great Dane drop van trailers.
The sheet-and-post drop vans were spec’d with:
- Two curbside doors
- PunctureGuard lining
- 1.3″ hardwood floors
- 5/8″ x 12″ high white polyethylene scuff band
- Two rows of galvanized F-track
- Five fluorescent dome lamps
- Association of American Railroads specs
- 10′ walk ramp with enclosed carrier
- Steel storage box for rear axle wheel risers to meet standard dock heights
After the merger of Snyder’s of Hanover and Lance Inc. in 2010, however, the company’s distribution network changed from having the majority of deliveries sent to smaller storage facilities where the cargo was hand-unloaded to palletized deliveries going through a network of company distribution centers. This new distribution model required new transportation equipment.
“We have transitioned from purchasing 53′ custom drop vans to standard 53′ Great Dane Champion dry freight trailers,” Smith said. “As we move forward, we will continue to upgrade our fleet with standard 53′ dry freight trailers but also keep enough 53′ drop vans to make multi-stop deliveries out of various company distribution centers.”
Passion is also important to Great Dane – it’s one of the company’s six values. The others are safety, leadership, innovation, quality and integrity. It’s a good thing when company values align because it helps the companies work together well to create better solutions.
“Great Dane has always been responsive to equipment inquiries regarding specific applications or specification changes over the years, and they stay on the cutting edge of trailer technology,” Smith said. “Over the many years of buying trucks and trailers for Snyder’s-Lance, we know that Great Dane continues to be the kind of partner that goes the extra mile for its customers.”
“When you buy a Great Dane trailer, you are buying quality and craftsmanship in a trailer that is consistent year-in and year-out,” Smith said. “And because of that quality and craftsmanship, it provides Snyder’s-Lance a low cost of ownership over the useful life of the trailer.”
For Snyder’s-Lance employees, passion makes snacking better. At Great Dane, our passion helps companies like Snyder’s-Lance better serve their customers.
