Supporting FEMA Disaster Relief (Part 1)

Client Profile

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was formally established in 1979 to support American citizens and first responders in their efforts to develop capabilities that help protect against, respond to, and recover from disasters.

As a FEMA affiliate, KCH Transportation has a specialized FEMA disaster relief team of veteran transportation brokers specializing in quick problem-solving. We understand that service failures are unacceptable when it comes to FEMA. That’s why the agency regularly calls on us for professional, fast, white-glove service at a moment’s notice.

Client Need

MISSION 1: TRAILER MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

FEMA required repairs to damaged trailers that had been arriving at their Selma, Alabama location. Repairs needed for these vehicles were to the electrical systems, the overall structure, and the tires.

This situation posed serious concerns for the organization, as these trailers were currently involved in delivering much-needed emergency supplies to hurricane-affected areas off the gulf coast. Lives were literally hanging in the balance. There was no time to waste to get the FEMA trailers service-ready and back on the road.

On a Saturday morning, FEMA representatives got in touch with KCH Transportation for a solution, and we jumped at the chance to help.

Approach/Solution

Instead of calling the customer and awaiting action on their part, our driver called us. When a KCH Operations Manager was made aware of the lack of a forklift at the delivery location, he immediately set about solving the problem to get the load off the truck and keep our customer’s operations running smoothly.

We picked up the phone and called equipment rental services in the area that offer rental forklifts. It only took a few calls to find a rental agency that had a forklift available right away. We arranged for it to be delivered on a rollback trailer to the customer’s facility at once.

“He [sic] made the right call by solving the problem right away. We know that not acting proactively can be costly for the customer, and our actions are always guided by what best serves the customer’s needs. In this case, taking action to get the load off the truck as quickly as possible did just that.” – JASON WHITTEN, PRESIDENT, KCH TRANSPORTATION

Result

Upon arrival, the forklift was immediately used to promptly unload the cargo from the trailer, minimizing the delay. When our customer was apprised of the situation, they were impressed that we took immediate action to solve the problem proactively.

Thanks to our team, the situation turned into a positive experience that strengthened KCH Transportation’s relationship with the customer. It also reinforced the fact that we are a partner who is as invested in the success of the transport process as they are.

Today, we’re the customer’s most trusted transportation broker, once again proving that we don’t just talk about white-glove service – we exemplify it.

“We take solving problems seriously, especially when the customer benefits from our team’s creative thinking. That’s why when our customers need a complete solution that covers all the bases, they call KCH Transportation.”– JASON WHITTEN, PRESIDENT, KCH TRANSPORTATION