Dive Brief:
- ITS Logistics is adding thousands of trailers to its DropFleet network as more shippers request hybrid capacity, according to a Sept. 18 press release.
- Hybrid capacity gives shippers the flexibility to integrate owned assets and third-party equipment while still utilizing a carrier network, Chief Commercial Officer Josh Allen told Trucking Dive.
- “Over the last 5 years, we’ve grown to more than 5,000 ITS trailers — with plans for ongoing growth based on 2026 forecasts,” Allen said.
Dive Insight:
Shippers are seeking hybrid capacity due to the expansion of e-commerce and the convergence of supply chain uncertainty, Allen told Trucking Dive.
“One of our biggest DropFleet customers, a Fortune 50, is using it to scale their ecommerce solution because of its ability to match demand fluctuations in real time — which can mean reducing their capacity by a few trailers or doubling their pool count overnight,” Allen said.
Manufacturers as well as retailers including Gap have used DropFleet. For example, through the service, an automotive manufacturer gained access to a pool of 200 trailers across 16 facilities. Meanwhile, a major North American retailer currently leverages 1,000 DropFleet trailers to aid its growing ecommerce network, according to the release.
Shippers using DropFleet are not restricted to ITS trailers but have access to over 300,000 trailers in the company’s network.
The service “enables a grab, load, and go anywhere flexibility that streamlines yard operations,” Allen said in an email. “And it helps shippers mature their supply chain with a technologically advanced partner that removes the burden of managing a trailer pool,” he added.
The company says shippers using DropFleet services gain certainty through dedicated equipment, per the release. That’s because DropFleet trailers have no region or lane limitation, whether its owned by ITS or another carrier.
“It comes down to extreme flexibility and scalability,” Allen said in the release. “When we ask customers what they like about DropFleet, it’s that they can ship any amount of volume, anywhere, at the drop of a hat. 30 trailers to the West one day, 50 the next—plus an extra 10 to the East,” he added.
ITS prioritizes providing shippers with flexibility. Last month, the company launched its Retail Logistics Hubs, a solution that taps into the third-party logistics provider’s transportation and carrier partners to serve its retail customers.
