Everyone knows the song: “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.” But for Turkey Hill, the leading ice cream maker in the northeast United States, being able to deliver its famous ice cream flavors from vanilla and cookie dough to Choco Mint Chip and Rocky Road starts with having a reliable fleet of vehicles.
Turkey Hill delivers ice cream from their production site in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to every state except Hawaii, along with 260 Turkey Hill Minit Markets across Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Vehicles in the Turkey Hill delivery fleet of 80 trucks and 230 trailers average 45 deliveries and 20,000 cases direct to store daily. The operation also makes 20,000 trips to deliver about 528,000 pallets to warehouses annually. And the company used to own and maintain this fleet, however, they found their vehicle reliability was not as reliable as the taste of their creamy confections.
“Operating a private fleet comes with many challenges in different areas,” said Clayton Shipman, director of logistics operations at Turkey Hill. “We had a lot of aging equipment. We were looking at how we could get back into a position where we had new and safer trucks.”
Seeking to field more reliable models with built-in maintenance across its operations, the company turned to Ryder for a full-service lease solution.
Delivering maintenance
According to Ryder, the ChoiceLease program in place at Turkey Hill allows the company to decide lease terms, including a maintenance level and delivery method they prefer. It also provides access to maintenance services at more than 800 shops nationwide, staffed by over 5,000 certified technicians—through Ryder Mobile services or on-site. The Ryder facilities also have value-added services, like fuel islands, battery charging, and diesel particulate filter cleaners, plus driver break rooms.
The Ryder ChoiceLease Full Service offering covers new and pre-owned trucks, tractors, and trailers, and bumper-to-bumper maintenance coverage. All maintenance is always covered –even tires and brakes, which often are considered wear and tear equipment
Turkey Hill can also readily access data on vehicle performance and maintenance schedules through the Ryder Fleet Management Portal and have visibility and reports on maintenance and fuel usage in real-time as well as automated alerts and notifications, plus scheduled maintenance appointments, keeping downtime to a minimum.
On-site service
Along with avoiding the investment of maintaining a fleet, Turkey Hill was also challenged with operating its maintenance shop. As part of the solution, Ryder began managing the on-site maintenance facility for Turkey Hill, not only keeping the fleet well maintained, but training technicians and providing state-of-the-art tools and diagnostic equipment.
“Fleet maintenance was a big part of why we chose Ryder,” said Christine Bense, chief operating officer at Turkey Hill. “It was difficult to keep up with the demand for and training of the technicians, changing regulations and technology, while also competing with large providers to pay technicians what they should be paid.
“Ryder provides the tools, training, and technology to keep the shop running,” Bense continued. “Our technicians knew they were going to a great employer in Ryder so there was no people issue. Now, our trucks are always maintained and ready when we need them.”
Peace of mind for drivers
Reliable, well-maintained equipment is also leading to greater driver satisfaction at Turkey Hill. It gives them peace of mind knowing they won’t be stranded even if an issue does arise because emergency roadside assistance or a substitute vehicle is only a quick call away.
“It’s a lot less stressful knowing I’m getting into a vehicle that is well maintained,” said David Firestone, a long-time driver for Turkey Hill. “I don’t have to think about scenarios or what I’m getting into. That makes your day easier, and you know you can get home to see your family every night.”
Reducing environmental impact
Turkey Hill is also focused on sustainability by actively working to reduce its environmental impact. Efforts have included waste reduction in packaging and its main operating facility in Conestoga, Pennsylvania now runs on 100% renewable energy from sources like wind and water.
The company also spearheaded the Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership, which helps their dairy farmer suppliers establish conservation plans on their farms to limit pollution of local waterways, conserve their land, and help better the lives of their animals.
Beyond those initiatives, Turkey Hill sought ways to be environmentally responsible with the operation and maintenance of its fleet.
Since converting its fleet to newer vehicles, Turkey Hill has increased its miles per gallon from 6.6 to 7.1 on average. While that may not seem like a lot, considering the fleet travels about 3.5 million miles annually, the change has an enormous impact. It saves the company over 36,000 gallons of fuel per year and provides a cost savings of $150,000 annually.
“We are saving on the sustainability side and not burning that extra fuel with our trucks,” Shipman said. “The partnership with Ryder helps with those efforts by providing newer trucks with the latest engines that are more fuel efficient.”
Measurably improving uptime
Focusing on their commitment to fleet reliability ensures timely deliveries for Turkey Hill customers. Since choosing Ryder for a full-service lease and on-site maintenance solution, Shipman noted, the company’s fleet has measurably improved vehicle uptime.
“We found a solution that would avoid the capital investment that comes with owning a fleet and maintaining it, while allowing us to focus on what we do best— producing ice cream, iced teas, and other products and delivering them efficiently and productively to customers," he concluded.
For more than 90 years, Turkey Hill has trusted its fleet of trucks to deliver its products to store shelves at some of the largest grocery retailers in the country. Without those capabilities, that scream of elation— “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream”—would not be possible.
