Owning and managing a private fleet is crucial for many businesses, especially in some industries, such as medical supplies and healthcare, where speed might matter even more.

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Key Medical Supply owned and managed its fleet to avoid delays, ensure fast and reliable deliveries and keep its supply chain adaptable. However, the company was soon overwhelmed by rising logistical costs and inefficiency. Mothership helped it turn the corner.

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Key Medical Supply is a full-service medical supply company providing top-quality service and medical supplies to long-term care facilities, home health agencies and hospice agencies. The company offers personalized attention to providers and patients instead of the one-size-fits-all approach of other medical supply companies. They provide quality products at competitive prices, shipped the same or next day, all accessible through an easy-to-use online platform.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at Key Medical Supply’s logistics and discover why they work with Mothership despite maintaining a private fleet.

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Avoid the maintenance recurring logistical issues of running a private fleet

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It is not uncommon for medical supply companies and large shippers to have private fleets to manage their supply chains. For companies with high volumes of shipments, a private fleet can be more cost-effective in the long run and reduce reliance on external carriers.

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But Key Medical Supply occasionally faced staffing issues and maintenance problems, which created new logistics problems that were sometimes tough to manage.

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“Any minor issue would cause a slew of logistical headaches,” a Key Medical Supply company representative said, referring to drivers calling out sick or experiencing flat tires when on the road. “Now, any maintenance or staffing issue that comes up is no longer given more than a three-second thought, as we just schedule our shipments with Mothership.”

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More than a backup option, Key Medical Supply reduced its private fleet from three trucks to only one after partnering with Mothership. Mothership’s same-day shipping network reaches 85% of the U.S. population—perfect to serve the medical supply company’s customers nationwide.

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Mothership delivers freight faster in key markets in the U.S. without the need for multiple carriers. The company ships same day to the greater Los Angeles area, the Inland Empire, San Diego and its suburbs, and the San Francisco Bay Area in California; the Chicago and Detroit metropolitan areas; the Dallas metroplex and greater Houston in Texas; New York City and southern New Jersey; the Philadelphia area and southeastern Pennsylvania; the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. region; greater Atlanta in the South; and Miami and South Florida.

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How Key Medical Supply eliminated poor routes and wasted miles driven to make its supply chain more efficient

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Private fleets typically offer shippers more control, reliability and customization of delivery services, but they also come with significant challenges.

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Besides the high operational cost of purchasing and maintaining a fleet of vehicles, shippers also experience increased complexity in planning. For example, inefficient or poorly planned routes can lead to so-called “dead miles,” the distance a truck drives without carrying cargo, leading to wasted fuel and labor costs.

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“When using my own driver, I’m paying them to drive back to my warehouse with an empty truck, which is time and money wasted,” a Key Medical Supply company representative explained. “With Mothership, we can better plan routes, delivery times and order schedules—no longer limited by our physical fleet. I’m only paying for the time and mileage driven one way.”

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Key Medical Supply saves more than $5,000 a month in freight and shipping costs thanks to Mothership’s advanced artificial intelligence. Mothership’s technology instantly matches shipments to the nearest carrier, reducing driver downtime, transit times and underused fleets by making trucks as efficient as possible. This improved efficiency also helps avoid delays in future deliveries on the same route or more complex deliveries.

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Mothership’s same-day shipping helped Key Medical Supply grow its business

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“Same-day delivery is what truly sets Mothership apart from the other last-mile delivery options,” Key Medical Supply said. “Mothership allows me to take on more clients, and I don’t have to think twice about delivering on time or hiring more drivers.”

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With 97% on-time pick-up and delivery performance, Mothership provided the reliability on which Key Medical Supply built its business and long-time reputation. Key Medical Supply’s staff also sent delivery updates so that its customers could watch their shipments move in real-time on a map, increasing visibility in the final mile.