Like the service it strives to provide customers, J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida Inc. looks for quality and reliability in the fleet it fields. “Those are the principle factors when we’re making vehicle choices,” says Jose E. Rivera, vice president of finance/administration. “Since we started replacing our mismatched fleet in 2000, we’ve paid a slight premium to achieve those objectives, but it pays us back in fewer problems with breakdowns.”
J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida is an independently operated division of J. J. Taylor Companies Inc. The subsidiary operates three facilities in Ft. Myers, Tampa and Ft. Pierce, distributing over 100 domestic, craft and import beer brands to more than 10,000 retail customers in 17 Florida counties. The company’s fleet of 168 tractors and 214 trailers covers a service territory of 13,575 square miles.
The J.J. Taylor fleet in Florida includes route delivery and transport tractors. The delivery fleet consists of 68 Peterbilt Model 335 and 58 Peterbilt Model 337 single-axle tractors, as well as 25 Peterbilt Model 340, 357 and 384 tandem-axle units. In the transport operation, there are 17 single- and tandem-axle Peterbilt Model 384 and 385 units.
Great partner
Several factors influence J.J. Taylor’s choices when it comes time to replace vehicles. “One of those is our relationship with dealers, factory representatives and manufacturers,” Rivera says. “Peterbilt has been a great partner for us over the past 10 years, so we continue to spec the OEM’s tractors for our transport and delivery operations.”
For trailers, J.J. Taylor uses mostly Mickey and Hackney 14-, 16- and 18-bay models, including dry and combo refrigerated and dry bay units. Great Dane and Trailmobile dry vans and reefers fitted with liftgates, ranging in size from 28- to 53- ft., make up the balance of the route delivery and transport trailer fleet. Due to the way the company picks orders and combines deliveries, it will be replacing all of its regular side load trailers with dry vans within the next three years.
“We keep our tractors between seven and nine years,” Rivera relates. “Trailers and other equipment are in service an average of 15 years in our operation. All delivery route tractors are acquired through operating leases from PACCAR Financial or GE Capital, under which we return the unit to the lessor at lease term, without a residual value. For our transport tractors, these vehicles are offered to wholesalers in a bidding process at the end of their useful life.”
Benchmarking
Before replacing equipment, Rivera notes, J.J. Taylor benchmarks against industry standards. “We receive data from different sources, such as Ryder, Penske, PH&H and the NBWA (National Beer Wholesalers Association),” he explains further. “We use this data to focus on total cost per mile. Also, we look at specific areas, such as tires, and we have Michelin provide us support, matching the best tire to our application.
“One of the things we look at closely in terms of specs is total vehicle weight,” Rivera adds. “That’s a big consideration when you transport and deliver beer. Also, because of the weight of our loads, we spec air ride suspensions, which are more forgiving and help reduce repair costs.”
J.J. Taylor operates company maintenance shops at each of its three Florida locations, where Fleet Manager Mike Snow supervises a team of eight mechanics.
“We mirror OEM requirements for periodic preventive maintenance,” Snow relates. “All major repairs, as well as bodywork, are outsourced. In total, we maintain 416 pieces of road equipment, and over 100 forklifts and pallet jacks.”
For mechanics, Snow notes that J.J. Taylor provides training supplied by manufacturers, including Peterbilt, Cummins and Allison. Forklift maintenance training is provided by Toyota and Crown.
Monthly goal
“Safety training is part of our monthly goal for our mechanics,” Jose Rivera relates. “We also provide our drivers with “Defensive Driving for the Professional Truck Driver” courses by the National Safety Council every two years, and the course is mandatory for any new hire. The training is done by our in-house Safety Training Manager, who is also our certified Florida State Skills Examiner.”
J.J. Taylor also has its new “All Star Defensive Driving Incentive Program,” in which drivers are recognized for their efforts as individuals and within a team. In the program, they receive accident-free recognition and other rewards. “We have a very strong accident accountability program,” Rivera adds. “A group of peers reviews all accidents and determines preventability and severity, and corrective actions for preventable accidents.”
One of the top five distributorships in the U.S., J.J. Taylor Companies traces its roots back to 1958, when it was founded by John J. “Joe” Taylor with two trucks. Originally a beer distributor serving the greater Brockton area of Massachusetts, the company grew both internally and through acquisitions, eventually serving a territory that included all of southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Today, J.J. Taylor Companies operates independent divisions in Minnesota and Florida. Corporate headquarters is located in Jupiter, Fla.
“We’ve continued to prosper at J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida,” Rivera says, “by hiring and training the best people available, and by fielding a high quality and highly reliable fleet that helps us provide superior customer service.”
J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida Inc. Tractor Specifications
Model: Peterbilt Model 384
Wheelbase: 200 in.
Engine: Cummins ISM
Transmission: Eaton Fuller
UltraShift
Front Axle: Dana Spicer, 12,000-lb.
Front Suspension: Taper leaf springs, shock absorbers
Power Steering: TRW TAS65
Rear Axle: Dana Spicer, 40,000-lb.
Rear Suspension: Peterbilt Air Trac
Brakes: Bendix ES
Tires: 11R22.5 Michelin
Model: Peterbilt Model 337
Wheelbase: 157 in.
Engine: PACCAR PX-8
Transmission: Allison 3000
Front Axle: Dana Spicer, 12000-lb.
Front Suspension: Taper leaf springs, shock absorbers
Power Steering: TRW TAS 65
Rear Axle: Dana Spicer, 23,000-lb.
Rear Suspension: Peterbilt Air Trac
Brakes: Bendix ES
Tires: 11R22.5 Michelin
