While international freight handling, storage and transportation services have been the core of Houston-based World Trade Distribution’s business for 50 years, the company is not one to simply continue with the status quo. “We started focusing on port work in the 1980s,” says Jeff Joachim, president of the family owned business. “As more containers began arriving and departing in Houston, we changed the core of our business to in- and outbound container hauls and set up a warehouse to consolidate and separate loads.”

Located 42 miles from the port of Houston, the World Trade Distribution Container Freight Station (CFS) includes 200,000 sq. ft. of bonded warehousing space with over 150 loading docks and a 20-acre concrete storage yard. The CFS, which is also a customs exam site, has the ability to dray overweight containers and transload overweight cargo so it can be hauled legally.

More recently, World Trade Distribution shifted in another direction, this time to fill a need for handling overweight containers effectively and efficiently. “About 5% of the containers coming into the port are overweight,” Joachim explains. “Weighing 49,000 to 54,000 lbs., they can’t be hauled legally so the containers have to be broken down at the port.

“With about one million containers coming into the port every year, that means there are more than 50,000 overweight containers arriving annually,” Joachim adds. “We started asking ourselves how we can capture that business and get the sorting done at our warehouse.”

Finding an answer

The answer was to field tractors that are both lightweight and durable. “We worked with Kenworth to come up with the answer,” Joachim explains. “Today, four of our 30 tractors are 2015 model year Kenworth T680 day cabs, and we have two more on order. The weight of these T680s is 13,853 lbs. That’s more than 4,000 lbs. lighter than the other day cabs in our fleet.

“Combined with an adjustable fifth wheel, an additional 2,000 lbs. can be placed over the steer axle allowing for a total payload capacity of 54,500 lbs.,” Joachim continues. “Additionally, World Trade Distribution’s ultra lightweight chassis can be utilized for customers that require even greater capacities up to 56,500 lbs.”

The World Trade Distribution chassis also have split tandems that are controlled individually via the air bag system, Joachim notes. This allows individual control of each axle allowing bridge laws to be easily accommodated.

Designed initially for loads coming into its warehouse from the port, the featherweight World Trade Distribution units are providing benefits for outgoing loads as well. “Our trucks will travel up to 250 miles to pick up loads destined for the port,” Joachim says. “Since we can legally haul containers that are overweight by as much as 10%, our customers are basically getting every 10th load for free. At an average cost of $3,000 to ship containers overseas, customers see the benefit of having us haul heavier payloads, even after taking into account the premium we charge for carrying extra weight.”

Joachim details some of the features and weight savings of the fleet’s new Kenworth T680s:

• PACCAR MX 13 engine—300 lbs.
• Kenworth AG130 front air suspension—13 lbs.
• Meritor Fuelite MA40-165 tandem axle—425 lbs.
• Air disc brakes—110 lbs.
• Aluminum wheels and wide-base single tires—over 400 lbs.
• 119-inch BBC and split fenders—71 lbs.
• Polycarbonate plastic rear cab window—7 lbs.
• Delete passenger seat—51 lbs.
• Aluminum air tanks—44 lbs.
• 60-gallon aluminum fuel tanks—408 lbs.

MPG bonus

“Another bonus of the lightweight specs and new engine technology on the T680s has been fuel economy,” Joachim adds. “While we are averaging 5.5 MPG with other day cabs, the T680 with a PACCAR MX-13 engine is getting 7 MPG. At 50,000 miles per truck annually, that’s more than a 20% improvement that’s saving $7,800 each year per unit.

“Environmentally,” Joachim continues, “these trucks run 90% cleaner. Every 10 hauls we can make with a featherweight tractor cuts harmful emissions of one trip using a standard truck.”

World Trade Distribution drivers, who must weigh less than 200 lbs. to be assigned to a featherweight unit, also report that lightweight specs have not hampered performance. In particular, according to Joachim, they say that the 455 HP engine lets them have a lighter touch on the accelerator, especially at the Houston ship channel bridge, which has a fairly steep grade.

For safety and comfort, World Trade Distribution has spec’d its 2015 Kenworth T680s with front and rear air suspensions, as well as air disc brakes. “We feel that the air disc brakes are more sensitive and smoother, and they generate less heat than conventional drum brakes,” Joachim says. “The higher upfront cost of these brakes is negated by lower maintenance costs.

“Likewise,” Joachim adds, “we find that wide-base single drive tires mounted on aluminum wheels provide greater stability. In fact, all of our 43-ft., custom-built container chassis are also outfitted with air ride suspensions, air disc brakes, wide-base single tires and aluminum wheels.”

Doing business

Innovative ideas have been part of the way World Trade Distribution does business for a long time. Now managed by the fourth generation of the Joachim family, the company was started in 1927 as Lone Star Bag Co., a cotton distribution business. Jeff Joachim, who has been with the company for 36 years, succeeded his father Mort and now works side by side with his son Jason.

“World Trade Distribution is known for simplifying complicated trans-loads and high volume freight consolidations,” Joachim states. “We’ve been managing various import and export logistics and providing cargo freight management services for over 30 years.

“We’re proud to say we’re endorsed by some of the largest non-vessel operator common carriers, freight forwarders, and freight shippers in the country,” Joachim concludes. “The way we measure effectiveness is by customer satisfaction, economic efficiency and our ability to stay current with industry trends and technology.”