Dive Brief:
- LaserShip/OnTrac opened a sort center near Philadelphia that will effectively double its capacity in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the parcel carrier announced last week.
- The more than 326,970-square-foot facility in Logan Township, New Jersey, will facilitate deliveries within LaserShip/OnTrac's network spanning 30 states and Washington, D.C. The company has also invested in a fully automated small package sorter to increase the center's sorting capacity to 31,000 packages per hour.
- “Providing faster delivery services is extremely important to the region’s businesses to stay competitive and serve the needs of their customers,” said Janet Garraty, executive director of the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce, in a statement. “The new sort center will support the supply chain operations for many of our region’s businesses.”
Dive Insight:
LaserShip/OnTrac opened the new sort center ahead of the peak holiday shipping season, which will help it better handle spikes in volumes and keep packages flowing. The company also plans to add over 400 full-time and seasonal workers to aid its operations.
The added facility and labor capacity is a welcome sign for the carrier's customers after Moody's reported in a July note that LaserShip struggled to handle the demand surge it encountered in the 2021 peak season.
“Our continued investment in network infrastructure is the direct result of our retailers’ need to diversify their carrier mix and reach their customers with faster, reliable last-mile delivery,” LaserShip/OnTrac Chief Commercial Officer Josh Dinneen said in a statement. "We’re excited to open our new sort center ahead of this year’s holiday shopping season, and we look forward to welcoming more members of the community to our team.”
LaserShip/OnTrac came together as the result of the 2021 merger of parcel carriers LaserShip and OnTrac amid increased interest for large-scale delivery alternatives to FedEx and UPS. LaserShip's network is concentrated in the eastern U.S., while OnTrac's network covers western states.
The company launched a transcontinental delivery service earlier this year that leverages LaserShip and OnTrac's combined coverage areas. It offers transit times ranging from three to five days, according to LaserShip's website.
