Averting the Disaster of Delivery Breakdowns

Newspaper distribution can be a nightmare when the delivery flow is interrupted. Delivery problems often begin with the trucking company – not with the publisher. However, subscribers will always blame the publisher whenever the trucking company fumbles a shipment.

Often, the inspiration for starting a business is because someone was at the right place at the right time and observed a problem, a challenge hindering a company’s process. Jack Hood was in that right place at the right time when he observed a dock confrontation at a USA Today printing facility in Chicago about newspaper distribution trucks arriving late and the mishandling of loads.

That experience inspired Hood to step forward and tell the USA Today facility manager he could do a better job – and the manager offered him the opportunity to prove it. After 15 years as the circulation manager at the Chicago Daily News, Jack applied his experience to start Jack Hood Transportation in 1980. The quality of the service he provided led to more Gannett delivery contracts at 15 locations.

As Hood’s reputation for service quality spread to other papers, he received distribution contracts at some of The Wall Street Journal’s printing facilities. He then had the opportunity to bid on WSJ’S national distribution during 2011, and a better rate won him the contract, which is still in force today.

Today, Jack Hood Transportation distributes newspapers for WSJ, Investor’s Business Daily, The New York Times, Gannett Publishing and many local news operations from more than 40 locations across the US.

Gary Rader, the director of Northeast distribution for Gannett, has worked with Jack Hood Transportation for more than 30 years. The company is currently serving several Gannett distribution centers in Cleveland and Pittsburgh with daily volumes of 35,000 newspaper units in both cities.

“What has always impressed me about Jack Hood and his company is their extremely reliable service,” said Rader. “The company and its people do what they say they will do. They address and fix problems immediately and, more importantly, provide excellent communications.”

Rader related an experience during the early 1990s in Chicago that highlights the high standards and timely communications at Jack Hood Transportation. The driver was late for a delivery, causing the newspapers in that load to arrive after the deadline. Rader called his Jack Hood contact immediately, and the company assigned a new driver the next day.

Chris Hood, son of Jack Hood and general manager, said many of its customers also have been pleased the company has the flexibility to accommodate the consolidation of the newspaper industry. “Our reliability is reflected in our relationship with our drivers,” said Hood. “Although we didn’t have any issues losing drivers during 2020, it became more of a challenge during early 2021. As a result, we’ve adjusted our hiring practices and added health insurance as a new driver benefit, which was critical to finding and keeping drivers.”

Hood added that some of the drivers have worked for the company for 30 years and a small percentage are subcontractors. All reside in the cities with Jack Hood Transportation locations.

Hood also emphasized the company’s excellent and long-term relationship with Ryder Trucks, which provides the company with wholesale fuel pricing that is considerably cheaper than the local retail price. That savings Jack Hood Transportation passes to its customers. The company also has access to trucks of various sizes from Ryder for more efficient deliveries.

“We also offer our customers an expedited recovery service when a truck has mechanical problems during a delivery.” This service is provided through Ryder and is called “Platinum RCR,” said Hood. “Our managers monitor drivers, and if there is a breakdown, Ryder can put a truck back on the road within two hours, with this service designed specifically for our company. Our manager contacts the affected customer immediately to report the incident. The platinum service saves on fuel costs and avoids missed deliveries.”

Jack Hood Transportation’s policy is to park a truck at some customers’ printing facilities for faster loading. Then a company manager and the assigned driver arrive on-site to check the load and the delivery schedule.

As the world and the newspaper industry have changed during the past 41 years, so has Jack Hood Transportation. It is researching and developing programs to add electric vehicles (EVS) to its fleet, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and remaining the most reliable newspaper distribution service.

For more info contact: Chris Hood General Manager Jack Hood Transportation chood@jackhoodtransinc.com 212-877-3689