Gretchen Seth, International SVP for Logistics Plus, appeared as a guest on Freightwaves Radio on the Road Dog Trucking channel of SiriusXM this past Saturday afternoon. Gretchen spoke with host Tim Dooner about how the new Logistics Plus Medical division, dba LP Med™, is leveraging its global connections, logistics expertise, warehousing capacity, and transportation knowledge to do some good and creative things on the personal protective equipment (PPE) front. Gretchen also discussed other optics, such as LP’s origins, recent tech trends, hiring challenges, and the reason why 50 country flags fly on top of Union Station in downtown Erie. Subscribers to SiriusXM can listen to a replay of the broadcast on-demand online (as shown below) or via the SiriusXM app.
When duty calls, Logistics Plus answers. A customer has a critical shipment from Shanghai that requires the presence of our Global Project Manager, Frederik Geirnaert. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Frederik had many obstacles to overcome to ensure this project’s success. The story below is just another example of how our team of experts put the “PLUS” in LOGISTICS. Here is Frederik’s story…
Preparation
To say China takes COVID-19 seriously is a bit of an understatement; it is nearly impossible to travel to China right now if you’re not a Chinese citizen. With the assistance of the LP Shanghai office, we started the application for a special COVID-19 visa for me back in May. As a first step, we petitioned the local government of the Hongkou district. An explanation letter was written outlining why I needed to travel to Shanghai and what the consequences could be if I weren’t present at this project. Most applications get declined right off the bat, but we received a request for additional details instead. Over the next 3 weeks, we went back and forth until the Hongkou government was finally convinced of our case. After approval from Hongkou, my application was sent to the Shanghai government who gave me the final ‘special invitation letter’ to enter Shanghai.
After getting final approval and receiving my visa came the next challenge: finding a direct flight into Shanghai. As you can imagine, there aren’t many options at the moment (check online and you will see what I mean). Since I need to be at the project site on September 4th (and quarantine for 14 days once I landed in Shanghai), I only had one option and booked the flight on August 18th.
In Good Form To Travel: My Daily Journal
Traveling in COVID-19 times is a bit different as you might imagine, but traveling to Shanghai during these times is next-level! To kill some time during my trip and 14-day quarantine, I’ve kept a journal of my daily routine that has vastly changed for this trip. Here it is…
Tuesday, August 18th: Heading to the airport
14.00h – I left home for Amsterdam by car. It’s only 2.5 hours driving from Ghent. 16.30h – Before I arrived at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, I had to complete a local Dutch Health Declaration form. 16.45h – I checked in, they checked my visa and asked why I was traveling to China. They then asked me to go to gate E1. 17.00h – At gate E1 I had to complete an online form (health and quarantine declaration) for customs and local use. My temperature was also taken before was I allowed to go to gate E17 for boarding. 18.20h – I boarded flight KL857 to Seoul (my only stop before Shanghai). About 2 hours into the flight our temperature was taken once more.
Wednesday, August 19th: Arriving in Shanghai
12.30h – We arrived in Seoul. We were not allowed to leave the airplane, but our crew disembarked and a new crew (probably COVID-19 approved by China) came on board. Our temperature was taken once more. 13.00h – We left Seoul for Shanghai. 14.30h – We landed in Shanghai. 14.40h – My temperature was taken once more when I got to the COVID-19 registration desks. I had to fill out a paper declaration, a waiver for the COVID-19 test, a processing form for the test, and a declaration agreeing to complete a 14-day quarantine. With the COVID-19 test form, I was given a sampling tube and had to go to the actual testing room. 14.50h – 2 throat swabs and 2 tickle-your-brain swaps up the nose later the nurse had collected sufficient samples for my COVID-19 test. 15.00h – I had to fill in the arrival card as usual and my temperature was checked once again before reaching the immigration desk. 15.20h – I picked up my luggage and found my way – or rather was sent through a maze of fenced corridors to the ‘transport to Shanghai quarantine hotels’ zone where I had to register at the Hongkou district desk. I had to fill out another online form, another paper health declaration and another waiver stating I understood the rules of quarantine. Oh… and our temperature was of course taken once more. 18.50h – The people at the Hongkou desk had to complete another form for us, then we had to scan the QR code we got in a previous form before we were allowed to board the bus. 20.10h – We arrived at Bao Long hotel and were met by the nurse on duty. We had to complete yet another online health form and an online registration form as well as fill out a check-in form for the hotel. Lastly, I signed a waiver for the hotel (that’s 18 forms I’ve now filled out in case you are counting). 20.50h – I finally got to the room which meant I finally got to take off my mask! It had been on since I left and it was only removed once while I was eating.
Thursday, August 20th: Setting up shop and playing by the rules
The beauty of my job is that – apart from attending a loading or discharge operation – I can pretty much work from anywhere as long as I have my laptop and decent internet connection. Turns out once more I was right to buy that 4G WIFI-pod at the airport since the hotel internet wasn’t up to par. I also have a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to help me get around the firewall in China. Admittedly, Bing search works without a VPN, but Google does not.
Next up was setting up my desk. I wouldn’t work for Logistics Plus if I didn’t come prepared, would I? I always take a portable 2nd screen anytime I travel for more than 1 day. This time I also remembered to bring an HDMI cable. The first thing I did this morning was moved my desk next to the TV, hook up my 2nd screen, and plug the TV into my laptop with the HDMI cable. Now I have a 3-screen setup that rivals that of my office at home or in Antwerp. Today is also the first day of my quarantine since they don’t count the day you arrive at the hotel. We have just 3 rules to follow for the next 14 days.
Stay in your room. There are only 3 occasions where you are allowed to open your door and that’s when your food has been delivered. This comes only after you’ve received a message that you can take the food (even then you cannot fully step out of your room).
Report your temperature. They gave me a thermometer to take my temperature in the morning before 1100h and in the afternoon before 1500h. I have to upload the picture in another online form and declare that I have no symptoms or other ailments. I’m a bit puzzled at the trust they put in us for doing that without cheating. I can only assume most Chinese have a high sense of responsibility towards the community and their own health. By the way, I got my COVID-19 result in less than 24 hours and it’s negative! Yay 🙂
Don’t cause trouble. There is a Wechat group that we are to use for practically everything. It’s an app that lets you do instant messaging with people and groups, share files, and more. Anyways, we have a Wechat group that includes all people in quarantine on our 7th floor (35 of us in total) as well as the customer service desk and nurse station. Unfortunately, everything on the app is in Chinese so I have to stay on top of my cross-cultural communication game.
Friday, August 21st: Yummy in my tummy
Right after “How’s the weather?” the second thing people tend to ask when you’re traveling is “How’s the grub?” Well, we get served 3 meals a day, Chinese food of course. Luckily I eat just about everything, even corn or pickled vegetables for breakfast. This morning breakfast was yogurt and something that faintly resembled a chocolate bun. At lunch, we got an egg and minced meat dish I never had before. It was quite tasty! There is also plenty of water bottles in the room along with tea and coffee. The food is brought into our corridor and put onto a chair next to your door by hotel employees in full-body protective suits. And – very important – we have to wait for a message in our Wechat group before we can quickly open the door and grab the food.
If the food is not good enough you can order fruit, cookies, soda, and some other stuff from the hotel. Friends can also deliver food to the hotel and the staff will bring it to your chair. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to have any fresh produce and the worst of all, no beer or alcohol. 🙁 Anyways, I will just stick with my water, coffee, and tea along with my Chinese meals. It’s a great opportunity for me to lose some weight.
Saturday, August 22nd: A nice power nap
I had to take a power nap today (I’ll explain). A big advantage of having a VPN is that it can get you an IP address in pretty much any country you want. For me, that meant connecting to a server in Belgium so that I could connect to my local Belgium cable network streaming service. I needed this so I could watch the Europa League final between Inter Milan and Sevilla. The only drawback? The game started at 3 am and I couldn’t sleep after that. Hence a power nap was required.
Sunday, August 23rd: Keeping fit and tidy
It’s quite touching to learn how many people are concerned about my wellbeing. My sister in law who is a nurse back in Belgium was the first to remind me that lack of movement can cause thrombosis. For those worried about me, don’t! I actually think of these 14 days as some kind of boot camp. No alcohol, healthy food, and lots of time to exercise (in my room of course). I installed an app that helps me do a 7-minute workout 5 times a day. It’s not the greatest app, but it works. Also similar to boot camp, I make my bed first thing in the morning every day. It’s such a simple task you can complete to get your day started and it gives you a sense of accomplishment.
Monday, August 24th: Feeling at home
I’m starting to feel quite at home here. I have my workstation set up, I have my entertainment system streaming Netflix and other interesting content, I am regularly calling with friends and family, and I have this lamp here. It is the exact same model as a lamp we bought back in 2000 when I first moved in with my then-girlfriend (now wife) which has moved around part of the world with us and is today hanging in the hallway at home. Thanks, IKEA! Another thing I can’t really go without is music. I’m not sure about you, but if I don’t hear music during my day, I get grumpy. Unfortunately, my foresight had let me down here and I didn’t bring any speakers. I found a solution to that problem; my helmet. For those less versed in engineering; when I put my phone backward into my helmet and play music, the soundwaves bounce off the inside of my helmet in a way that creates a much fuller and slightly louder sound.
Tuesday, August 25th: I am not alone
Today was a day full of discoveries. In the morning I caught a glimpse of another individual quarantined 3 doors down when we were both grabbing our breakfast. Nice to know others are also wearing their PJ’s all day 🙂 At noon when I got the green light to grab my food, I saw 3 of the hotel employees near the elevator all wearing blue hazmat suits with a face mask and goggles. They keep a surgical operation here.
Wednesday, August 26th: Is it all worth it?
This will be my last entry for my journal. No, don’t worry I am doing perfectly fine and I’m not even depressed in the least 🙂 I wanted to answer the question many people have been asking: Is 14 days in quarantine for just 1 project worth it? The reason for me coming here is that we have to load 4 LNG cargo tanks each weighing 155 tons for our customer. The value of these tanks is worth more than a couple of million dollars each. I’ve been working on this project for over 1 year and I’ve handled similar projects in the past. Needless to say, this operation is a little trickier and I need to be present to reduce the risk ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Possible). I can confidently say that in the whole world there’s nobody who knows how to handle this move better than me.
Closing: My final thoughts
Yes, this is difficult. Not only on me but on my family who is missing me for my wife’s birthday and the start of the school year. But if me being quarantined means keeping the virus out of Shanghai, a city of 26 million, I am all for it. If all those people can go about their lives without having to worry about wearing face masks, without restaurants being closed, without elderly homes going in lockdown, hospitals can work as normal; well then this is a very little sacrifice on our part that we as a family are willing to make.
So don’t worry about me, I am in high spirits and I look forward to writing the next part of this article when this project is all said and done! Stay tuned.
In case you missed it, Jim Berlin, Founder and CEO, was featured in a recent airing of Business Spotlight on WPSE AM 1450/FM 107.1 Radio. Business Spotlight is a 30-minute program airing Fridays at noon. Each segment focuses on a business or organization that is making an impact across the region.
In this segment, Jim comments on the company entering its 25th year of operations, the recent growth of the company, navigating the coronavirus pandemic, and more. You can listen to a replay of the interview on the Logistics Plus YouTube Channel below.
Logistics Plus has a number of sustainability initiatives in place as we strive for a cleaner world for future generations. We will continuously identify, assess, and manage the elements of our operations that impact the environment. In line with sound business practices we will:
Minimize pollution and consumption of fuel, energy, and water where possible
Minimize environmental impact when disposing of waste
Maintain a management system which establishes goals, responsibilities, monitoring methods and a review process of environmental performance
Provide awareness training and job-specific training for employees on environmental issues
Consider environmental aspects in all investment and procurement decisions
Encourage suppliers and contractors to introduce programs that support our environmental objectives, especially where their activities have a significant impact
Support innovation in environmental policy with the involvement of all stakeholders
The SmartWay Transport Initiative
Logistics Plus is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partner, and deeply committed to sustainability best-practices. We joined the SmartWay Transport Initiative in 2010 with the goal of reducing our impact on the environment. Each year, performance data is submitted and reviewed to qualify as a SmartWay partner. Since our involvement began, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental sustainability by receiving SmartWay approval for 9 consecutive years.
The Future of Logistics
Logistics Plus is actively monitoring the progress of electric and energy-efficient modes of transportation as they become available. As part of our commitment to sustainability for future generations, we understand the importance of reducing our carbon footprint. As transportation companies continue to adapt and modify their fleets, we promise to utilize the most environmentally friendly transportation options.
Audio Comments for WPSE Radio
Our Partnership With RIO
Through our previously announced partnership with Restoring Integrity to the Oceans (RIO) – an organization dedicated to making the oceans safe for all life above and below the water for generations to come – Logistics Plus assists with all aspects of supply chain management. This includes the transportation of collected plastic debris, international regulation assistance, cross-border trading, and navigation of customs and global trade compliance. Furthermore, we are committed to using our global network of customers and partners to connect RIO with people who support its mission of restoring integrity to the World’s oceans.
In case you missed it, the Commodity Classifications Standards Board (CCSB) has published a new supplement to the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC®). These changes became effective 8/15/2020. Some of the notable changes are listed below (thank you for the reminder from our friends at Southeastern Freight).
Boats or Boat Sections – Athletic Goods Group
New items have been established for Boats, inflatable-24650 and Boats or Boat Sections-24670.
Items 24540, 24660, 24665, 24666, 25000 and 25230 have been canceled.
Doors, including Mirrored Doors – Building Materials, Miscellaneous, Group
The density scale for Item 34265 is going from 8 subs to 10 subs with classes increasing. Item 34265 has been amended to remove the restriction “other than rolling.”
Items 34400 and 34500 changed “rolling” to “roll up”.
Item 34330 has been canceled and moved to Item 34265.
Item 34267 is amended to included mirrored doors.
Boxes, fiberboard, paper, paperboard or Pulpboard, combined or not combined with other materials
New Item 29785 is established to incorporate many varieties of fiberboard or paperboard boxes. These will now be full-scale density items.
Concurrently, Items 28920, 29205, 29240, 29250, 29285 and 29400 are canceled and have been moved to item 29785.
Foodstuffs, other than Frozen
New items are established 72510 (Cocktail Mix), 72560 (Coconut), 73450 (Honey), 74095 (Molasses and other Syrups), 74310 (Popcorn, not popped), 74495 (Prepared Foods, such as pasta, noodles, rice, etc.) and 75400 (Vinegar).
Items 72190, 72780, 73200, 74250, 74820, 73480, 74300, 75150 and 75180 are canceled and have been moved to these new Items.
Additionally, 11 commodities have been removed from the viz listing in Item 73227 and moved to these new Items.
Broilers, Grills, Roasters or Stoves, cooking, outdoor type
Item 25865 is amended to provide classes predicated on density with breaks at 6 and 10 PCF.
Item 25860 is canceled with no further application.
Items 25861, 25863, 25864, 25865 and 25866 have been clarified and simplified.
Bleachers or Grandstands
The Grandstands Group IT-89800 is canceled.
New Items 89790 and 89795 have been established to apply for all types of Bleachers and Grandstands with classes based on greatest dimension and density.
Concurrently, Items 89803, 89805, 89810, 89813, 89816 and 89818 are canceled.
Curtain Poles or Rods
Item 55190 is amended to a single class of 110.
Self-reactive materials – Hazard Class 4, Division 4.1 – Chemicals Group
Item 46047 is established for self-reactive materials with classes predicated on whether or not the material is subject to temperature control requirements and by the self-reactive material type for the non-temperature-controlled materials.
Gates
Item 86310 is amended to provide classes predicated on density, with breaks at 8 and 12 pcf. It is also amended by adding hallway and stairway gates for clarification.
Cans or Tubes, packaging, fiberboard, paper, paperboard or pulpboard
New item 29860 is established for Cans or Tubes, mailing or packaging with classes predicated on density with breaks at 4, 6 and 12 pcf.
Items 29030, 29760, 29820 and 29840 are canceled and moved to Item 29860.
Peanuts, other than raw
Item 141800 for Peanuts, in shell, is amended to class 85.
Item 141820 for Peanuts, shelled, is amended to class 70.
Pools, swimming or wading, other than in-ground pools
Item 17050 is amended for clarification and to provide classes predicated on density breaks at 10 and 15 pcf.
Irons, Electric
Item 62285 is amended for clarification and simplification, and class 125 is assigned.
Booths, paint and varnish spraying, or panels thereof
New item 27900 is established for Booths, painting or varnish spraying, with classes based on greatest dimension and density.
Items 27950, 27960 and 27970 are canceled and have been moved to new Item 27900.
Carriers or Racks, bicycle, motorcycle, motor scooter, mobility scooter or wheelchair, vehicle mounting, metal
New Item 164075 is established with classes based on density breaks at 8 and 12 pcf.
Item 164070 is canceled with reference to new Item 164075.
Burners or Burner heads, gas appliance
Item 25885 is amended to provide classes predicated on density, with a single break at 9 pcf.
Workbenches
New item 82250 is established for Workbenches with classes predicated on density breaks at 6 and 10 pcf.
Items 79920 and 79930 are canceled.
Corrosive Materials – Hazard Class 8
Item 44155 is amended to assign classes predicated on the DOT-assigned Packing Group.
Cesspools and Floor Drains
New item 51130 is established for Floor Drains with classes based on a density break at 12 pcf.
Item 50810 is canceled.
Blackboards or Chalkboards, NOI; Corkboards or Tackboards or Whiteboards, Dry Erase Boards or Markerboards
Item 23701 is amended to specify additional packaging requirements only.
Pesticides, NOI
Item 155050 is amended to remove the “bomb burst” symbol, add language further restricting the item’s application to materials not required by the DOT to bear a Hazard Class or Hazard Division label.
Logistics Plus is Once Again Named to the Inc. 5000 Annual List of Fastest-Growing Companies
It’s the third straight year and the sixth time overall that Logistics Plus has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list.
Read the September 2020 issue of Inc. magazine!
ERIE, PA (August 12, 2020) – Logistics Plus Inc., a leading worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, is proud to announce it has been included on Inc. magazine’s 39th annual Inc. 5000 list, an exclusive ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Logistics Plus has an official rank of 2086 on the list, published in the September 2020 issue of Inc. magazine, with an impressive three-year growth rate of 202% from 2016 to 2019 for its U.S.-based operations. It is the third consecutive year and the sixth time overall since 2007 that Logistics Plus has made the list. Last year the magazine’s editor in chief said a mere four percent of companies have made the list five times or more.
Additional facts:
Logistics Plus ranked #2086 among all companies on the list; it’s second-highest rank since 2007
Logistics Plus ranked the #2 fastest-growing company among all businesses based in Erie, Pennsylvania
Logistics Plus ranked #4 among all Logistics & Transportation businesses based in Pennsylvania
Logistics Plus ranked #74 among all businesses based in Pennsylvania
Logistics Plus ranked #77 among all businesses in the entire Logistics & Transportation Industry
“This month we began our 25th year of business,” said Jim Berlin, founder and CEO of Logistics Plus. “Since day one, growth has been our only real strategy, and I am pleased to say that over the past twenty-four years we’ve grown every year except for one. By growing, you find new people and create new opportunities, and I love that.”
The 2020 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2016 and 2019. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2016. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2019. (Since then, several companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2016 is $100,000; the minimum for 2019 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.
About Logistics Plus Inc.
Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, business intelligence technology, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. The company was founded over 24 years ago in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur, Jim Berlin. Today, Logistics Plus is a highly regarded, fast-growing, and, award-winning transportation and logistics company. With a strong passion for excellence, its 450 global employees put the “plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, plus the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices located in Erie, PA; Akron, OH; Baltimore, MD; Birmingham, AL; Buffalo, NY; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Des Moines, IA; Detroit, MI; Fort Worth, TX; Haslet TX; Houston, TX; Laredo, TX; Lexington, NC; Los Angeles, CA; Melbourne, FL; Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Olean, NY; Ontario, CA; San Bernardino, CA; San Francisco, CA; Tampa Bay, FL; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Canada; China; Colombia; Czech Republic; Egypt; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Libya; Mexico; Netherlands; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; South Africa; Taiwan; Turkey; UAE; Ukraine; Uganda; and United Kingdom; with additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
Gretchen Seth, International SVP for Logistics Plus, appeared as a guest on Freightwaves Radio on the Road Dog Trucking channel of SiriusXM this past Saturday afternoon. Gretchen spoke with host Tim Dooner about how the new Logistics Plus Medical division, dba LP Med™, is leveraging its global connections, logistics expertise, warehousing capacity, and transportation knowledge to do some good and creative things on the personal protective equipment (PPE) front. Gretchen also discussed other optics, such as LP’s origins, recent tech trends, hiring challenges, and the reason why 50 country flags fly on top of Union Station in downtown Erie. Subscribers to SiriusXM can listen to a replay of the broadcast on-demand online (as shown below) or via the SiriusXM app.
When duty calls, Logistics Plus answers. A customer has a critical shipment from 
In case you missed it, 
