Inbound Logistics: Kaiser Aluminum & SEKO – An Innovative Approach

Prior to the international shipping crisis of several years ago, Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, a leading producer of semi-fabricated aluminum products, enjoyed “very set lanes and an extremely stable shipping environment,” says Karen Sales, planning project facilitator and outbound logistics manager for the Trentwood, Washington location. “That almost all broke overnight.”

Sales reached out to more than 60 contacts, searching for a firm that could offer a cost-effective way to move products across North America and on to other parts of the world. Most providers pointed to the upended state of international shipping and said there was nothing they could do. “SEKO Logistics was the first one to try to figure out what we could do together,” Sales says.

SEKO suggested trucking shipments from Washington state north to Vancouver, Canada, and then using Canada Rail to move them across the country. It was an option SEKO had begun evaluating during the West Coast port strikes. “It was part of our fallback plan,” says Paul Burkhart, managing director for SEKO.

The Seattle area had been cut off from ocean routing to Europe and South America for roughly two years. Burkhart and his team had been looking for a solution for smaller volumes, as some of SEKO Logistics’ customers were losing business due to the lack of shipping options.

SEKO had been using truckers to help move smaller container volumes to Canada. The company then added the ability to move flatbeds to Canada. “We thought, ‘Let’s give it a try,’” Sales says.

“It takes a leap of faith to move freight into another country before we export to a third country,” Burkhart says. The solution requires thorough documentation and knowledge, as well as a strong partner and a top-notch information system to track shipments.

Kaiser Aluminum and other shippers can track their shipments through SEKOHarmony. “We use it daily,” Sales says.

In fact, Kaiser has decided to continue to send shipments from the United States through Canada, due to the stability and efficiency of the route, Sales notes.

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