Shipments for big retailers require extensive logistical planning, particularly for time- or temperature-sensitive products. Traditional truckload (TL) shipments contain cargo that’s all from a single supplier. Rather than waiting until you have enough goods to fill a full truck yourself, these programs utilize smaller, less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments. Multiple shippers rent and share space within a single truck for various tightly scheduled stops at different vendors, warehouses, and service centers.

Companies like Walmart rely on a multi-vendor consolidation program, which helps keep shipping costs low, maintain product integrity to prevent spoilage, and enable on-time deliveries. It also cuts down on labor, equipment, and fuel expenses while reducing a business’ carbon footprint.

Such programs require careful consideration and strict management to achieve optimal efficiency, scheduled deliveries, and safe, consistent temperature control across multiple stops. Partnering with Mulder Brothers Brokerage for reliable retail consolidation services, cold chain trucking and storage solutions, and all related logistics will allow you to focus on your core business and let our experts handle the rest.

Stores Our ConsolidationFacilities Your CompanyShippers Regional Distribution Centers
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Your Company Shippers

The consolidation process begins with LTL freight carriers performing multiple pickups to transfer individual regional LTL shipments from five or more shipper locations to a Mulder Brothers' service hub in that area. As an experienced refrigerated and frozen goods transportation logistics company, our team configures schedules for LTL pickups and deliveries with a focus on optimizing timing and routing. Also, we ensure that temperature is precisely controlled from start to finish in a shipment's multi-vendor consolidation journey.

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Our Consolidation Facilities

Trucks with a collection of small loads from an array of suppliers arrive at one of our local consolidation centers. At these facilities, our transportation logistics experts will unload and group these shipments for consolidated freight shipping, a process sometimes known as break bulk. We then route each long-haul, temperature-controlled truck in our fleet, which we've efficiently filled to capacity, to carry items to another facility. This subsequent location will be one that's closer to the end destination and part of a wider network of distribution centers.

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Regional Distribution Centers

The consolidated shipments will next arrive at one of a retailer's highly organized distribution centers. At this stage, workers will sort these LTL shipments, segmenting them based on their similar regional destinations. Employees at these centers will then repack and repalletize goods as needed before they are back on a truck and on their way again. Goods may pass through multiple centers and will typically go on local delivery trucks prior to the final leg of an LTL shipment's journey.

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Stores

A retailer's store locations are the final destinations for these LTL shipments. Once they arrive and the retailer's team receives them, all cargo is unpacked and made ready to sell, replenishing a store's inventory and stocking its shelves. Stores like Walmart have had success with LTL shipments as part of their business models.

LTL Consolidation Within the Walmart Vendor Pool

The Walmart Consolidation Program is a subset of our multi-vendor consolidation offering established to more efficiently transport full truckloads and smaller loads throughout Walmart’s unique supply chain. With this program, several consolidation centers manage and examine orders to consolidate order fulfillment routes to boost overall efficiency. Serving both general and frozen goods manufacturers that supply to Walmart, this program provides a nationwide system of distribution centers and warehouses capable of fulfilling orders as quickly as possible.

Mulder Brothers supports this program by configuring LTL delivery and pickup schedules to allow manufacturers in the Walmart Vendor Pool to quickly and more efficiently fulfill small orders placed by Walmart without the higher costs associated with TL shipments.

We serve as an interface between suppliers and all of Walmart’s frozen regional distribution centers, providing services such as:

  • Routing shipments using our consolidation centers for enhanced efficiency
  • Managing, consolidating, and fulfilling orders
  • Configuring LTL delivery and pickup schedules

In addition, Mulder Brothers can help suppliers navigate Walmart’s stringent guidelines and requirements, including their Supplier Quality Excellence Program (SQEP) and On Time In Full (OTIF) initiative. As an approved Walmart consolidation partner, we can enhance your supply chain operations while helping you adhere to Walmart’s OTIF requirements and other guidelines, ship orders as efficiently as possible, and navigate the process.

Learn more about the Walmart Consolidation Program here.

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Multi-Vendor Logistical Solutions From Mulder Brothers

When searching for a reputable multi-vendor consolidation partner, look no further than Mulder Brothers Brokerage. We are a proud approved Walmart consolidation partner, with extensive experience working within the strict timing and quality confines that the company sets for carrier partners in its network. Mulder Brothers utilizes a data-based scheduling strategy and cross-country freight tracking that allows us to streamline product consolidation and distribution across a wide array of service centers and warehouses. This enhances flexibility within our network and also enables us to offer a model for consolidated pricing.

Also, we know the trucking business inside and out. Many of our employees are former truckers, and Mulder Brothers is backed by the 50-year-old transportation company Art Mulder & Sons Trucking (AMST). We have the background and the resources available in our carrier network to complete deliveries on schedule. In fact, AMST holds an on-time, in-full (OTIF) order rating of 95%.

To learn more about how our consolidation capabilities can support your supply chain and operations, contact us today.