"Together Talks" feature #9: Boots 2 Books presented by KLS, freight company.
Some Background on Boots 2 Books
The company was co-founded by Peter Cline and Aubrey Sine over 2 years ago. Peter served as an army infantryman. Upon separation from the Army, he wanted to provide assistance to veterans, transitioning military, and their families to attain competitive education and employment opportunities. Together they founded Boots to Books. An organization to provide Veterans with soft skills, technical upskilling, and employment opportunities.
The Mission
The goal is simple, to help as many individuals in the military community attain competitive education and employment opportunities as possible. Peter stated what made them unique compared to other non-profits is their holistic approach, collaboration with other organizations, adaptability, and personalized approach. He said that there are great fellow companies out there that specialize in a certain sector to help Veterans. Boots to Books has tried to expand on that and offer a wide range of opportunities.
Another thing that makes Boots to Books unique is that every service they offer is completely free. Not a penny is ever charged. In our talk, he mentioned how there are many predatory companies within this sector that will charge Veterans for assistance. Peter was adamant from the beginning they would never and they have stayed true to their word.
The Process
Peter broke down how they help. First, they begin with "soft skills". This begins with self-discovery to find out what an individual may want to do after the service. Boots to Books hosts career days, events with recruiters, events for interview training, and events for resume building (having resume coaches make edits on the screen in real-time to understand why and the impact!). Peter said these events are critical to allow the Veteran to ask questions. "What do I want to do and how do I convey my abilities to a company?"
The second aspect is what they refer to as technical upskilling. He stated there are two buckets for this. The first is higher education. They help with the application process for individuals applying to school. If the school won't waive the application fee for a Veteran, they can apply to Boots to Books to cover the application fee. They also cover individuals' books that exceed the stipend their benefits provide them. He said the application process usually is answered within 72 hours! Through the two years, they have developed some great relationships with schools.
The second bucket is professional certification. They assist in paying for the certifications for Veterans, up to $1,000. Again they are trying to provide as many opportunities to enhance each individual's resume and job prospects.
Partner with KLS
KLS offers LTL and FTL for both dry and reefer transportation.
Our nationwide coverage provides companies a reliable, consistent, and dependable logistics partner to handle your trucking needs.
For more information on how we can help call our office today 708-980-0920 or reach us via our email quote request here!
The Challenges
Funding. Like any non-profit, it always is about funding. He said especially in their industry you have to have a track record. It is difficult to fundraise without quantifiable results, but establishing quantifiable results usually requires funding. They have been very fortunate to have outstanding donors throughout the 2+ years. Per their website, given out over $84,000 in educational resources to date. Peter mentioned that non-profits shouldn't fight for donation dollars. Every donated dollar is going to a good cause. For them, it is about continuing to develop their resources and making the largest impact they can. Another great way they fundraise is their annual golf outing. Check out the full details here on their website!
The other challenge for Boots to Books is help. Currently, they have an employee, a COO, Thomas Gill. Peter and Aubrey do not take any salary. On top of that, they have numerous volunteers. Throughout the entire conversation, he stated how fortunate they were for the support they receive. Most of the volunteers have some connection to the military. They understand the challenges Veterans face when transitioning back to civilian life. It is easy for them to support, give back, and help this great cause.
The Future
When we asked Peter about his favorite moment, he told us a story from about 6 weeks ago. An individual transitioning out of the military sooner than expected due to medical issues connected with Peter. Peter connected with this individual who had a family and had no plan. He was an infantryman as well. They set up weekly calls to guide him through the process. The Veteran began setting up his own interviews with companies. He ended up landing a job that paid double his salary in the military. Initially, he was put on the night shift, but the results were so impressive they promoted him to manage their busiest shift. Peter mentioned this position was usually held for someone with a special degree and experience. Instead, this Veteran, new to the company was able to show how effectively he could lead. Peter mentioned the Veteran has more time than he ever imagined, making more money than he ever imagined, and spending more time with his family than he ever imagined. Peter said it was such an awesome moment and stories like this are why he is so passionate about Boots to Books.
In 2022, Boots to Books had 2,500+ Veterans attend their events. Peter said the goal is to double that this year. Per their website, they have already helped over 4,100 individuals so far! They want to continue expanding their professional certification options for Veterans. They hope to continue building the list of companies attending their fairs. Included already are Amazon, Oracle, Raytheon, Accenture, and others.
In closing, we asked Peter if there is one message he could send to Veterans what would it be? "Create a plan. Many of us leave the military and we don't know what to do or how to transfer our skills. That is ok. There are companies out there who have your back and will guide you every step of the way. Let companies like Boots to Books show you what is possible." He said he wished more Veterans were aware of the help out there and they will continue to try and spread the message.
That is why KLS was so thrilled to get introduced to Peter and tell the story of Boots to Books in this week's "Together Talks" campaign. A wonderful company giving back every step of the way. We want to commend them and hope they continue to grow and develop to help as many Veterans as possible. Check out the below details on Boots to Books. If you or anyone can donate, click here! Also if you know anyone about to leave the military let them know about Boots to Books. It could change the entire path of their transition!
Interested in being featured with "Together Talks"?
KLS is booking our October schedule now!
Contact us as we would love to learn your story and share it amongst our audience.
Weekly we provide 2 companies our platform to expand their reach courtesy of our campaign. Let's collaborate!!!
Klimson Logistics Solutions - Boots 2 Books with Peter Cline feature #9 of Together Talks
*Klimson Logistics Solutions is an Industry Leading Customer Service 3PL. Our focus and commitment to our clients has us striving to be the BEST customer service 3PL for LTL, FTL, Reefer, and Drayage in the country. KLS, a freight company is a 3PL providing nationwide logistics solutions. KLS shipping services include: LTL freight, FTL freight, Reefer LTL freight, Reefer FTL freight, and Drayage. Klimson Logistics Solutions thanks you for viewing our marketing campaign "Together Talks" if you have any interest in being featured or questions regarding your freight operations please contact us today!
Why KLS?
Our precise and reliable effort.
We handle every shipment with the exact same process. It does not matter if you move one shipment a year or ten per day, you will receive the same level of customer service from us. When we started this company, we had one goal in mind, treat every shipment like it was our own. With our vast knowledge of the industry, we understood what a customer would want from a communication standpoint. We applied that process to be the standard here at KLS. Our reliability and being able to depend on our consistency is why we have such long-standing relationships with our clients.
Our Process?
Every shipment in our industry starts with a quote. We are firm believers that time is money, thus we strive to have quotes back in a 5-10 minute reply time for LTL and FTL, any FCL quotes are at the mercy of the carriers getting back to us. For LTL we have the flexibility to quote both off of NMFC and also Density depending on the carrier. Utilizing our services, you’re allowing us to use our expertise to class your freight accordingly to ensure we are providing the best rate we possibly can.
Once a quote has been submitted and a client chooses to proceed with KLS handling the arrangement of the shipment our full process begins. We create the BOL that will be used for the shipment. If it is a new location for our system, we will obtain all the important/special details (reference numbers, contact details, shipping hours, closed for lunch, dock/doors, etc.). We meticulously build every detail into our software for all future shipments involving that location. After we have both locations built and necessary reference numbers have been applied we will tender the shipment to the carrier. We use this method because it provides us a real time pickup number from the carrier to obtain updates prior to pickup. Our staff will either email the BOL directly to you or to the shipper (at your request) the minute after the tender has been accepted by the carrier. LTL carriers require a 2 hour window prior to close time in order to schedule it for a same-day pickup attempt.
The following morning you’ll receive an email from us. It will either provide the reason the pickup was missed (driver’s trailer filled up, driver missed the close time, truck broke down, shipper said no freight, etc.) or if the pickup was successful you will receive the PRO (tracking) number from us, along with the eta for delivery. Our staff will track it throughout the duration of transit and advise if anything happens that will alter the estimated delivery date. The day the shipment delivers we will email you with confirmation and the POD (Proof of Delivery), should you require it.
Your shipment has been quoted, scheduled, picked up, and delivered. The next step is waiting for the carrier to invoice us and make sure the rate matches up. If it does, we close out the invoice from the carrier in our system and automatically your invoice is created and sent to the requested party at your company. In the event the carrier has an additional charge on their invoice “Variance”, we will never send you an invoice with an additional charge without first identifying you of the charge.
Let us repeat, NEVER WILL WE JUST BILL OUT AN EXTRA CHARGE WITHOUT YOU BEING NOTIFIED.
You are our customer, we represent you. Should the carrier provide an extra charge on an invoice, “Lift gate, additional weight, reclass, detention, etc.) We notify you of the charge via email first. Second, within that email we identify what is required should you choose to dispute the charge. Again our goal is to honor your request, if you want to dispute, we will dispute. During a dispute we will provide you updates every step along the way. Once a dispute is closed out, whether it is approved or rejected, then we will invoice you as the invoice has been resolved.
For reference, our company only had 6.2% of all shipments go to dispute in 2022 and we successfully won 91% of those disputes on behalf of our customers.
This is our process for every single shipment you move with us. We don’t cut corners, we don’t hide from difficult situations. We believe in being available, honest, and transparent. We don’t ever want to tell you that a shipment is lost, damaged, misrouted, but it is our duty to notify you the second we find out something has gone wrong. We hate to present bad news, but it is part of the job. What you can guarantee is that we will work a shipment all the way through and turn over every stone until we get a resolution for our clients.
Services offered?
Our core business is LTL and FTL. Within these options we have options for both dry and refrigerated/frozen. We also offer FCL/Drayage options. Our company as a 3PL has nationwide options and services clients across the US.
Let’s breakdown our services more in-depth
LTL:
Standard and Guaranteed
CFS (Imports & Exports)
Tradeshows
Hazmat
Anything that is on a pallet can be moved LTL. Typically LTL is up to 10 pallets, but the sweet spot for a carrier is 6-8 pallets at most for an individual shipment. LTL quotes are good between 5-30 days depending on the carrier. LTL can be quoted either via NMFC or density to determine the class (we do this for you).
Volume:
Anything over 10-12’ of space in the truck is the technical rule for a volume shipment. When we run a quote for you we will determine if it qualifies for volume and provide you a rate if available. Volume moves allow you to get a reduced rate for larger shipments. The caveat to volume shipments it the quotes are only valid for 3-7 days and they move on capacity between terminals. If a terminal is backed up they will move their LTL freight first before the volume freight, which can lead to longer transit times for volume moves.
FTL/Dedicated/Expedited: 53’ Dry and Reefer 26’ Box trucks with lift gate Sprinter Van The main difference for FTL vs LTL is space and transit time. For standard pallets you can fit either 26 or 30 pallets in a 53’ dry van. The other main difference is transit time, for FTL each day counts in the transit time, whereas LTL does not count the day of pickup, weekends, or holidays in their transit time.
Reefer/Frozen:
LTL and FTL
We specialize working in the CPG space with food manufacturers. We regularly deliver to
the following locations:
Kehe
UNFI
Core Mark
DPI
Wegmans
Cugini
H.T. Hackney
Netrition
HEB
ALDI
Chambers and Owens
EBY Brown
Nassau Candy
Harris Teeter
Wakefern
NU INC
Long Distribution
What makes KLS different?
There are thousands for freight brokers and 3PL in our industry. Barrier to entry is rather easy and agents or owners will often hire sales people without any intention of properly training them. It results in high turnover for many freight companies and a forgettable experience for the client. We choose to operate differently through our consistency. We truly care about doing right by our clients and prospects too. While we would love to help provide our services to every company we speak with, that just isn’t realistic. We won’t always be the right fit for every company that moves freight and that is ok. Our authenticity as a shipping company sets us apart from the competition and that is backed up by our testimonials. We also run a marketing campaign bi-weekly called “Together Talks”. We interview, highlight, and promote two businesses every week. Our goal is to grow our network, make new connections, and learn something new with each collaboration. Check it out on our website and if you’re interested in being featured reach out.
Our company also runs a year long charity promotion. Book your first shipment through KLS and we donate to the charity of your choice in your name. Our way of thanking you for giving us an opportunity to show you the KLS way and what makes us one of a kind. This entire package is what we offer to every prospect and every client. Our goal is to help provide answers that customers may have when it comes to shipping. We want to always be available as a resource and will always offer a lending hand whenever we can.