Reggie Ricks knew the drive on I-80 from Sacramento to Donner Pass and up through northern Nevada would be slick and slow-going.  An experienced driver for MedTrans – the 1,600-vehicle-strong transportation fleet owned and operated by Medline – Ricks makes the 3 ½-hour drive from the Medline distribution center in Tracy, California to Reno, Nevada several times a week. But this trip was going to take much longer.

Over these last 72 hours in February, Mother Nature dropped 3 feet of snow on parts of the interstate — on top of the 8 feet already on the ground.

“I’m set with snow chains,” said Ricks. “Let’s hope Caltrans checkpoints can let me through,” referring to the California transportation agency responsible for enforcing which trucks and vehicles have the necessary equipment and experience to traverse the interstate in wintery conditions. Ricks has been through severe weather situations enough to know some Caltrans personnel on a first-name basis.

Getting essential medical supplies and equipment to health providers in northern Nevada proved particularly challenging for MedTrans during this 2022-2023 season, with snowfall in areas along Ricks’ route hitting 60+ feet, as of April 1, and a record-breaking 34+ days of measurable snowfall.  Closures on I-80 because of weather occurred numerous times this season, wreaking havoc on many supply chains just beginning to normalize coming out of the pandemic.

But despite the relentless weather, the MedTrans logistics team of dispatchers, drivers and emergency management personnel were unflappable – getting creative with delivery planning and execution and offering constant communication, optimum transparency and realistic delivery times.

Going above and beyond for customers

MedTrans’ extra effort and can-do attitude during this season’s unprecedented snows were recently acknowledged by customers served by the Tracy distribution center:

“There is something truly incredible about having great partners. I wanted to take a moment to recognize the lengths our primary distribution partner Medline has gone to these past snowy weeks,” posted Mary Shipley, director of supply chain management at Renown Health, northern Nevada’s largest nonprofit integrated health network. “It takes a village. Grateful to have you in ours.”

Arsenio Almeda at comprehensive healthcare provider Hearthstone of Northern Nevada wrote of Ricks, “He goes above and beyond for this customer, as I’m certain he does for many others. I know the past couple of weeks have been very challenging with the weather conditions.”

Richard Arretche, senior manager of operations at MedTrans, always appreciates the customer shout outs, while confessing that the company expects nothing less from the elite corps of experienced drivers on the MedTrans Tracy team.

“Our drivers know the important role we play in health services delivery,” said Arretche. “We give that extra effort because we recognize that it could be our own family, or friends or community members  waiting for the right medical supplies to get through a surgery, or a hospital stay…or just to help them feel better.”

Medline recently recognized the hard-working MedTrans team with an appreciation lunch and driver awards at its Tracy distribution center.

“MedTrans is essential to our being able to keep supply chain promises made to the healthcare providers we partner with,” said Jeff Brennan, senior vice president of operations at Medline. “Last mile disruptions – for whatever reason – go beyond missed deadlines and failed orders. They can impact real outcomes and patient experiences. So, it’s always good to hear from customers that MedTrans is making a difference.”

Advantages of owning the last mile in the supply chain

Launched in 2002 with a single truck in Chicagoland, MedTrans has grown to a dedicated network of 1,600 semitrucks, box trucks and cargo vans and more than 1,600 drivers nationwide.

“MedTrans is a differentiator for us,” said Brennan. “Within the healthcare supply chain, delivery is the last critical piece in getting much-needed products to our customers. And what Medline has found is that when we have more direct control over all aspects of our supply chain, we see better results.”

Brennan said the pandemic forced a re-examination of supply chain strategy by health systems and providers and drove an urgency to make improvements at the foundational level and up.  Supply chain optimization is now a priority throughout the industry, with Medline connecting customers to data analytics, inventory tracking and other tech solutions — along with providing operations and logistics solutions including MedTrans.

“MedTrans is one real, human touchpoint among the many emerging, high-tech supply chain solutions,” said Brennan. “Our own drivers engage with customers on a regular basis, which is a huge advantage because it gives us the opportunity to read early signals coming from frontline staff  from and build trust.

When weather, mechanical and other unexpected circumstances require custom problem solving for inventory and delivery, the relationships built between MedTrans and our customers stand front and center.”

It’s another way Medline helps healthcare run better.

Learn more about Medline’s supply chain solutions.