Big Sandy Furniture of Franklin Furnace, OH has taken steps that other larger retailers have to streamline their delivery operations. The challenge of home delivery service for a new store over 100 miles away prompted the decision to implement the “Warehouse on Wheels” by Demountable Concepts.

For years, Big Sandy operated a handful of stores in Southeastern OH and Northern Kentucky, keeping their home delivery area somewhat small. A shift in philosophy has led the company to opening bigger stores, which carry both furniture and appliances, over a larger geographic area. When the company decided to open a store in Parkersburg, they realized that delivery service would be a challenge.

After considering options such as regional warehousing and cross-dock operations, General Manager, Bill West and Operations Manager, Keith Salisbury took it upon themselves to investigate a system that seemed more suited to larger retailers. The more they considered the “Warehouse on Wheels”, the more sense it made.

The “Warehouse on Wheels” by Demountable Concepts is a proven system that allows multiple straight truck bodies to be shuttled to outlying markets. This is done on a special trailer chassis, typically during the overnight hours. The trailer driver demounts the loaded bodies and returns to the distribution center with empty bodies from the previous day. The local delivery drivers mount their loaded bodies and immediately begin their deliveries.

By having loaded bodies in remote markets at the start of the day, Big Sandy has realized greater efficiencies. Delivery teams start their day by delivering furniture, not driving for 2 to 3 hours to their first stop. Furniture is handled once at the distribution center and only again at the customer’s home, so damages are greatly reduced. The costs associated with regional warehousing and cross-dock operations are eliminated. But probably the most important benefit is that any future expansion can be handled with minimal costs, those being store set-up and properly outfitted delivery equipment.

Other retailers using the “Warehouse on Wheels” system include Havertys, Levin, Sofa Express, Star Furniture and Bob’s Discount Furniture. Demountable Concepts has a free videotape or CD-Rom as well as product literature and other case studies available.