P&G’s Private Fleet and Partnership with CPC Flourishing After Five Years

Procter & Gamble (P&G), one of the world’s largest multinational consumer goods companies, was ready to make a change after more than 180 years of using outside carriers for its transportation and logistics needs. Leaders wanted to take control of capacity, costs and service by starting a private fleet. With the help of CPC Logistics, P&G’s dedicated fleet pulled its first freight load from Vandalia, Ohio, to Lima, Ohio, on September 18, 2019.

Over the last five years, P&G has worked with CPC to grow its private fleet from 28 drivers in Vandalia and Edwardsville, Illinois, to more than 800 drivers based in 21 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

“When I think of how to describe the growth of P&G’s private fleet, the first adjectives that come to mind are ‘rapid’ and ‘nonstop,’” said CPC Senior Safety Manager Max Clary. “In addition to expanding to many new locations, the number of drivers at our existing locations also continues to increase.”

P&G has relied on CPC to manage the dedicated fleet drivers, especially the recruiting, screening, hiring, Department of Transportation compliance, general employment administration, and labor relations that is required to maintain a qualified staff of safe, responsible, skilled truck drivers and other transportation operations and safety staff.

“CPC brings an unparalleled level of experience to the table,” said CPC Division Manager James Long. “Over the last 50 years, we have established ourselves as experts in not only truck driver recruitment and retention, but also every other aspect of fleet operations, from route planning and optimization to analytics and data management.”

Recognized as an integral part of P&G’s supplier ecosystem, CPC was named one of the company’s Excellence Award winners in 2023. Since its launch, the private fleet has helped P&G achieve stronger synchronization, improved speed going to market, the ability to meet the dynamic needs of customers, and provided a competitive advantage with drivers who are valued assets.

One of those drivers, Donald Hill, was named P&G’s Driver of the Year in 2021. Out of the tens of thousands of drivers who touch P&G freight every year and the 14 who were nominated for the award, Don was recognized for several achievements, including more than 130,000 miles driven to support P&G, an on-time delivery rate of over 97 percent, and completion of more than 400 P&G shipments. Don is currently a CPC equipment coordinator technician working with P&G in Edwardsville.

“In 2019 I became the first CPC driver assigned to P&G in Edwardsville,” Don said. “With more than 33 years of experience as a professional driver, I was able to recognize a good thing when I saw it. I jumped on the opportunity to be a part of this winning team, and it has certainly paid off.”

CPC driver Paul Jankowsky was one of the first four drivers assigned to drive for P&G in Mehoopany, Pennsylvania. With 35 years of driving experience, he has also been recognized for his work, including being named a National Private Truck Council National Driver All-Star in 2021.

“I was at the right place at the right time when James Long hired me and handed me the keys to a P&G dedicated fleet truck,” Paul said. “Since then, we have grown by leaps and bounds with more than 100 drivers in Mehoopany alone. There have been some challenges along the way, but the experience of driving for the P&G dedicated fleet has been tremendous, and I am confident that CPC will continue to stay focused on meeting P&G’s needs by delivering outstanding customer service.”

The safety culture is also critical to the private fleet’s success. CPC provides drivers with regular access to a team of safety supervisors and managers, activities and resources such as ongoing safety meetings and online training, and a recognition program that honors safe driving.

“Over the course of my 40-year career, I have never worked with a company that is so committed to safety,” Max said. “A lot of companies talk the talk, but P&G walks the walk. For example, P&G has worked to ensure there is assistance available to drivers at all its locations if they are asked to complete any physically strenuous tasks. Initiatives like this have moved the company closer to its goal of zero accidents, incidents and injuries.”

In 2022 Jack Ewing became the first CPC safety supervisor for P&G’s dedicated fleet. He brought 20 years of experience behind the wheel and more than 1 million accident-free miles to the role. As part of the small group of drivers that started P&G’s private fleet in 2019, Jack has been a key contributor to its excellent safety record and continued growth.

“I did not expect to become a safety supervisor, so it means a lot that someone saw my potential before I saw it in myself,” Jack said. “As someone who knows what this job takes, I hope to continue to set an example for all of P&G’s drivers and empower them to become more safety minded.”

The P&G dedicated fleet currently delivers approximately 22 percent of P&G’s outbound finished products and less than 1 percent inbound. P&G and CPC expect those numbers to continue to grow.

“It is exciting to think that as P&G’s dedicated fleet expands, there will be so many opportunities for more drivers, managers and other personnel to be a part of this team,” Jack said.