Every day, XPO picks up more than 50,000 shipments across our network. No matter the freight or destination, our goal is the same: deliver each shipment damage-free, fast and on time. That’s what we mean when we say: Your freight first.

In late 2021, we launched a plan to strengthen our operations and deliver world-class service and safety for customers. We’ve made major strides in delivering on this commitment. With new investments in tools and technology coupled with our improved approach to trailer loading, which we call our Zero-Defect Method Plus (ZDM+), we’re achieving record service quality for our customers. We’ve improved service quality by 70% and have achieved a damage claims ratio – a key measure of service quality – that is among the industry’s best.

With ZDM+, here’s how we’ve transformed how each XPO trailer is loaded:

SafeStack: Our proprietary SafeStack system effectively splits the trailer into two decks, limiting the need for double stacking and preventing freight from shifting in transit. We also use cardboard or dunnage in between the SafeStack beams and the pallets to allow the freight to settle in and prevent movement. The impact has been significant: more damage-free, on-time deliveries.

Ratchet Straps: Next, we lock the freight in place with ratchet straps to hold it tighter against the trailer walls. Our new ratchet straps keep our customers’ freight safe by holding it in place firmly to prevent shifting or movement during transportation. Constructed from durable materials, these straps can withstand heavy loads and harsh transit conditions, providing additional protection against damage or loss.

Airbags: Lastly, we evaluate voids between freight and look to fill any gaps with our new dunnage airbags. Our airbags have proven as effective as they are versatile – reducing damages by over 20%. These airbags hold pallets tightly against the trailer walls and fill up empty space around freight. So far, we’ve installed the airbags at nearly half of our service centers and plan to roll them out to the rest of the network by the middle of 2024.

From floor to ceiling and wall to wall, throughout the process, our teams adjust our customers’ freight until it meets our standards, before it heads to its destination.

Our ZDM+ methodology is helping us deliver better service for our customers, and we’re not slowing down. We're enhancing speed and efficiency by insourcing linehaul miles through our new over-the-road operation, RoadFlex, which we launched last year. Insourcing more linehaul miles enables us to deploy our own technology, including airbags and SafeStack, to ensure safe transit for our customers’ freight.

Over the next 18 months, we’ll bring 28 new service centers online in major freight markets like Las Vegas, Nashville and Columbus to provide even better service.

These transformational investments in our network are enhancing our ability to provide the best shipping experience for our customers along every mile of our network.