Logistics Services

With multiple terminals in Iowa, the Twin Cities area, and Kansas City, MO, Murphy Warehouse Company is committed to owning and operating one of the best logistics services with an asset-based fleet in North America. Murphy’s experienced drivers set the team apart from the competition. Our drivers are exceptional, and this clearly shows when they deliver. Our last touch is providing a great customer experience from start to finish.

Murphy’s experienced fleet provides exceptional customer service and operations. Multiple teams and resources allow our fleet to:

• Flex capacity
• Pass savings on to client partners
• Deliver reliable results

Murphy’s state-of-the-art equipment and maintenance program ensures that the fleet is reliable and always ready to serve your needs. All trucks have multiple communication capabilities, like satellite tracking and on-board communications. Murphy can pinpoint your freight location all the time, every time.

The Murphy policy is to protect the environment and the health and safety of its employees, its customers and the public. This fleet strives to conduct all these activities in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Every day, Murphy customers move their goods from our warehouses to destinations all over the country. We use our asset based fleet of Murphy trucks to help them do this and offer FTL transport services. Operating out of Minnesota’s Twin Cities and the Kansas City, Missouri area, we help you get your goods to where they need to be.

When it comes to trucking companies, there are asset based and non-asset based carriers. The difference lies in whether the company has its own equipment to move your goods to their destination.

As an asset based carrier, Murphy operates a fleet of trucks to help you ship your goods to destinations across the Midwest. At the same time, we operate a non-asset based 3PL brokerage by partnering with other carriers. Doing so allows us to provide more flexibility to our customers, and it lets you reach more destinations with ease.

The key benefits of working with an asset based carrier include:

• Reliability
• Cost-effectiveness
• Security

It is easier for carriers to maintain high standards when they control more variables, such as managing their own equipment and employing their own drivers. 

These same factors also make it easier for the carrier to manage costs effectively. At the same time, all liability for any issues is centralized in one company. And our model of managing our own fleet plus partnering with other carriers gives us the flexibility to offer customers the best of both worlds.

FTL stands for ‘Full Truck Load.’ As the name implies, it involves shipping enough goods to fill up a truck’s entire cargo area. This is in contrast to LTL or ‘Less Than Truck Load,’ which means that your goods only fill up part of the cargo area, so you share the space with other shippers.

The main benefit of shipping FTL is that your goods go directly to their destination since you are the only one using the cargo area. As such, they will arrive more quickly at their intended destination. The desire for this simple and direct option is why we offer FTL transport at Murphy.

Get help solving your biggest logistics challenges with customized rail freight transport services from Murphy. With strong partners in rail logistics, we offer a wide range of transload services at economical rates.

Rail freight transport is an ideal shipping solution for many American businesses. With a shortage of truck drivers plaguing the supply chain industry, intermodal transport has become increasingly attractive. Additionally, it offers reduced costs due to economies of scale, competitive shipping times, and efficient distribution.

At Murphy, we connect products to destinations across North America by leveraging our relationships in the rail freight industry, whether for long-haul or drayage. We have directly partnered with all Class 1 carriers serving the Upper Midwest, including Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Union Pacific, Canadian National, and Canadian Pacific. We also have a strong relationship with Progressive Rail regional short line railroad, making us the second-largest private rail shipper in the region.

Murphy’s logistics network gives us a commanding position in the market. Our rail partners have direct access to Murphy’s rail storage facilities through dedicated rail line spurs that keep freight costs low for our customers.

Better Safety, Lower Insurance Premiums – Rail freight transport reduces many operational risks associated with long-distance freight like theft, accidents, cost fluctuations, traffic jams, truck driver shortages, and more. Insurance premiums on rail logistics are considerably lower than truck freight.

Environment Friendly –  Rail logistics is greener than truck freight due to fewer stops and high volume transport. On average, intermodal rail is 3-4 times more fuel-efficient than trucks.
Complex Cargo Needs – Industrial products with customized logistics needs can be transported over short distances with our drayage services or long-distance through rail freight. We offer professional rigging and erecting services for high-value products as well.

Broad Range of Services: Our expertise includes the entire spectrum of post-production distribution. We specialize in rail freight transport, customized storage, piggyback containers (combined cargo), fulfillment services, packaging, rail transload, quality control, freight audit, cross-docking, customs support, last-mile delivery, precision rigging, and postponement services.

Flexible Scaling During Peaks: Our rail freight transport services are well-positioned to handle high volume SKUs and simplify complex supply chains that many 3PLs cannot control. We also offer different low SKU models for day-to-day intermodal transportation.

Complete Control Over Your Supply Chain: We maintain firm control over your products throughout the supply chain. Rail transloading and distribution are carried out by in-house staff to ensure damage-free freight and unweathered storage through our cross-country network of partners.

Integrated Network: Over the last 100 years, we have built a network of partners that complete the entire spectrum of logistics needs. Our logistics partners give us the confidence to continually take on new challenges for our customers.

At Murphy, we aim to streamline the warehousing and distribution process for import and export products. We do this through our Central Examination Station and Midwest International Logistics Center in Minneapolis. These facilities help businesses comply with regulatory standards before official entry into the US.

Murphy operates the Central Examination Station as a U.S. Customs clearance inspection hub for all sizes of cross-border shipments (both FCL and LCL). We accept freight through all trade lanes, whether it arrives by rail, truck, or air.

We invest in international logistics solutions technology to provide extra security, ensure proper storage of perishables, and speed up container movements. As a bonded warehouse, we prepare products for inspection and sampling. Our documentation and clearance expertise has helped many businesses complete the compliance process quickly and easily.

We also work closely with several government agencies: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (CBP), The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to name a few.

Murphy operates the only General Purpose Foreign Trade Zone in FTZ 119 (FTZ) within the 3501 Customs region. It is located at our Minneapolis logistics campus (MILC). The general purpose zone gives importers the ability to enter their shipment into the FTZ in order to identify and rectify any problems with their shipment prior to submitting importation documents to U.S. Customs. The other FTZ in the area is at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

As a custom bonded warehouse, Murphy provides multiple advantages to the global supply chain. Importers and exporters can use us for long-term storage of imported freight, product modification, and export of imported goods for global transport without any duties or inspection.

Importers, in general, can undertake the following activities in a General Purpose Foreign Trade Zone for both air and ocean freight.

• Product De-Assembly, Re-labeling, Repackaging
• Product Testing/Sampling
• Product Repair and Storage (Up to 5 years for restricted goods)
• Salvaging, Destroying, and Manipulation
• Cleaning, Processing, Mixing

Through MILC, our International Logistics Division, we specialize in international bonded warehousing and container freight station service.

Because Murphy has the experience and connections to ensure your international logistics needs are met on time and correctly, we know we can help you progress your business forward. Reach out to discover how we can work with your custom needs to ensure the best global transport experience possible!