“One of our company’s primary focuses is on tracing and tracking our drivers,” Paul Kazan, president of Target Interstate Systems Inc., at Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx, NY, told The Produce News.

“We use programs that drivers download to their apps, or we connect them into a system and they send pings to let us know where they are at all times. Once a driver is put on target mode, he is on a link that keeps us connected.”

Kazan noted that the weakest link in the entire logistics’ system is not knowing where a driver is with a load. The company’s program enables it to find the truck through any phone module.

“This is absolutely critical,” he explained. “Anyone can load a truck, but knowing where that truck is once it’s on the road, and knowing when it’s going to arrive at its destination is truly just-in-time delivery. And with fresh produce, this is imperative. With the pings, drivers can send us updates at any hour of the day or night. That information is linked to our software system and customers can go to our site for updates at any time.”

Target, Kazan said, is as good a company as is possible when it comes to carriers meeting trucking criteria. Drivers are liable, and so the company indemnifies them to ensure that it is always compliant.

“Going forward, this will be more critical than ever,” he said. “Once you have these compliancy pillars in place, then the carrier can focus on customer solicitation and sales.”

The company has agent branch offices in Oregon and Florida and Southern New Jersey. It also maintains offices in California. Currently it is actively pursuing freight from Mexico in Texas, and is hiring people to help it build a following there. It also plans to open in Nogales.

“We are looking to either open an office in Texas or hire people that work the McAllen and Laredo, TX, areas,” said Kazan. “We currently do a lot of business out of Arizona through our main Bronx office, but we are looking to put an office in Arizona to help bolster that business. We work with numerous Mexican drivers, and that is extremely helpful in getting the loads out of Texas and Arizona.

Target Interstate is proudly celebrating 33 years in business in 2014. It has maintained an XXXX BlueBook rating every year since the company began.

The next generation is already on board. Evan Kazan, Paul’s son, joined the company several years ago. He serves as director of business development, and he helps to keep the company’s software system at its peak standards.

Kazan said the ARB [Air Resources Board] is in effect in California, and are the toughest compliancy demands ever seen.

“For a while it took some trucks out of the mix if even only for the time needed to retrofit,” he said. “As with everything, you lose some people. When things tighten with trucks, rates go up and that ultimately draws more trucks to jump in the mix.

“But these are important laws in that they help to make the air cleaner and the environment better for everyone,” Kazan continued. “As a logistics’ operation, we have a judiciary responsibility to be compliant. It will cost more money in both the short and long terms. But 10 to 15 years from now, we won’t even be thinking about the cost of ARB because it will be mainstream.”

Target Interstate is always trying to expand its product mix and services. It also engages in rail movement. Kazan said the company has developed relationships with piggyback companies, which are becoming highly competitive today.

“We have always had relationships with railroad companies, and that makes a lot of people eager to partner with Target,” he said. “It’s a highly cost effective way to move product, and unless you need something very quick, there is nothing wrong with rail. There are areas of the country, like Chicago, where rail movement can get sluggish, but from there we can truck product into New York in a day or so. Rail also has a lower environmental impact, and it’s less expensive.”