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The headwinds.

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Founded in 1996 in Escondido, California, has grown from a pioneering local craft brewer into one of the nation’s most celebrated breweries, now proudly part of Sapporo USA. Known for its bold, flavorful beers and relentless commitment to quality, Stone balances a respect for traditional brewing with an appetite for innovation—constantly introducing new styles and sustainable practices. Today, Stone Brewing continues to lead the craft beer industry with a portfolio that delights consumers and supports partners.��

In 2024, Stone started working with ���Ҵ�ý after seeking a new strategic logistics partner. Stone felt solid in their end-to-end beer supply chain, but knew there were opportunities for improvement, specifically in deliveries to distributors.��

Reliance on truckload

At the time, Stone relied almost exclusively on FTL (Full Truckload) shipments. This included single-drop and multi-stop, but still lacked flexibility as they were limited to their own network for optimization. It sometimes led to shipping underutilized truckloads, causing inefficiencies and higher costs.

Irregular lanes 

Their methods for optimizing mid-sized freight were limited, particularly when it came to customizing transportation modes on a lane-by-lane basis to align with volume, timing, and service requirements.��

Visibility and control over shipments

The Stone team was interested in enhanced shipment visibility and controls to improve service KPIs and strengthen their own customer relationships. Bringing in logistics partners with better shipment-level visibility would enable Stone to communicate more proactively with their own beverage distributors.

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The solution.

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���Ҵ�ý’s strategic partnership with Stone offered the beer company more optionality in types of modes, significant cost savings, and enhanced freight visibility.

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���Ҵ�ýDirect^® Shared Truckload (STL)

With linear feet and per-pallet pricing for mid-sized freight, Stone is no longer paying for unused space in a full truckload. This improved cost efficiency and utilization for irregular lanes. Damage isn’t a concern, since ���Ҵ�ýDirect^® shipments avoid terminal handoffs and cross-docking, never leaving the truck until delivery.

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Dynamic freight strategy

���Ҵ�ý tailors shipping strategies for each lane based on volume, timing, and service needs. This gives Stone flexibility instead of sticking to truckload exclusively, and ensures they’re getting max efficiency on each lane.��

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Prioritizing partnership 

Over time, Stone and ���Ҵ�ý’s alignment on the value of partnership has not only been positive for Stone themselves, but has improved the relationship with their own customers too.

‍Tech integrations

���Ҵ�ý contributed to Stone’s implementation of their TMS, Shipwell, early in the partnership, taking care that the transition was smooth and built a strong foundation for long-term success. Through this integration, ���Ҵ�ý was able to streamline operations with end-to-end visibility and predictive tracking.��

Stone Brewing’s ���Ҵ�ý Experience

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• Cost savings are a core focus for Stone. In their first year of partnership, ���Ҵ�ý reduced Stone’s shipping costs by 23% compared to underutilized truckload. In addition, ���Ҵ�ý reduced hidden fees, such as accessorials, with ���Ҵ�ýDirect^®.��

• Cost savings are achieved through freight optionality and customization based on lane. FTL, STL, and multi-stop consolidation are all employed based on volume and needs at the time. This ultimately leads to improved trailer utilization, since the right mode can be matched to load sizes and frequency.�� 

• Service excellence is just as important. ���Ҵ�ý was able to enhance service KPIs and customer experience through greater flexibility and reliability. On-time delivery has averaged out to 97% and on-time pickup to 99% so far in the partnership. Great service also involves controlling damage risk. Stone’s damage rate with ���Ҵ�ý is 99.99%, thanks to the hubless nature of ���Ҵ�ýDirect^®.

• Stone looks for partners who align with their goals and are committed to long-term success on both sides. For them, that means more than just moving freight; it’s about building a relationship based on trust, transparency, and shared accountability.

• Stone was drawn to ���Ҵ�ý’s B Corp certification and sustainability focus. Their efforts to reduce waste and improve environmental impact through smarter freight solutions align with Stone’s values and goals. Working with a partner who not only delivers operational value but also shares a broader sense of purpose reinforces the “why”. Stone has avoided 195 metric tons of CO₂e through Shared Truckload so far.��

• Stone enjoys the ease of doing business with ���Ҵ�ý. Aside from the familiarity of working with a classic freight broker model, ���Ҵ�ý’s tech-based approach and proactive style of partnership, like in the Shipwell TMS implementation and integration, shines through.

Stone Brewing’s partnership with ���Ҵ�ý has transformed their freight strategy, delivering measurable cost savings, sustainability benefits, and operational improvements in their beverage supply chain. By leveraging ���Ҵ�ýDirect^® and a collaborative approach, Stone Brewing continues to scale with confidence while maintaining the high service standards their customers expect.��

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Check out more aspects of the partnership here.