LTI, Inc. adds bulk flour to specialized commodities

Spokane LTI, Inc. Driver Chris Day ready to deliver a load of flour.

How many chocolate chip cookies can you make with a 65,000-pound tanker of baking flour? This question was on the mind of LTI, Inc. Driver Trainer Daniel Perez recently as he completed a delivery of flour to a bakery in Oregon. The bakery produces Chips Ahoy cookies. “My guess is about 1 million,” he says.

Bulk flour is the latest in LTI, Inc.’s food-grade commodity hauls. Drivers depart from Moses Lake and Spokane headed to Archer Daniel Midland (ADM) flour plants in Cheney and Spokane where they fill up pneumatic tankers for delivery to commercial bakeries in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. “ADM reached out to our customer care team, they passed it on to us, and Business Development Manager Al Hartgraves started putting the pieces together. It took a year plus from the first phone call to where we are today with six drivers and six loads a week,” explains John Hillman, LTI, Inc. Regional Operations Manager.

As a food-grade commodity, flour can be a challenge. Its tendency to clump requires it to be transported in pneumatic trailers with pressurized hoses for even, controlled ‘blowing’ into and out of the tanks. The flour must be carefully transferred from the flour mills into the tankers and, later, from the tankers into silos at the bakeries, to maintain a light, fluffy texture. LTI, Inc. Director of Equipment & Maintenance Dave Seaman began sourcing new equipment and settled on two new Freightliner tractors and two pneumatic Mac trailers in Montana. To offer the customer an advantage, LTI, Inc. purchased trailers that can carry 8,000 more pounds than other carriers.

Daniel, who is based in Moses Lake, and Spokane Driver Chris Day were instrumental in getting drivers trained on the new specialized equipment. “I’m very proud of what we accomplished,” he says. “Chris and I dedicated ourselves, days, nights and weekends, and put our hearts and souls into this thing. It’s been a learning curve, but the drivers are safely operating with zero service failures.”

Different flours require different pressure when unloading. Drivers need to monitor the valves for the two to three hours it takes to unload into the silos. “We were looking for a certain type of driver with problem-solving skills and mechanical aptitude for this project,” Daniel says. Gabe Madrigal and Ruben Ugaldi were selected to join the driving team with Daniel and Chris.

“To start from scratch and jump into a market you’re not familiar with is not easy, but with teamwork, we made it happen for the customer. We hope to add more drivers and capacity in the future to meet ADM’s needs,” John says.

“LTI has been an exceptional partner for us,” says Lindsey Wright, ADM Truck Transportation Manager. “When we approached them for a capacity solution, they worked closely with us to procure equipment that perfectly met our needs. From a service and safety perspective, LTI has consistently delivered results as our carrier.”