Top 10 Most "Unique" Items We've Handled as a 3PL
BIOLOGICAL PEST CONTROL AGENTS
This is the actual name for "good bugs" used by greenhouses and farms. Our customer would ship various bugs to us in large quantities and we would split the orders and ship out to their customers. They would come in and ship out the same day because there were temperatures that had to be maintained, but this was really one of our coolest customers ever. You just can't beat having a box delivered and being able to hear bees buzzing!
ROCKET LAUNCHERS
It's not often you get to see something like this in a warehouse, except maybe if you work for the DoD. These were actually seized by U.S. Customs upon entry and they brought them into our warehouse for temporary storage.
SPERM
This was something one of our trucking companies used to transport from Detroit to Chicago, and that's all we're saying on this item.
MASSIVE SHIP ANCHOR
As legend tells it, years ago a huge ship anchor was illegally salvaged from the bottom of one of the Great Lakes and a local seafood restaurant was using it in front of their restaurant when U.S. Customs seized it and brought it into our warehouse for storage for a short time. We aren't sure, but rumor has it that Customs ended up returning it to the bottom of the lake!
"SILVERBOLT"
We kept "Silverbolt", a large horse sculpture made completely from chrome-plated steel automobile bumpers (artist, John Kearney), safe for many months over the winter. These days he resides back in front The Children's Museum in Detroit, Michigan.
FLYING CARPETS
Alright, they weren't really magic flying carpets, but a container of carpets from the Middle East that was seized by U.S. Customs was still a pretty cool thing to handle.
FABRIC
By itself this doesn't sound unique, but where it went from our warehouse is the real story. We actually stored the fabric then shipped it into local prisons where the inmates would use it to make their own pajamas. Our truck drivers even had to have special security clearance to make these deliveries.
PIGS EARS
Although a popular dog treat, it was pretty unusual when we started receiving containers of these. They came in large bags from overseas and had to be examined by Customs before they could make their way to the companies in the U.S. who bought and packaged them.
NAIAS EXHIBIT MATERIALS
Being in Detroit we have seen plenty of Auto Show Exhibits over the years. We've handled everything from graphics and lighting to containers of imported cars. One time, we even had agencies setup full-size mock display exhibits so that an Automaker could select who their partner for the upcoming show would be.
EVERYTHING ELSE
Okay, we had a tough time narrowing down the final item on our list, so we thought we would give an honorable mention to all the other items we've handled over the years that could be considered "unique" or just plain "cool" - 4x4 vehicles, electric scooters, hot tubs and the list goes on...
Evans has displayed an excellent ability to adapt to our operational objectives and at the same time shown their expertise in warehousing by utilizing their own techniques to enhance the operation.