Sherwin-Williams lifts peak outbound capacity with ITS Logistics

Sherwin-Williams has increased outbound freight utilisation from its Reno, Nevada distribution centre by 11% during peak season through a retail store delivery partnership with ITS Logistics.

The operation supported freight movement from the Reno DC to nearly 400 store and retail partner locations across the western United States. ITS Logistics carrier partners delivered 56m lb of freight to Sherwin-Williams store locations in 2025, with an additional 11.7m lb moved in early 2026.

During the 2025 peak season, outbound freight utilisation from the Reno distribution centre rose from 71.7% to 82.7%. The network covered around 90% of Sherwin-Williams stores and retail partners across the western United States, including West Coast, Pacific Northwest, Arizona, Idaho, and Utah flows.

Sherwin-Williams operates a private contracted fleet across its national network of manufacturing facilities, distribution centres, and retail locations. Peak spring demand creates additional capacity pressure at the Reno DC, particularly where store replenishment requires high service standards, fast equipment availability, and experienced drivers capable of handling customer-facing retail environments.

ITS Logistics supported the operation with an asset-lite model combining owned assets and purchased transportation. The solution supplied the equivalent of 21 additional drivers, supported trailer pool management, coordinated carrier dispatch, briefed drivers, notified stores, managed ETA communication, and provided delay updates for covered shipments.

The model was designed to preserve private fleet service standards while adding flexible capacity when Sherwin-Williams’ own contracted fleet was stretched. That balance is important in store delivery, where external transport has to work inside brand, handling, safety, delivery window, and customer-facing expectations.

Private fleet operators are increasingly using hybrid capacity models rather than choosing between full outsourcing and internal control. Private fleets give retailers and manufacturers strong service discipline, brand alignment, and network familiarity, but they can struggle when seasonal volume exceeds planned capacity. Fully brokered transport can add flexibility, although it may not always deliver the consistency required for multi-stop, branded, store-facing delivery.

A managed asset-lite model sits between those options. It can give shippers access to additional capacity while maintaining tighter operational control over driver standards, communication, equipment, and delivery execution. That can be especially useful in sectors such as home improvement, coatings, building materials, industrial consumables, and retail replenishment, where goods may be heavy, time-sensitive, or difficult to handle at store level.

Carrier selection and oversight are also becoming more important as legal and insurance expectations rise. The US broker ruling raising trucking cost risk underlines the need for stronger carrier vetting, documentation, insurance verification, and operational audit trails. Hybrid capacity models depend on 3PLs that can show how carriers are selected and managed, rather than simply adding trucks at short notice.

The Sherwin-Williams operation also reflects a broader change in peak planning. Peak season is no longer only a question of buying more spot capacity. Transport teams are being asked to protect service levels, maintain store availability, manage costs, and avoid weakening the customer experience when volumes rise. That requires earlier capacity planning, stronger trailer and carrier visibility, and clearer communication between distribution centre, carrier, and store.

For manufacturers with retail networks, store delivery sits at the point where supply chain performance becomes visible to the customer. A late pallet, missed delivery, or poorly briefed driver can affect store operations, labour planning, shelf availability, and customer perception. Extra freight capacity only works if it behaves like part of the existing network.

The Reno result suggests that purchased transportation can complement private fleets where it is managed with enough operational discipline. As seasonal demand becomes harder to forecast, that model is likely to attract more attention from companies trying to protect peak capacity without permanently expanding their own fleet base.