The "Best" Partnership

May 26, 2026

When was the last time you took on a home improvement project? The tools and materials you relied on didn’t just appear on the shelf — they got there through a vast transportation and logistics network. If you bought it in a store, chances are a truck delivered it. 

How it Started

 

Do it Best is a member-owned hardware cooperative that supplies independently owned retailers across the country. Through their extensive distribution network, they deliver hardware products to nearly 9,000 store locations, supporting local dealers, retailers, and independent business owners nationwide. 

Ruan and Do it Best’s partnership initially began when Ruan was invited to participate in their transportation RFP process in 2023 for their distribution center in Milbank, SD. The partnership grew when Do it Best awarded Ruan Dixon, IL distribution lanes, and expanded further with the True Value acquisition. Scaling with this growth allowed Ruan to integrate additional resources seamlessly into Do it Best’s operations by increasing the amount of stores Ruan was able to deliver to in their network. 

Seamless Startup

When making the strategic decision of switching transportation providers, transition planning is critical. Do it Best’s top priorities stressed to Ruan were retaining the current drivers, minimizing service disruptions, and maintaining business continuity. 

“Business continuity is critical in transition planning because we cannot impact the business from the member retailer side, the change has to be invisible to them, and Ruan understood this,’ said Ty Sordelet, Vice President of Logistics at Do it Best. 

“They prioritized this with driver retention, that includes inherent knowledge from each of these drivers for each individual route and delivery at our member retailer stores”. 

“With the transition in Dixon, we retained 100% of Do it Best’s drivers from the previous carrier during this changeover, while maintaining service levels. I would attribute this success to our defined planning with a team that operates as a well-oiled machine with extensive experience transitioning fleets,” said Jeremy Carmichael, Vice President of Operations at Ruan.   

Do it Best and Ruan defined this transition as a success due to several factors.  

  1. Both organizations share similar values and a family-focused culture that resonates across the board.  
  2. ​Proactive communication between both organizations identified any potential issues early on.
  3. The planning and timeline that went into this startup included involved team members from the top down, meaningful interactions, and reinforced trust and engagement. 

“Ruan identified any issues early on and brought solutions before anything was escalated to me. The team was knowledgeable and responsive throughout the process,” said Sordelet.  

Seasonal Surges and Continuous Improvement

Do it Best operates in a retail environment characterized by fluctuating demand, with predictable peaks and valleys driven by seasonality, weather patterns, and broader economic conditions. Using Do it Best’s information along with our homegrown technology, Ruan analyzes this volume on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis to forecast demand and ensure the appropriate drivers, equipment, and other resources are in place to effectively support fluctuations and surge across Do it Best’s network to deliver hardware goods that matter most to consumers in need.

This proactive planning is just one aspect of Ruan’s focus on continuous improvement. Ruan approaches continuous improvement with the purpose of avoiding complacency, driving efficiency, and aligning effective solutions with Do it Best’s goals. The cross functional teams are focused on cutting mileage, tractor and trailer count, and anything that can pass on savings and efficiencies to Do it Best. 

“We analyze areas of opportunity that we have with mileage, as it can add up very quickly. We constantly look at route optimization based on member order schedules, when and how often they’re ordering, and how can we make sure we’re optimizing these routes to cut mileage as ordering ebbs and flows,” – said Tasha Hovland, Dedicated Operations Leader at Ruan.  

An Extension of the Team

Ruan’s partnership with Do it Best is highly visible on the road, with tractors and trailers fully branded in Do it Best colors and logos. At first glance, you might not even realize the fleet is operated by Ruan—because we function as a true extension of the Do it Best team. We view this as a powerful advantage. Do it Best maintains strong brand visibility wherever the fleet travels, while Ruan operates seamlessly behind the scenes, aligning closely with their goals, culture, and standards. By thinking and acting as they do, we integrate naturally into their operations, so it feels as if we are one unified team.   

“We are trying to solve problems – together,” said Sordelet.

“Despite ongoing economic uncertainties, capacity constraints, and other challenges that the transportation and logistics industry has been facing, I’m proud of this partnership and how it has strengthened Ruan’s ability to operate effectively and strategically for not only Do it Best, but for other customers that we serve in a variety of verticals,” said Carmichael.  

Together, Enriching Lives Every Day

As each new season approaches, associated projects will begin to take shape in both your personal and professional life. When you pick up supplies from the shelf at your local hardware store, take a moment to consider the logistics professionals who worked behind the scenes to ensure those products were there, ready to help you accomplish your home improvement goals.

Working together is how we Do it Best.

We are Ruan. We are you.  

Interested in learning more?

Contact us!

 

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