Practical solutions for freight, customs and logistics in Canada, the U.S. and overseas.
Advisory, implementation, customs compliance, systems, interim leadership, transportation setup for start-ups, market development, international ocean and air freight: Erdica Solutions gives companies the right solution at every stage, whether they export, import, ship, haul freight or clear customs, from U.S.–Canada trade, our core strength, to shipments overseas.
“I am never the shipper, the carrier or the customs broker. I am the guide and the facilitator.”Erick Plante, founder
Our expertise will lead you further.
- 35 yearsin freight, customs, logistics and distribution
- Truck driver to VPexperience on both sides: client and provider
- 9 solution areasfrom advisory to implementation and interim leadership
- U.S.–Canada and overseascross-border freight, customs, CTPAT and PIP; ocean and air freight, Incoterms, forwarders
Experience gained by Erick Plante in previous roles.
A full range of solutions
Advisory, implementation, compliance, systems, start-up setup, interim leadership, ocean and air freight: pick one targeted solution or end-to-end support. Lower costs are one benefit among others, alongside reliability, compliance, visibility and growth.
01
Freight and logistics
Multiple carriers, uneven service, agreements overdue for a review: we bring structure to your truckload, intermodal and cross-border freight.
- Carrier performance reviews (for forwarders and ocean or air freight, see solution area 09)
- New supplier selection and RFPs
- Service and rate agreement negotiation
- Quarterly performance reviews and action plans
- Cargo insurance coverage review
02
U.S.–Canada customs and compliance
Is your customs broker serving you well? Are your entries compliant? We secure compliance on both sides of the border.
- Customs broker review (service, rates, agreement) and action plan
- New broker selection and onboarding
- Entry and declaration compliance audit
- CTPAT (CBP) and Partners in Protection (CBSA) implementation or audit
- Internal process and Incoterms review, team training
03
Systems and technology
Spreadsheets, email threads, an outdated module: we help you pick the right tools and make them work.
- Current-state review of your systems (TMS, WMS, ERP, EDI) and recommendations
- Business case, requirements and vendor selection
- TMS implementation: project governance and carrier onboarding
- Real-time shipment visibility and performance KPIs
- EDI automation, including customs entries
04
Transportation setup for start-ups
Taking your first steps in freight or international trade? We set up your transportation and customs function.
- Hiring and training your transportation and customs team
- Incoterms choices and written procedures
- Negotiating your first supplier agreements
- Service rollout and quarterly performance follow-up
- Team mentoring
05
Market development and exporting
Targeting Canada or a new market? We support you from finding partners to setting up export logistics.
- Business opportunity research
- Finding and vetting foreign business partners
- Regulatory and customs requirements in target markets
- Market development plan
- Export logistics setup
06
Management, interim and transition
Vacant role, restructuring, succession or acquisition: we keep your logistics function running.
- Interim logistics leadership, stabilization and action plan
- Transportation function restructuring and mentoring
- Succession planning: recruiting, mentoring and handoff
- Logistics due diligence for acquisitions
- Post-close logistics integration plan
07
Continuous improvement, warehousing and distribution
Heavy processes, waste, a distribution network that needs a fresh look: we apply proven, shop-floor methods.
- Process analysis and Lean (5S, SMED, Kaizen, TPM)
- New processes and written procedures
- Warehousing process review
- Distribution network review
- Warehousing provider evaluation and selection
08
Cost optimization
Freight spend climbing and nobody can say why? We make it visible and measurable, then bring it down.
- Assessment built on your shipping data
- Agreement, fuel surcharge and accessorial audit
- Reducing OTIF fines, demurrage and detention
- Procurement strategy: centralization, direct carriers or a 3PL
- Ranked, quantified savings by impact, timeline and return
09
International ocean and air freight
Containers and air shipments from Asia or Europe, exports overseas, your first container or first international air shipment: we help you structure your international freight, by sea and by air, and oversee its execution from origin to your dock.
- Ocean and air freight RFPs to carriers, freight forwarders and NVOCCs, for full container loads (FCL), less-than-container loads (LCL) or consolidated air freight, on annual contracts or the spot market
- Freight forwarder selection and management: scorecards, performance, rates and quarterly business reviews
- Demurrage and detention: invoice audits, free-time negotiation and container return processes
- Incoterms and documents: bills of lading, air waybills, letters of credit, cargo insurance and risk allocation
- Port, airport and road connections: drayage, transloading, and port and airport selection (Montréal, Halifax, U.S. East Coast)
- Visibility and risk: container and air shipment tracking, congestion, disruptions (Red Sea, tariffs) and contingency plans
- Ocean or air mode selection based on transit time, cost and urgency, including rush shipments
- Our role: connecting you with the right carriers, forwarders and brokers, then overseeing their performance; the operations stay with your suppliers, under contracts directly with you
One approach, tailored to every solution
A quick second opinion, a project or end-to-end support: the same approach, built around your reality and your goals.
Our role: guide and facilitator. Erick Plante is never the shipper, the carrier or the customs broker. He connects you with the right suppliers (carriers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, warehouses), then oversees their performance on your behalf: service levels, KPIs, follow-up and escalation. Your service contracts stay directly between you and your suppliers. When he represents a carrier with its customers, he acts as its relationship agent, never as the carrier, and always discloses whom he represents.
Listen and assess
Meetings with your team, a site visit and a review of your processes, agreements, systems and data.
A tailored solutions plan
Practical recommendations and an action plan fitted to your priorities, resources and timeline, presented to leadership.
Implementation and know-how transfer
We support the rollout, train your team and follow up until the results are there.
Fixed-fee assessment
To take stock: freight, customs, systems or due diligence. Report and solutions plan.
Day rate
For projects (TMS, customs broker, CTPAT or PIP, start-up transportation setup) and interim roles, with phase-by-phase deliverables.
Retainer
Post-project follow-up: quarterly supplier reviews, compliance and coaching.
Pricing available on request, based on scope.
Erick Plante, founder
35 years in freight, customs, logistics and distribution, from truck driver to VP.
Erick started his career behind the wheel, running deliveries across Canada and the United States. He went on to lead transportation, customs and logistics for a manufacturer, the bulk division of a major carrier, the international transportation division of a logistics provider, and finally North American logistics at Lassonde.
At Lassonde, as VP, Logistics North America, he led U.S.–Canada logistics and transportation and sponsored a North American TMS implementation (E2open/BluJay) and the implementation of Breakthrough, aligning carrier fuel reimbursement with actual market fuel prices instead of a national-average fuel surcharge.
He knows the problem from both sides: the shipper’s and the international transportation provider’s. He knows the suppliers and the service levels to demand: he connects you with the right partners and oversees execution, without ever performing it. Fully bilingual in English and French.
The logo: a candlestick and three levels
The E in the logo is built from two elements borrowed from market charts. The vertical bar is a candlestick, with its body and wicks: in a single stroke, it sums up the starting point, the end point and the extremes of a period. It is the guide who sees the whole journey, from origin to destination.
The three horizontal bars are price levels, the benchmarks a market is measured against. Here, they are the benchmarks Erdica Solutions helps you set, then enforce: service levels, costs and compliance. They never touch the candlestick, because Erdica Solutions never performs the transport itself: it connects the right partners and oversees execution.
- 2018 – 2024VP, Logistics North AmericaLassondeU.S.–Canada logistics and transportation, including ocean shipments and drayage; North American TMS (E2open/BluJay) and Breakthrough (fuel at actual market prices) implementations
- 2013 – 2017VP, International TransportationAxxess InternationalStrategy, budgets, systems (CargoWise, CRM), new-market development, relationships with ocean and air agents
- 2012 – 2013General Manager, Bulk Transportation DivisionJaclin Transport – Groupe RobertIntegrated Jaclin into Groupe Robert
- 1995 – 2012Transportation Coordinator, Corporate Manager of Transportation and Logistics, then Plant ManagerSpectra Premium IndustriesCustoms (CTPAT, PIP), supported 12 acquisitions, opened a 75,000 sq. ft. distribution center, Lean
- 1989 – 1995Truck DriverSpectra Premium IndustriesDeliveries across Canada and the United States
Nine audiences, one international track record
Whether you ship, import, haul or clear goods across the border, or your company is starting up, transforming or changing hands, you get 35 years of experience from both sides of the table: the client’s and the provider’s.
Exporters
Grow your sales into Canada, overseas and into new markets: partners, regulations, export logistics, ocean and air freight, Canadian customs and Partners in Protection.
Backed by: led U.S.–Canada logistics and transportation at Lassonde; new-market development and relationships with ocean and air agents at Axxess International.
Importers
Know whether your customs broker is serving you well and your entries are compliant: broker review, compliance audit, CTPAT. Importing from Asia or Europe: ocean and air freight procurement and forwarder management.
Backed by: led transportation and customs at Spectra Premium, including EDI-automated customs entries and negotiated ocean and air freight contracts.
Shippers
Make your freight more reliable: carrier selection, agreements, performance, real-time visibility and cost control.
Backed by: led multimodal freight at Lassonde (truckload, refrigerated, tanker, intermodal, ocean, drayage), with road and ocean shipment visibility.
Trucking companies
Grow your carrier business: operations, systems, customer service and business development.
Backed by: a career that started behind the wheel; general manager of Jaclin’s bulk division (Groupe Robert).
Customs brokers
Strengthen your operations, systems and client service, seen through the eyes of a demanding client.
Backed by: negotiated customs contracts and ran CTPAT/PIP at Spectra Premium; CargoWise and CRM rollout at Axxess International.
Start-ups
Set up your transportation function right from day one: hiring and training, Incoterms, supplier agreements, your first container or air shipment, and mentoring.
Backed by: built and led transportation teams, from a 20‑driver delivery team to the VP level.
Companies in transformation
Make digital, process and growth changes stick: TMS selection, real-time visibility, Lean.
Backed by: North American TMS implementation at Lassonde; Lean and a 75,000 sq. ft. distribution center at Spectra Premium.
Companies in transition
Navigate a leadership change, acquisition, restructuring or succession: interim leadership, due diligence, integration.
Backed by: supported 12 acquisitions at Spectra Premium; integrated Jaclin into Groupe Robert.
Carriers and service providers
We manage your key accounts: relationship, quarterly business reviews, service-level follow-up, escalations, retention and growth, in English or French. Rather than handing your largest accounts to a rep who is still learning the ropes, entrust them to someone with 35 years on both sides of the relationship, from truck driver to VP. U.S. carriers, 3PLs, freight forwarders and TMS or technology vendors: we can be your local contact in Québec for your French-speaking customers. On site, in French, we manage the relationship and handle escalations. For any carrier or provider based outside Québec, we can also act as your relationship agent with your other customers and handle sensitive accounts (escalations, disputes, service recovery). You remain the provider and the sole party to the contract with your customer; we never carry, clear or store goods. Language bridge: for French-speaking shippers, we also connect them with English-speaking suppliers.
Backed by: a career on both sides of the carrier–customer relationship, from truck driver to VP, International Transportation at Axxess International; fully bilingual. In every matter, we disclose in writing whom we represent.
Frequently asked questions
Is this only about cutting costs?
No. We offer nine solution areas: freight and logistics, customs and compliance, systems, start-up transportation setup, market development, management and interim leadership, continuous improvement, cost optimization, and international ocean and air freight. Savings are one benefit among others.
Where do we start?
With a first conversation about your situation, then a fixed-fee assessment if needed. You get a tailored solutions plan and decide what we implement together.
Does Erdica move or clear my goods?
No. We advise you and connect you with the right suppliers: carriers, freight forwarders, NVOCCs, airlines, customs brokers and warehouses. Erick Plante knows them and knows what service levels to demand. We help you select them and negotiate, then oversee their performance on your behalf: service levels, KPIs, follow-up and escalation. Transportation, customs clearance and warehousing are performed by your suppliers under contracts directly with you; we never take possession of your goods.
Whom do you represent?
In every matter, we disclose in writing whom we represent: the shipper that engaged us, or the carrier or provider whose customer relationships we manage. We do not represent a carrier while advising a shipper that is choosing between that carrier and its competitors in the same matter, unless we have made written disclosure and obtained written consent.
Do you cover both U.S. and Canadian customs?
Yes. We work on both sides of the border: broker reviews, entry compliance, and the CTPAT (CBP) and Partners in Protection (CBSA) programs.
How much does it cost?
Pricing is available on request and depends on the format (fixed-fee assessment, day rate or retainer) and the scope of the engagement.
Let’s talk about your freight
Tell us about your project or challenge: freight, ocean and air shipping, customs, systems, start-up setup, transition. We’ll get back to you.