2020-2021 were tumultuous years for supply chains worldwide, with 3PLs like Spot quickly rising to meet an increase in demand for their services. This industry boom has led to a never-before-seen need for logistics professionals. Logistics operations make up 12% of global GDP, and 40% of the global economy is tied to logistics-dependent industries, with billions of jobs relying upon a functioning supply chain (FreightWaves).
Spot is looking to hire an additional 250 people in the next two years to fill roles in our recent and upcoming expansions into Arizona and Florida. Our Account Managers go through a comprehensive 3-month training process that includes a combination of classroom training and mentorship by a seasoned industry professional. Ultimately, Spot’s goal is to ensure that all our employees are set up for success before they are ready to manage their own book of business.
We recently sat down with some of our longest-tenured National Account Directors to provide insight into the challenges they’ve faced while working in logistics. Keep reading to learn more about how these logistics professionals were able to overcome supply chain challenges such as Covid-19 and the ongoing driver shortage.
The answers were recorded in the following order:
- What are some of the challenges I will face in my new role?
- How do you overcome those challenges?
- What has helped you excel in your role?
- How have the challenges in this industry changed since the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic?
- What advice would you give to someone that is thinking about a career in logistics?
Mark Buis – National Account Director (9 Years at Spot)
1: Learning to overcome objections and being told no daily are some of the challenges you will face in your new role. Understand that persistence and hard work are the keys to success and growth.
2: Educating yourself on the industry, your customer, and every piece of the operational puzzle you will work with daily will help you overcome these challenges.
3: Asking the customers/carriers a lot of questions to find out how they operate and what they need to improve their situation. Then apply what we can do here at Spot to accomplish that and deliver better than our competitors.
4: The driver shortage has only worsened since the onset of Covid-19, so finding ways to secure capacity for the customer weekly has become more of a challenge.
5: My advice would be to find a way to be different than the other guy, outwork them, and really care about your customers, and as a result, the business will be reciprocated.
Theo Mascari – National Account Director (9 Years at Spot)
1: The challenges you will most likely face are objections during prospecting, shortage of truck capacity, and pricing.
2: The best way to overcome these challenges is to develop relationships with carriers. They will give insight into the cost of running each lane and what is favorable or unfavorable to a carrier. Having capacity readily available will also help bring on new business.
3: My co-workers at Spot have personally helped me excel in my role. They’ve always helped me understand markets I am unfamiliar with and provided references.
4: Challenges have remained the same since before the onset of Covid-19; they are just harder to price.
5: If you are thinking about a career in logistics, come in with an open mind and an ability to adapt. It is not an easy career, but you can see the success of your output daily.
Alex Buening – National Account Director (8 Years at Spot)
1: There is most definitely a learning curve to this industry. It’s a fast-paced environment where you’re constantly making decisions on the fly, so learning the industry to have confidence in yourself is crucial.
2: To overcome these challenges, you need to have a strong desire to learn. Ask questions from your managers and senior employees. Stay in tune with industry news and market trends.
3: What has helped me excel in my role is that I always try to push myself a little more each time. Bite off a little more than you think you can chew and figure out how to get it done. Rely on your team members to help accomplish your goals. This is definitely a team environment industry.
4: The challenges in this industry have changed dramatically since the onset of Covid-19. Our nation’s supply chain is being pushed to limits that we have never experienced before. Stagnant supply, paired with soaring demand, has sent rates to all-time highs. Reliable, come-through carriers are highly desired amongst all shippers in the U.S. in this pandemic.
5: My advice is to be ready to work. It’s a chaotic industry, where every day is different. Hard work will pay off. Be hungry.
Choose a Career at Spot
If you or someone you know is looking to join a team where you’re able to create your own path – and enjoy some handsome rewards in the process – we’re currently hiring across various departments. Click here to check out our open roles.