Swift and Haste Freight Company as a Leading Company in the Freight Industry - Essay Example

FREIGHT BROKER Introduction A lot has been said in the past about Swift and Haste Freight Company. It is a leading company in the freight industry, but the most fascinating thing is that Swift and Haste is a fast growing company, which is barely a decade old and has a wide range of clientele. As a purchasing and logistics second year student, I wish to work in a company like this not only because of the generous salary, but also due to the company’s well expanded network and efficiency as regards the delivery of goods. My first encounter with the company was when I had ordered a 24-inch television-set from Japan, but my cargo went missing. I went to the company to settle the problem after I realized that there had been a delay in the date of arrival. The customer care officer was remarkably calm as I was explaining my problem; she talked to the line manager, who, despite his busy schedule, allotted some time for me. They followed up the matter, and, within two weeks, I have received the television set followed by a company apology card and a t-shirt. The most fascinating thing about the company is that it is run by a young lady who did not even take up freight studies in the campus. Marylyn Jones is the proud owner and Chief Executive Officer of Swift and Haste Freight Company. Marylyn is only twenty eight years old. Recently, she has been ranked first in the “forty most successful women below forty” by the sited magazine. This is quite an achievement, as the award has been won by women above thirty five, a majority of them dominating media personalities. In my interview, I sought to understand more about her, about the company’s history and possible future. Marylyn is a busy person, so to get a one hour interview with her was not easy. I went to the company premises less than six months after my TV issue, but this time not with a complaint but for an interview. The company secretary informed me that the Chief Executive Officer’s diary is fully booked for the next three weeks. She pleaded with me to talk to the head of operations who is Marylyn’s deputy, but I declined. We scheduled the meeting to take place a month later. Background of Freight Business The freight business is an extremely sensitive business all over the world, and exceedingly few people get into it. Many people keep away from it because of the risks and investments involved. Freight, as the name suggests, is the moving and ferrying of cargo from one destination to another. This demands capital, caution, and trust from the service provider; the clients have to be assured that their goods will arrive in the desired destination in time and intact as they were sent (Dyckhoff, Lackes, and Reese 91). Many governments of the world are particularly cautious in issuing of permits and licenses to people who want to start a freight business to avoid ferrying of illegal materials, e.g. drugs and weapons; security of the goods being ferried is paramount to avoid theft. The governments are keen to ensure that security of the citizens and clients are not at risk. As a purchasing and logistics student, I am aware that the initial startup capital is draining. Insurance takes up a sizeable chunk to ensure that when goods are lost or damaged one is able to pay (Lynn 45). The heavy commercial vehicles, storage facilities, and data storage are also things that one has to think about before getting into the business. Another limiting factor is timeline, especially if the goods are transported from one country to another. The custom duty offices have to take time before allowing the goods go through their borders. Freight industry in the past has been associated with power and wealth, but Marylyn has proved that it is a business not of the rich, but of hard workers and fighters. Presentation of the worker Marylyn is the only girl in a family of four. As the third born, she is an industrious and goal oriented person. This is seen in her school days. Many would have thought that, since she is the only girl, she will be spoilt and irresponsible, but this is not the case. Marylyn came from a humble background where her mother worked as a stationery shop attendant and her faster as a truck driver in one of the transport companies in the country. She worked hard and, while in campus, enrolled for a Bachelor of Science in computer science. She was a bright student all through her school life. This made her a favorite among her parents and teachers in the institutions of learning that she attended. While in campus, she was in many student bodies and clubs and was a student leader for one year. This shows that Marylyn is not only a hard worker, but also a person involved in the groupings, especially those that affect her as a person and those around her. Her docket in the student’s body was mainly in service provision. Her main duties included procurement and tendering procedures of the services the University outsourced. She will be remembered in the University for having changed the procurement policy to give a clear, open, and transparent way of awarding tenders where students are represented. Thesis statement Establishing a freight company and any other companies requires hard work, determination, discipline consistency, and not money, power, and contacts, as many people suggest. Interview Day On the interview day, I arrived at the Swift and Haste Freight Company offices at three forty five PM, fifteen minutes earlier than the scheduled time. When I went in, the secretary told me that Marylyn was in a meeting with one of the major clients, but this would not take a long time. I reviewed my questions carefully to remind myself of the most crucial points to note. I checked that my recorder was working to avoid a lot of time wastage once I was in the room. I was ushered into her office ten minutes later, and behind the desk there was a young, sharp lady. I am greeted by a wide smile and jolly woman. I pass her a small gift bag that I carried for her, the card was to congratulate her on winning the top prize in the last “forty most successful women below forty” award. Accompanying the card is a small pack of her favorite chocolate. I ask her about her family background, which she delightfully tells me. She goes into details of naming her siblings, their location, and vocations. She also tells several stories about her childhood, and I realize that it was a close knit family, though the father was mostly absent. I also learn that they were close with her brothers, and, despite her sex, they involved her in all their rough and fast games. She laughs and says, “I am grateful to my bothers for not treating me in a delicate and unique way; this made me a natural fighter in all that I do”. She went on to telling me about her education background and life in school. The second question is where her interest in freight cropped from. This was one thing I did not know before I came in for the interview; Marylyn was a daddy’s girl, and many of the times when he was away, she felt lonely. The more she asked her father about his work, the more curious she became and wanted to know more. She learnt that her father transported goods across the country, and that explains his absenteeism. As her father tried to explain the nature of his work, she became even more curious. She received all the information that she could lay her hands on the freight and logistics work. Her interest grew with more research. At the university, she decided to major in computer science and minor in business administration. This has come a long way in helping her establish and run her business and grow at an exceptionally fast rate. In campus, her roommate was in the logistics department. It is this curiosity that led her into the freight business. The desire to know and learn is an essential for one’s success. Marylyn was an unusually bright student in campus and applied for a scholarship to do a certificate course in freight management. It is truly admirable that a simple curiosity propelled her to the great height of starting a freight company. She is immensely happy that she took up computer science, as it played a vital role in her business. Most of her time was spent on the internet researching about the freight business. Her dream of Swift and Haste Freight Company started in campus. She started designing a company website and, by so doing, she virtually formed the organization and started marketing to her friends and family. Organization and planning in advance is a huge step towards success in the business, as objectives and targets must be set before the business is commenced (Dyckhoff, Lackes & Reese 297).She practiced what she had learned in the certificate course to run and manage the website. When she went for her internship, she was attached in a logistics and freight firm, and this she did intentionally so as to get exposure. When she was not working in the computer and systems department, she went to help in the operation’s office to see what was going on. She volunteered in the same company for one hour daily after her usual working hours were over and also worked on Saturdays for five hours in the operation’s department. Marylyn does not regret the exposure that she received; she says the sacrifice was worth making. In the same company, she was able to talk to the directors and make few connections with the clients. The line manager and director of operations were her mentors and role models. Marylyn says, “In this and any other business, one must identify people who are where one wants to go to guide and mentor one” (Rothwell, Prescott & Taylor 26). Many of the clients who came thought she was a staff member due to her active involvement, but this was not the case. Apart from her desire to learn, I also realize that Marylyn is a kind hearted person who is likable and willing to help. Her character did play a significant role in gaining of experience, as she was eager and patient to learn and know who the clients were. Education and experience of the fields one wishes to venture in are particularly powerful. I asked about establishing the company, and she said that this was a hard process; she took up a loan from her parents, friends, and a bank, all of whom believed in her, and went for the government permit. With the few contacts that she had she was able to start the business, Marylyn acknowledges that the first six months of the business were the worst, ‘I was on the virtue of giving up after the fourth month, and the business was slow.” Due to her determination and words of encouragement from her parents, she was able to wait. Marylyn did not offer transport at the beginning as this would demand more cost of set up for the business. She asked the clients to provide for their own transports due to the expenses incurred during transportation (Lynn 4) Her secretary interrupts on several occasions and I cannot help but notice the strong relationship between the two. Marylyn is an unusually open and is willing to teach her employees. I ask her about the good relationship with her workers, and she informs me of her patience with them to learn their abilities, skills, personalities, attitudes, and strengths (Rothwell, Prescott & Taylor 148). She says if someone was not patient enough to teach her, she could not be where she is at the moment. She gives them attention and looks at all issues that are brought forward to ensure a smooth running of her organization. She knows that her greatest asset is her personnel, so she has to treat them well to bring the best out of them (Rothwell, Prescott & Taylor 148). Marylyn appreciates them by giving them many benefits, and for any award that the organization wins, she makes them feel like they won it by awarding them too. Asked how she deals with the stiff competition, she says that the high standards of the service delivery are mandatory; timing, quality, and quantity of products is essential in the business (Dyckhoff, Lackes & Reese 91). Marylyn believes that the best customer service will always make the client want to come back again for the same service. She makes sure that all the personnel understand that the clients are extremely valuable and their needs are to be met first. In the same breath, she ensures that there is a clear communication channel between the workers and the administration. This ensures that all are working towards a common goal. The company has a department where they give back to the community. The department has adopted a children’s home in which they support. Through the same department, the company’s members donate blood twice a year to respond to the many accidents in the country. The department gives scholarships to well performing students all around the country. There is also community service, especially near the festive season in December to clean up the nearby Bellies Park. This shows that the company cares for the environment. A problem that they face in the business is the transit delays which cause them the loss of money, as the goods are transited from one country to the next (Incoterms 5). The goods that take over three days at checkpoints are costly, because transporters have to be paid for the delay, which in turn delays transportation of other goods. However, she says that the government is doing a lot to make the processes and procedures take fewer hours by coming up with new policies and rules to govern the process (Bennett 27). The finance department is exceptionally busy and active, which requires attention and keenness to avoid losses (Dyckhoff, Lackes & Reese 223). The cash flow should be monitored, because the company serves many clients and handles massive amounts of money at any given time. I ask her about her life outside the office. She laughs pointing at her index finger to indicate that she is engaged. She enjoys jogging every afternoon after work, reading articles in the internet and novels. It is from this vast information from the external sources that she extends her business (Rothwell, Prescott & Taylor 174). She also attends many business meetings, dinners, and luncheons to meet other people in the same business and others who she can partner with in the near future. She says: “I have not fully achieved my objective, hence I must keep on working and make my family and nation proud, I work hard to attain it”. Her daily routine in the office includes: Signing and authorizing for cargo leave the premises; Meetings with potential clients; Chairing of the board meetings; Regular rounds around the warehouses; Signing contracts either in the organization or outside; Authorizing for any money transactions within the company. Marylyn sees Swift and Haste Freight Company growing to twelve countries in the next five years and increasing its client network by 49%. She plans to do this by marketing the company as much as possible and knowing the target clients to approach for business. The company gives fast and efficient services to its clients ensuring that they come again, and attracts more by the excellent service. Customer complaints are given first priority to ensure they are satisfied and their needs met. For the advertisement and marketing, they will use both print and electronic means to reach more people (Lynn 68). Apart from the marketing and expanding its branches, Marylyn says that the company will take part in partnerships with other companies in the same business. This is more in the service provision where you outsource for services, e.g. transportation, to give more output as compared to working as a sole entity (Lynn 72). She agrees that for the company to meet demands of its clients, there has to be a channel where they work with others. This is especially so in other countries since those companies know the country better. Through partnerships, Swift and Haste Freight Company will spend less. Conclusion As we approached the end of the interview, I could hardly believe that an hour and twenty minutes were over. We had overstretched our time, but this is because we had a lot to talk about. The challenges that she mentioned, especially those of high levies by the authorities, were seriously affecting the performance of the company and freight industry as a whole. The high cost incurred is passed to consumers as part of the ferrying fee, and this is referred to as “cost sharing” (Incoterms 5). With determination, freight industry can be managed, as Marylyn proved. Look at the client’s needs and be prepared for rough times before getting into the market. Establish a small size company and let it grow. Leaving the premises, I realized that one’s desires and dreams can remain mere dreams if one does not take the risk to work and implement them. Works cited Bennett, H. A. The Commission and the Common Law: A Study in Administrative Adjudication. New York: Exposition Press, 1964.Print Dyckhoff, H., R. Lackes, and J. Reese. Supply Chain Management and Reverse Logistics. Berlin: Springer, 2004. Print. Rothwell, W. J., Robert K. Prescott, and Maria W. Taylor. Human Resource Transformation: Demonstrating Strategic Leadership in the Face of Future Trends. Mountain View, Calif: Davies-Black Pub, 2008. Print. Lynn, J. Start Your Own Freight Brokerage Business: Your Step by Step Guide to Success. Canada: Entrepreneur media Inc., 2010. Print. Incoterms 2010: Icc Rules for the Use of Domestic and International Trade Term: Entry into Force 1 January 2011. Paris: ICC Publications, 2010. Print. Read More