Knight Swift Supply Chain Ops Champions (7 During Break)
Summary
Seven members of the Knight-Swift Supply Chain Operations team complete an interview session with the host, Ben. They discuss their roles in the company and what they like most about working there. Some common themes among them include the complexity of the work, the supportive and enjoyable work environment, the respect and learning opportunities in the company, and the value placed on ownership and quality. They also touch on the company's core values of "We rock" which stands for Well-being, Exploration, Respect, In this episode of The Warehouse Underground podcast, host Kevin Lawton interviews representatives from Nightswift Supply Chain, a company that specializes in transportation and logistics solutions. The guests, including Vincent Miguel, Ada Perez, Marcus Vasquez, Esperanza Escobar, and Elizabeth Tovar, discuss their experiences with the company, their thoughts on the industry, and the culture within Nightswift. They also share their personal theme songs and give a message to potential customers about why they should work with Nightswift.
Transcription
Hey, everybody, welcome to episode number 39 at the Warehouse Underground podcast, Real Talk for warehouse DC and FC professionals of all levels around the globe. I'm Ben, the host of the show, and this is a very special show. So joining me on the podcast is seven members, seven leaders, seven champions inside nights with supply chain operations. So Doctor Bernard Jenkins, who was a former guest of the podcast, and I chatted about this and I wanted to have some of his stellar performers appear on the show. I want to give them a chance to spread their word out there to the masses, and I wanted to have a chance to highlight them. So I was very grateful and thankful that he said, absolutely. Here are our seven people that you should definitely bring on your show, and this will be a great opportunity for all of them. Right? So I'm going to I'm going to introduce them right now. And then we will take it away. So I have Marcus Gleason, Aida Nestor, Elizabeth Martinez, uh, Vincent Hurtado, Esperanza Davalos, Marlon Wofford and Ruth Pineda all joining me on the show. So welcome, everybody to the Warehouse Underground podcast. How's everybody doing today? Good, good. Great, good. Now just let me just ask, like there is no one standing beside you, right looking over your shoulder to make sure that you say the proper thing. You're absolutely right. I see you're okay. You know, it's easy. You guys are here by your own free will. And I'll say that from the outside looking in, it appears to me that there is a lot of good stuff that is going on at nights with supply chains. So I'm hearing a lot of good things online. I've heard a lot of great things from people that I've talked to, I've talked with some customers that are very happy. So whatever you guys are doing there, it seems like it is working well and you are fast moving and shaking in the industry. So let me ask this question first. I'll hand it off to Markus because I was introduced to him first. So what what do you guys what do you like most about working there? I mean, there are many different companies. We've all been in the industry in a while, and there are many good things and bad things at different places. But what in a nutshell, is kind of some of the good things that you like most about with, uh, yeah, for me it's the complexity and the people. Um, there's never a slow day, you know, I feel challenged every single day in my work, and I feel motivated to accomplish the goals that we set out. Um, and then also the people, you know, my peers, you know, the people that work for me, they make it an enjoyable experience. You know, some days, you know, when it when it gets tough, it doesn't feel like I'm at work, you know, it feels like I'm with a friend trying to solve a problem. And, you know, that really helps morale. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Ada, do you agree with that? I mean, most people say in the industry that you never know what you're going to get when you come into work. I mean, some days go normal, some days go crazy. But I mean, is that is that teamwork mentality prevalent throughout all your operation? Because I love that when that's when that's in play. I mean, how do you feel about the teams that you work with there? Oh, um, yes, I agree with Markus, definitely. Um, having a great team, you know, uh, it makes a great difference. Um, for me, I have been with the company for eight months, and, uh, when you, um, join a new company for. I think for me, the scary part would be like how your, um, team will welcome you or how you're going to get adopted. And since day one, you know, since they won, they were very supportive. Um, and, and I have a wonderful team. I am in charge of two warehouses right now, and, um, I trust my team. I can count on my team. And they're willing to go above and beyond for us. Yeah, I love that. So you you said that you've been working there for, what, eight months? Less than eight months? Yes. Eight months. And so do you remember? I mean, was there a specific time that you remember where you felt, oh, man, this is different. I really feel valued here. I really feel that this is different from the different places that I've worked throughout my career. Was there that groundbreaking moment, or was it just something that you began to learn and develop and feel over time? No, I think it was since day one, um, since day one when I started meeting my team. Um, they I remember one of the, um, one of them approached me and say, if you got her back, we got her back. So, uh, yes. So I think since day one, you know, I could feel that, um, I had a great team, and I. I could feel that I was in the right place. Yeah. And I mean, look, the fact that the fact that your leadership values you enough to, like, celebrate that right, to celebrate the cohesiveness and the teamwork that goes throughout the entire organization by, you know, being active on LinkedIn and being on podcasts. I mean that to me. To me, that says something about myself, supply chain, because not every company is willing to do that. Not every company puts themselves out there. A lot of people kind of keep things close hold, but the fact that it's transparent and they're putting it out there is an indication to me that, hey, this is this is the real deal. Like, this just isn't lip service. It's something that they really value. And, and and I appreciate that. Right. So. All right, so Ruth, I see you up there. So you have a dry erase board behind you with tons of of writing on it, like tons of words on it, on it. So I'm sure you're just frantically going through all of your strategy and everything up on that board. But let me ask this question, since we're talking about the words up there, and this is really for anybody, but I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to come to you first. So if you had to describe the culture that you have on your shift with your team, what would be some or what would be three words that you would use to describe the vibe or the energy of the culture on your shift, on your team. Um, like, uh, for me, the more important thing is respectful all the time. Um, no matter what, is your day going, no matter what is the challenge like every day? But the culture for Hayes Swift, I like everybody like, is like everybody is the same. Like, the culture that they have is really, like, possible. Like, ask some question all the time. Um, like, don't don't be scared for nothing. We can teach you how you to do this stuff. And for me, the culture they have is really good and respectful. And then in different areas, to grow, to grow, to learn. Uh, they, they give a lot of opportunities to learn. Um, like I used to, I used to administer, uh, here, like, in different departments. And now they give me promotion, uh, for lead position. So that mean is like, uh, they take a series very, very serious that that what we do every day. So it might be, um. I like a nice word for that. Yeah, I like that. Yeah, I like that. So, um. Marcus. Um, we. If you if you go to the. If you go to the web page. If you go to the website, if you look at nice with supply chain, you see this thing everywhere called we rock. We rock is this, we rock, is this. So can you tell me like, what is rock? First of all. And then I'm a little bit of a hit here. It's core values that you have at your company. But which one is your favorite? Which one is the favorite value out of rock and we rock. And why? Uh, yeah. So, uh, just to go over what it is, uh, it stands for our core values, you know, well-being, exploration, uh, respect. Like Ruth just hit on ownership and quality. Um, and those are those are the core values we kind of live by and operate by within the facility. Uh, my favorite one is, is ownership. I think it's a big piece of what we do. Um, I think here at night, Swift, uh, being a 3PL company, we have to take other people's operations and and operate them as they're our own. Right. And and provide that care and quality that it takes to to meet the customer's needs. So I think that's a big, big piece for me. I got you, I got you. Yeah. I mean, that ownership is so important because, like, you guys know, there's so many different things that can happen. It's just it's non-standard usually during the day, and somebody has to be the one that steps up to say, I'm gonna. I'm gonna own my area. I'm going to do the best in my area, I'm gonna own my shift, or I'm gonna own my team. And the more that people do that, the more the people own their individual areas, the easier it is for everybody, you know, I think so. Um, now let me go ahead also also to hit on that. And I think, you know, when you empower, empower people to take ownership, that also drives up the morale, you know, of the business and it helps people with their development. You know, Ruth was talking about how she was just promoted. I remember when I got hired in in 2023, and she was just a just a clerk and didn't speak to anyone. So, you know, it's it's a beautiful thing to see, you know, beautiful thing to see. That's. Yeah. I think she just got promoted to grow. And it's great when it's real because everybody can look around and like you said, you can name names, you can name names and be like, I saw that this person used to be at this level and now they are here like an actual name, not a myth, right? Not a like an actual person that you can go talk to. So that's that's a real thing. So. All right. So Vincent, what's what's the superpower? This is a difficult question. Uh, so I understand that. But if Knight Swift was a superhero, what superhero would it be? Or an easier question, what would be the superpower that you think Knights with supply chain has as superpowers go? And obviously it's not invisibility because they're they're very visible in what they're doing. So how do you think superpower there. I say teleporting because you you probably go from one place to another and, you know, you're you're all over the place sometimes trying to make everything happen at the warehouse. So I think I'll be one of those. I love that. I love that. I wasn't expecting you to say that, but that that is, uh, that is true. Anybody who works in warehousing, this is like I'm actually teleporting myself around the facility all, all day. So. But what about theme song? And this is really open for anybody. If there was a theme song that you had to have played when you walked into the room, if you're walking into the break room or you're walking into work for that day, what's the theme song? What's your walk up song that would follow you when you when you do that? Um, for me, I'm there for me. Like for me, I think it will be started from the bottom right. So I have been with the company for nine years, and I did start from the bottom as a regular warehouse worker. Um, like my peers mentioned, there's a lot of growth and a lot of opportunity. And I'm. I'm alive. Witness of that. I have I have been growing with the company. Um, it's amazing to be here for nine years and see the company grow from being a family owned company to now a bigger company, opening so many buildings. It is a beautiful thing and it's something that I enjoy. And I always say, I love what I do, and, um, this is why I'm here. Yeah, I mean, that growth is is a big part. I think that's what employees, when they are attractive if they're a good employee. Right. Like if they're ambitious and they want to do good. They want to they want to be at a place where growth is encouraged, where it's expected. Nobody wants to just feel like I'm just here doing a job and no one really, really cares. And so what I mean for for all of you guys, how how when you look back on your career, on your rise there. Is that something that you see as part of it, that the growth really was encouraged? It was here. And how have you grown in in your time there? Both, I guess kind of professionally and and also personally. Yes. Um, so, uh, with me being there for so long, I have seen so many different leadership, uh, come and go. Um, I think having the right leadership in place makes a huge difference. Um, communication also makes a huge difference. Um, and the leadership that we have right now, it's it's the best team. We walk together and we struggle together and we go through it together and we really support each other. That's what makes us different. Ah, I got you, I got you. So back to my original question. So, Esperanza, you are in here. I announced you guys as CVC champions, but can you tell the audience what CVC champion is? What does that mean? That means. That the core value of the core value of domain, like champion of the month and what it is, is, um, how did we how what's the, uh, the what is transformed as we rock? I gotcha. So all these core values that Knights with supply chain has it rolled out, but then they follow up and they say, we award people like we we identify champions to these core values, not just words on a wall, right? Or not just words on a poster. These are actually things that we reward people for. So I think that's a really cool thing because you don't always see that every place. Sometimes you go to places and you see posters on the wall, and then that's where it ends. But it sounds like we rock is is embedded throughout the entire fabric of the operation there. And that's great. So all right, so one last question for all of you guys. If you had to give a message to potential customers or people that are on the fence or deciding whether or not they should work with knights with supply chain, what would you what would you say to them? What would you say to somebody who is considering doing business with you and latching on to the upgrading of their Esperanza, saying that, um, what she will say if future customer is then we as a company or we operation is going to do everything the best that we can to make sure that they walk away happy and satisfied with the customer service that they deserve. Ah, I got you. How about you, Marcus? Ada, how do you guys. How do you guys see that? I mean, both you guys and Elizabeth two. Both. Both of you guys are our salary. I mean, do you see do you see things differently, or what would you tell customers out there who want to work? Uh, so go ahead, go ahead. Okay, so, uh, for me, I think I would tell a customer that, um, you're not just getting, like, a transportation provider. Uh, you're getting you're getting a partner, uh, with a nice weave. Um, we focus on, uh, reliability, communication and getting the job done. Right? And, uh, we take pride in what we, um, uh, when we deliver our commitments, I love it. Yeah, absolutely. And for me, uh, I, I would, I would say, you know, we're we're a customer based company. Uh, who are the immerse ourselves in your operation? Uh, and treat it as it as it is our own. Uh, we stay flexible and responsive to align with your evolving, uh, company business goals, right? Because over time, you know, businesses change. You know, the goals change. Um, and we, we pride ourselves. And I think Vincent hit on this a little bit, you know, with the teleportation, right? Like being able to to be here and there and then back over there. You know, I think that agility is what makes makes us stand out. For me, it will be, um, you're partnering with a team that cares, um, that cares about its people and also about the job. A team that will make sure that everything gets done right with quality and ownership. Yeah. You know, and I think maybe that's a question that more people should be asking and more people should be looking at before you decide to work with somebody is how do they treat their individual people, not necessarily how they're going to hit on SLA and all these things they're going to do. But if if it's not a good culture inside that operation, it's probably a good indication that at some point they're going to fail me as a provider, right, or as a customer. But if something if real people, if their employees and their culture matters to them, I think then that's going to shine through to me as the customer. And I think you guys are, are, are doing a great job at that. Awesome at that. I really appreciate everybody's time and appearing on the podcast. I know it's a short show because you guys are in the middle of a shift and you gotta go back to work, but, um, yeah, I want to say thank you. I appreciate talking with you guys. I love it, and if you ever want to come back and appear on the podcast again, just just let me know. You know, it was a it was an honor to speak with you guys and highlight you. So thank you. Thank you. Absolutely. Thank you. Have a good day. You too. Yeah. Yeah. You got it, guys. So, as the warehouse underground goes. Thank you again. Nights with supply chain. doing some incredible stuff in the industry. A mover and shaker and and now, uh, really separate, beginning to separate themselves from the pack. So I was honored to have them on the show. As the as the warehouse underground goes, please sign up for the community. If we have over 300 people that have signed up for the community. So inside the community we have message boards. We have done some live shows in there, some networking, all free right now, a lot of resources and a lot of good things to look at in there. So go check out the community for yourself and see what you think. At the warehouse underground comm. Check out the Tiger Team show. There's another spinoff podcast that I do with my co-host Jordan. She is very funny and very witty, and that show is all about things that are going on in warehouses, DCS and FCS. However, it has a little bit of a sarcastic, witty, gritty humor to it. So if you guys are inclined to check out something like that, I think you will enjoy it as this podcast goes. Thank you again. Night Swift Supply Chain I will see you guys next week for episode number 40. God bless.
