Posts

Mary Bruce Logistics Manager

Mary Bruce Joins JetCo Federal as Logistics Manager

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH (December 17, 2021) JetCo Federal, a Grand Rapids-based supply chain management and logistics company, welcomed a new team member this month.

Mary Bruce

Mary Bruce

Mary Bruce joins the JetCo Federal team as a Logistics Manager. In this role, she coordinates logistics for deliveries, manages broker relationships, and supports our quality management systems.

Mary brings with her over 20 years of management, logistics, and freight brokerage experience. In her most recent position, Mary was a broker for a nationally recognized truckload carrier. She is a Certified Transportation Broker (CTB) and has held several positions in logistics and operations management.

To learn more about the JetCo Federal team, please visit our leadership page.

Semi trucks in loading dock

Behind the Scenes: Logistics

Want to learn more about how our team thinks and operates? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Welcome to the first edition of our “Behind the Scenes” blog post series. Today, we’ll be talking to Adam Lewak, Operations Manager at JetCo Federal, and will be diving into the details of how our logistics team operates.

Adam Lewak, Operations Manager at JetCo Federal

Vanessa: Can you tell me a little bit about what you do in your role at JetCo Federal?

  • Adam: As the Operations Manager, I monitor all orders in production and consolidate the shipments that go to the same area. Once I have a shipment consolidated and built, I generate government-specific labels, provide the required paperwork, and source a carrier to haul the shipment. Sourcing a carrier requires daily spot negotiations. Once a carrier is secured, I schedule and monitor the shipment, making sure it is picked up and delivered on time.

Vanessa: We often talk about our team tackling complex projects daily and how we don’t shy away from a challenge. Can you talk a little bit more about the approach the logistics team takes to their work?

  • Adam: Our team keeps a daily watch on production and due dates. If there are multiple orders to one area, we typically wait to ship and consolidate those to ride together on the same truck. We utilize as much trailer space as possible, thus lowering freight costs. If due dates do not allow us to wait on production, we make sure to ship via the most effective cost option available. Our team performs in-transit check calls to verify that everything is going smoothly, and our team is always ready to jump into problem-solving mode as soon as we know of any issue.

Vanessa: There is a lot of planning, coordination, and attention to detail to make logistics run smoothly. Part of our logistics team’s role is to ensure our shipments won’t be rejected. Can you talk a little bit about why shipments are rejected, and about what happens when an order is rejected?

  • Adam: Shipments are typically rejected when the primary carrier does not have capacity. This means that the primary carrier does not have any drivers available at that specific date and time, or that there has been a change in national rates and the carrier can get a better pay moving different freight out of the same area. When an order is rejected by the primary first, then it is tendered to the secondary. If the secondary rejects the order, it is offered to the backup carriers on the lane. If it is still rejected, then it will typically end up on a spot market board where approved carriers and brokers can then bid on the shipment. The spot market’s lowest bid wins the shipment.

Vanessa: Another integral part of ensuring our products are delivered on time, every time is the carriers we use. Can you go in-depth on the strict requirements we have for our carriers?

  • Adam: Most of the freight JetCo Federal moves is delivered to U.S. military bases.  For a driver to get onto a base to deliver, he must be a U.S. Citizen carrying a Real ID – a driver’s license with a star in the top right corner, signifying it is accepted as a federal form of identification. The driver must also have a clean background with no criminal history or warrants, a clean driving record, and must have strong attention to detail as delivering to U.S. military bases can have complicated paperwork. Most military bases perform a background check upon arrival, and all of these requirements are in place due to national security.

Since our inception, government agencies have relied on JetCo Federal for the distribution of critically timed, urgent product.  To learn more about JetCo Federal’s logistics services, please visit our logistics and warehousing page.

Loading Dock Doors

Balancing Risk

In the freight markets, ‘expect the unexpected’ has always been sound advice, and especially so over the last few years. From driver shortages and skyrocketing rates to trucking companies constantly looking for freight, unpredictability has become the norm. As an experienced shipper, it’s my job to balance these risks while still delivering products on time, every time. To achieve that level of performance, we have three goals for every shipment: a trustworthy and transparent relationship with our clients and carrier partners; an intentional outlook to confront challenges with creativity; and the enforcement of strict standards for our carriers.

Trustworthy and Transparent Relationships.

JetCo Federal books trucks direct and uses experienced freight brokers when necessary. Because of market overcapacity, trucking companies are constantly looking for freight. This can make it a tough environment for brokers and carriers who are trying to maintain high levels of service at competitive rates. JetCo Federal does business with brokers and carriers that we trust, and have developed both transparent relationships and lines of communication with. This ensures better overall resiliency in our supply chain.

An Innovative Team.

Our team is mighty. Many companies see complexity as a risk, but we have a different approach. We embrace challenges and want to win every, single day. Whether it’s a demanding contract or thorny sourcing problem, our team delivers on time, every time. We apply this same mindset to our logistics operations.

Strict Standards for Carriers.

Fulfilling government orders requires strict government access standards within our transportation department. Agencies such as the Department of Defense have complex rules and regulations when it comes to receiving products from federal government contractors.

Our logistics team takes on these complex requirements, and we have strict standards for our carriers. Carriers play a critical role in these high-security deliveries, and in order to work with us, they must have:

  • U.S. citizenship;
  • No criminal history;
  • A clean driving record;
  • And strong attention to detail as paperwork can be complicated.

Meeting these goals for every shipment allows us to manage risk and create competitive advantages for our customers with on time deliveries, even in unpredictable environments. Our team is dedicated, mighty, and is ready to help your business succeed.

Track starting Line

Embracing the Challenge

You might have heard it before: selling to the government can be complex. It takes time, dedication, patience, and persistence. You can know how to navigate the industry, but selling to the government also requires embracing the challenges that come your way.

That’s why at JetCo Federal, we ask the question, “How hard can it be?” Why What We Do Matters: Re-Winning Every DayAs a company that focuses on solving complex warehouse sourcing challenges, our team is always prepared and welcomes complex delivery requirements. From transparent communication with multiple manufacturers to our in-house logisticians conducting detailed load planning, we’re ready to embrace your sourcing challenge.

But, why do we do it? Many companies would look at a complex sourcing problem and walk away. But not us. So, why? It comes down to two simple points:

1. Challenge drives us.

We can do simple sourcing, but it’s the nitty-gritty and the tough problems that make our team intrigued. Our team is intense, innovative, and doesn’t back down from a problem. We dive deep, take the “challenge accepted” approach, and find the solution every time. For example, one of our contracts requires us to deliver 110 different line items to 86 locations across the county with no predictability in the ordering cycle, and at a 5 unit minimum. We’re killing it and impressing the client with every interaction.

2. We want to win, every single day.

Whether it’s winning a large contract with the government or solving a simple sourcing problem, we want to win, consistently. Our team wants to win, and we want our federal agency clients to win.

So, if you have a complex sourcing challenge, give us a call. We’ll embrace your challenge and won’t back down. We promise.