Why did you choose to work at Magnum?

I had heard wonderful things about the company and was looking for a change. I like that it is family- and veteran-owned, I come from a military family. My dad, my stepdad and my husband were all military. I have had such array of different jobs, and this was one more thing to get to learn. It is something that is never going to go away – there will always be trucks on the road. If I am going to learn something new, I am taking that job. 

Can you tell us a bit about the day-to-day of your job?

I have eight or nine different customers. The first thing I do is find whatever loads we have available for the day, then ask the account managers to make sure they want those loads. If they do, it is my job to accept those loads. Then, I bill the customers and schedule all the appointments for pickups and deliveries I have for all the loads that day. 

I make sure that we are getting the appointments right. When I first started, I had a really tough time understanding that. I also make sure that all the loads get accepted and scheduled, pay detentions if they are held up at the shipper or the receiver for more than two hours. If there is an OSND (Overage, Shortage, and Damaged), I make sure that they get reported right away. 

Taking care of all the scheduling for the customers I have for the drivers. Their drivers. 

What’s the best part of your job?

The people I work with! We can all work together and help each other. You don’t have to be afraid to ask for help.  

It’s nice to know that you can go to anybody on this team, and they are willing to help. If they don’t know how to help, they know who to direct me to.  

Throughout the office in general, everyone is super nice and respectful of each other. I like that. We’re all in here for the same reason. From start to finish – from customer specialists to driver managers to dispatch – we’re all doing the same thing for the same driver with the same load. 

What is the hardest part about your job?

Dealing with customers when it comes to late drivers or a driver who did not make it. I know that they know what the industry is like, and I know they understand a late driver here and there. I just hate telling any customer, “We’re not going to make it on time.” Rescheduling is the hardest part for me. 

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your role?

Appreciate what you do not know you are going to learn because this is a great company. There is not a lot of places where you will get treated as well as you do here. Some places treat you as a number, but here at Magnum, you are valued. They appreciate you coming to work every day. They like seeing you, they stop in to chat with you and always say “hi” in the hallway. Give Magnum a chance right out of the gate because it is going to pay out for you.  

As far as advice for someone in my role, I would say read your emails thoroughly and understand them. Paying attention to detail is key. Read your email completely through to see what your customer wants and needs before throwing up your hands and saying, “I can’t do it.” What exactly do they want? Pay attention to detail.

What is something you’re proud of about your career?

I am proud that I have learned as much as I have in the short time that I have been here. My ultimate goal is to learn something new every day, especially in this business. There is always something to learn. Even if it does not pertain to exactly what I am doing, if somewhere down the road I might need it, I still want to know how to do it. 

What is something people might not know about you?

I love to hunt, and I am good at it too. I hunt big game – elk, antelope, deer.