Podcast: A Supply Chain Journey with Rob Haddock

Supply chain management is a huge part of a logistics and transportation professional’s life. It can be an incredibly dynamic process for shippers, with last-minute changes frequently occurring. So, how do they handle it?

In this episode, Rob Haddock, Transportation Consultant for Albedo Logistics, sits down with host and Truckstop Chief Relationship Officer, Brent Hutto, to discuss his experience in supply chain management.

Mastering Business from the Ground Up

Like most people who thrive in supply chain and logistics careers, Rob never envisioned himself moving through the ranks in supply chain logistics. In fact, he went to school for business management and economics at a time when supply chain logistics wasn’t even a discipline of study yet.

But he took a low level job at a small Coca-Cola manufacturing plant during college to make extra spending money and quickly found himself immersed in the industry. He was learning skills that make the whole system work, from the bottom up, setting up his foundational understanding of the supply chain.

Following graduation, he took a job on the production lines. He did everything from backend labor to product blending, interfacing with team members at every level along the way. He quickly learned the importance of creating a dynamic production schedule, being able to support those plans, and the ability to be nimble.

For about a decade, he worked in warehouse operations, overseeing a small fleet and managing outbound drivers, coordinating back calls, maintenance, and ensuring continuous movement. Handling inbound and outbound shipments, inventory management, and production scheduling on pen and paper.

However, as technology evolved, he helped implement enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, integrating production schedules, material requirements, and orders. The progression from basic methods to sophisticated systems over five and ten-year spans marked a significant advancement. The journey provided invaluable learning experiences and the ability to connect the dots to help everyone in the supply chain run more efficiently.

Don’t Neglect Drivers

Throughout his career as a shipper, one thing has consistently rung true for Rob — drivers are an integral part of logistics. Drivers are crucial to a product’s journey as they ultimately get it from a shipper’s warehouse to the customer. They work tirelessly to meet demands, and just need to be met with respect and efficiency when they are at a shipper’s warehouse.

“I think all the places where you check in and check out at a shipper receiver should be welcome centers. Because, you know, really. You’re welcoming a guest into your facility. Not that you want them to spend the night, but you want them to be there for an hour or two, get on their way. So we can be more efficient as a transportation industry in the long run.”

He sees changes such as this as crucial to increasing efficiency across the whole transportation industry in the long run, as a positive experience for drivers will create a knock-on effect.

“But my belief is that if you’re a shipper of choice, your behaviors are twofold. One, you’re sensitive to the driver’s time and you’re treating them with respect when they’re at your facility. And then two, you’re a good business partner with your carrier management teams, and you have a good understanding of what the market is and what a carrier partner needs to stay a viable business entity.”

To learn more about how the impacts of supply chain management, tune into this episode of Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.