Brad Steffen - Freight Management | Non-Asset Based Shipping Broker

Brad Steffen

Being a part of the transportation industry has been a part of my career path since my first job at age fourteen as a paperboy…although I had no idea at the time! That job taught me the importance of customer service early on in life…was your Sunday morning paper ever late? You learn quickly that first time you are late, even though you may have to trudge thru a foot of snow, no one likes excuses.

Eventually I grew up and was lucky enough to get a job at my Uncle’s manufacturing company in Dubuque where I learned the importance of attention to detail when manufacturing a product. One mistake can lead to damaged product, lost sales, disappointed customers and even stitches at times. This atmosphere was a great start to learning about teamwork.

After graduating high school, I went to the best college in the state – Iowa State University. It was at college where I got a long standing job driving a truck and moving furniture across the state of Iowa to fund my college education. I continued to learn the importance of protecting a product from damage and getting it to the end destination damage free and on time. Think of Mrs. Smith’s ornamental end table not making it to the new house in one piece.

After finally making it thru college, I was able to land a job at a reputable flatbed carrier in Iowa where I again was able to learn even more about the importance of a driver in the Supply Chain and the importance of great customer service. Drivers are a very important part of the team of people that get freight delivered every day. Everyone in our industry needs to better understand that piece of the puzzle and strive to improve their interaction with our drivers. I spent five years learning about customer service, driver dispatch and dedicated services here and it was an invaluable experience.

From there I leapt into a startup company in the 3rd party provider segment. I spent twelve years helping build the company from scratch. This experience helped me learn many more aspects of a business from start to finish. I was also able to learn more about the Supply Chain and how important it is for all suppliers to work together to become more efficient.

All of these experiences have helped in my decision to partner with these three fine gentlemen in starting up a new company in the 3rd party freight management sector. Each one of them brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and more opportunities for me to learn more about this industry. In my 20+ years in freight management, the most important thing I have learned so far is that you never stop learning. The most rewarding part of the job is taking time every day to listen to our customers. Each and every one of them is a wealth of knowledge that just helps me become better-rounded as an individual and as a business person. We look forward to learning more about your company!

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