Why This Sales Director Left a Traditional Brokerage to Join Transfix

Transfix prides itself on the industry experts that make up our team and deliver simple, smart, and sustainable solutions for our shippers and carriers. In this interview series, we highlight different individuals and their experience in the industry, and why they believe Transfix is reimagining freight. 

Below Carly Gunby, Enterprise Sales Director, discusses her experience and insights from working in traditional brokerages, where she thinks the industry is going, and why she decided to join Transfix, a digital freight brokerage.

1. What was your previous job before joining Transfix? What were your responsibilities? 

I was a sales manager for the truck brokerage department of a $2 billion family-owned Jacksonville based logistics solutions company that offered services in full supply chain logistics, offshore services, maritime solutions, and global ship management. There I led a team that helped our customers solve their supply chain problems. More specifically we looked for ways to make their freight operations more efficient. I was also responsible for figuring out how I could help support my customers’ growth. 

2. Why did you decide to make the change from your previous job to Transfix?

It was a combination of three things. The first was that digitizing the freight industry was becoming a more popular topic. Anytime I’d go over to JOC or Freightwaves to check up on the industry, all the buzz was around digital brokers and how to use technology to bring transportation into the 21st century. It became clear that the freight industry was heading in this new direction. 

The second was Transfix had a clear vision of how they were using technology to make freight more efficient. When I initially met with Transfix’s CRO and one of our Account Executives, I asked them how they were using data to create more efficiencies in the freight industry. They talked about how Transfix leveraged data to:

• Provide a high-level view of carrier performance, 
• Identify friction and long wait times at facilities and provide recommendations on how to make facilities more streamlined, 
• Better match carriers with shippers based on both of their preferences.

Transfix was offering all of the solutions that my customers were begging me for and I wasn’t able to provide them. 

The third was the importance Transfix placed on people. I was impressed that Transfix brought many industry experts into the company to help revolutionize freight. We know that it takes a combination of technology and humans in the loop to provide exceptional service to our customers. 

After learning more about Transfix and the big vision we were working towards, I knew I wanted to join this leader in the space. 

3. What are some of the differences between traditional brokerages and Transfix operationally?

The main differences are how we use our internal technology to match shippers with our high-quality carrier network and our emphasis on carrier development. 

At traditional brokers, the matchmaking process to connect shippers’ freight with carriers often happens manually. This process can take a lot of time operationally, especially if carriers fall-off from a load and you have to rush to find a new carrier. At Transfix, our internal technology automatically matches shippers to carriers based on their key performance requirements as well as our carriers’ preferences. And if a carrier falls off, we have a dedicated support team who proactively manage exceptions, keep shippers up-to-date on the status of their shipment, and help answer any questions they may have. 

The use of technology also automates a lot of the manual, repetitive tasks, giving us time back to partner with our shippers on a more strategic level for long-term growth. We’re constantly looking for ways to make supply chain operations more efficient for our shippers.  

Carrier development is also top priority at Transfix. We work closely with our carriers to secure capacity and guarantee the rates we provide our shippers. This focus is especially helpful when I can go to a client and talk about our live and drop capabilities. Not only can I provide shippers a competitive rate for the year, but I also know that my team has sourced reliable capacity and commitment from our carriers to ultimately deliver high service. 

4. Having worked at two different brokerages, where do you think this industry is going? 

Overall, the industry is seeing the benefits of using brokerages. Reality is, most carriers are small businesses with 90% of carriers having less than 6 trucks; shippers don’t have the time to vet through thousands of carriers. Brokers become helpful in that they have relationships with carriers as well as industry expertise. 

However, traditional brokers rarely provide any sort of value-add services to shippers to make their supply chain more efficient. It’s also difficult to assess the quality of carriers and whether brokers can provide enough capacity for shippers’ freight. Companies that address these issues are the future of transportation. 

That’s where I believe Transfix really sets itself apart. We have the technology to automate manual processes, provide data insights, and help shippers save costs and optimize their supply chain. We also have rigorous compliance requirements to vet our carriers, we’re constantly monitoring their performance to provide the best carrier network to our shippers, and we can provide flexible and reliable capacity for our shippers as markets become volatile. 

5. How is Transfix helping its shippers become more technology-forward?

We’re taking on an educational role for our shippers. Transportation is an age old industry that hasn’t seen a lot of innovation until now. Companies are still doing things “the old way” such as using emails, phone calls and fax to move their freight. 

We’re helping our customers become more forward-thinking with their supply chain by driving technology adoption in their logistics departments and showing them how the data we provide can help them reduce costs and save time. We’re also raising shipper expectations for what they look for in a supply chain partner. 

Today, it’s not enough to simply move a truck from point A to point B. We’re showing our customers that companies like us should be thoughtful, strategic partners to help them grow, should provide best-in-class service and communication, and should provide value-add services like actionable data to improve their supply chain. By capitalizing on the trust we hold with our customers, we can move them forward into the new, technology-forward era of transportation. 

6. What is your favorite part about working at Transfix?

The people. We have an incredibly diverse team. Everyone is unbelievably kind, insanely smart, actively looking to tackle the next challenge, and always open to collaborate cross functionally. For example, if our sales team comes to our operations team with a problem, there’s no defensiveness. We all work together and strategize on creating the best solution for our customers. 

The people here make coming to work fun, and I’m constantly learning from colleagues who come from both in and out of the transportation industry. It’s a breath of fresh air to be around people that push you to be your best and challenge the status quo of our industry.