TransCorr is Growing, Which Means Kraker U is Busy

For the last two months, TransCorr National Logistics has really been growing! We are aggressively hiring in many U.S. markets. We have hired the first wave of new people for our new offices in Traverse City, Michigan, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Cincinnati, Ohio.  They have brought on new customers and a lot of truckload and LTL freight. Before hitting the ground running, the new members of the team needed to learn how to talk the talk and walk the walk. Every TNL employee starts their career in Kraker U.

New hires meet Jeremy Kraker (aka Kraker) long before they hit the Operations floor for the first time. He is the first person a prospective employee interacts with when considering a career with TNL. Applications come in from different avenues. Sometimes job openings are posted on Monster.com or www.mlive.com, but applications are always accepted via our brand new website.

After an application is received and passes muster, Kraker will call the applicant and conduct a short phone interview. If the meet and greet goes well, the prospect will be invited into the office for an interview with other members of the TNL management team. This is a very unique experience. Management believes in creating a high energy work environment. Upon entering the TNL offices, visitors are greeted by controlled chaos. Phones ring off the hook while Ops personnel yell back and forth across the room over pounding rock music. The air is charged and the atmosphere is electric. After the interview is complete, the prospect sits with a board leader and gets the lay of the land. The board leader listens as a couple of outgoing phone calls are made to see how the prospect interacts with people on the phone. If chosen after further interviews, the applicant will get a job offer and a date to start their first day in Kraker U.

Kraker U is headed up by Jeremy Kraker and his cohort Steve “Mac” McPharlin, together an ever impressive powerhouse of trucking logistics knowledge. I know this because I am a proud 2010 graduate who boasts 5 load bookings in one day during training (not a record). The first week of training consists of paperwork, classroom training, and then a slow roll into the world of third party logistics.

Kraker is not only known for his trucking knowledge and in-depth understanding of our massive computer system, but for his ability to break down their complexities and make them understandable. It is very important for new people to have a strong foundation so that they can grow. Part of that foundation is having Kraker as a mentor. He is a constant in these people’s lives from the beginning of their journey until they are placed in a permanent division. He is the person they can go to with questions or concerns, who will always listen with an open mind and give the best feedback for success.

Mac has been at TNL since 2007. He started out as the only operations person in a new division created by TNL. He performed all of the customer service tasks, such as scheduling and load building. He also handled all facets of truckload and intermodal shipments. Later, TNL merged all of their divisions and Mac has been the Illinois board leader ever since. Mac and Kraker are a good mix of personalities for new hires to encounter. Kraker brings his vast experience in operations and training and mixes it with Mac’s daily experience in the trenches, which makes for a well rounded learning environment.

Mac equates teaching someone third party logistics to taking them on their first roller coaster ride. “(For new hires), initially it exciting to get hired, then because of all of the forms and paperwork that needs to be filled out, it becomes intimidating, then they are terrified from the information overload during week one, and finally it becomes thrilling when they hit the Operations floor for the first time. At the end they are ready to do it all over again!”

“Training will make your head spin, but by the end of the week it will all make sense,” says Kraker. Our newest batch of employees tend to agree. Laurel said that her group was, “encouraged throughout the process to take it one step at a time and see how it all comes together.” Shae was impressed with the organization of the training, the PowerPoint presentation, and the detailed manual. Jack, who has been involved in numerous trainings throughout his career, felt that his training at Kraker U was the most compelling training he had ever been through. And Phil, who has an extensive background in transportation sales, called the process a “first class operation”. These professionals are now staffing our new Traverse City, Michigan office. TNL is proud of their training unit and how it prepares its employees to take on the transportation world.

If you want a career, not just a job, check us out. You will not be disappointed. TransCorr National Logistics is always hiring. We will never pass up good talent and we are opening new sales offices in the Midwest and the south. Be part of a team that crushes it every day!