My career in logistics started by accident, but I stayed because I found it to be one of the most rewarding industries to work in.
What makes someone start a career in logistics? is a popular question for anyone that happens to meet someone working in the industry. That’s because it’s sometimes a forgotten industry. An unknown one. What even is logistics? And it’s also perhaps not the first thing that pops into a person’s mind at school when they’re tasked with thinking about their career…
This was exactly the case for Tracy Morrison – Head of Client Services at Carousel Logistics, part of DANX Carousel group – but after landing in the industry as a bit of a coincidence, she ended up staying for 28 years – and is still going strong. Tracy has now been with Carousel for a whopping 17 years.
But why is a career in logistics so rewarding?
Building long-standing relationships in a dynamic environment
Working in logistics isn’t just about moving things from one place to another. It’s about becoming part of a huge supply chain that ultimately, has great significance to a business, and of course, the end customer. So, working in logistics has meant Tracy has built some great relationships with clients and partners:
“The ability to build and maintain relationships has been really important to me. The same goes for understanding the client, and knowing what the consequence of failure is so you can be proactive when unexpected challenges arise – which is often the case in logistics. Knowing what we need to do for the client to make things right, as quickly as possible, is central and that often comes from building strong relationships. With these relationships you really get to experience how important your job is to so many people.”
An evolving role
As Head of Client Services, Tracy is responsible for Carousel’s Client Services Team Managers as well as a further 20 people who report to them which include all Administrative Supporters. However, before she took-up the role of Head of Client Services in 2020, Tracy had a variety of roles in the industry:
“Once, when I was working on a production line for smoke detectors, there was a job opening for a Shipping Clerk which I applied for and got. That started my career into logistics. When I came to Carousel in 2005, I started out as a Client Services Manager, and I’ve had many different roles and titles during my time here which all focus on Client Services. I’ve observed so much change over the decades and that’s meant there has been so much room for personal growth too. Today, as Head of Client Services, my role is to make sure that my team and managers have the tools, training, and equipment to support our client base and people internally.”
Anecdotes from a long career
A long career like Tracy’s means there are also lots of notable anecdotes; just a few are shared here, but they are testament to the fact that the logistics industry can offer unexpected challenges and opportunities too. Her career has also included a four-month stay in Loughborough to work closely with a client and she was even responsible for moving a sketch by one of the most famous artists in the world, Vincent van Gogh!
“When I was working for a fine art and antique shipping company, I was sent to the Netherlands to collect a Van Gogh sketch. At the time, it was worth £400,000, and I was sent there by myself to collect it from the museum, get on a plane with it and fly back to Heathrow. It was so scary, but the task also had a high level of trust connected to it, which was really rewarding. And luckily, everything went well!”
Why choose a career in logistics?
When we asked Tracy why someone should embark on a career into logistics, she was very clear:
“If you want a career where you can challenge yourself and get the chance to continuously develop, you should pursue a career in logistics.
“No two days are ever the same – although there is a structure behind the role there can be many different scenarios to deal with. This makes the job exciting, and there are always many things to learn. There are different methods of shipment, which also gives variety about how you solve each task, and you get great opportunities to develop within an industry that is actually very rewarding.”
Why Carousel?
racy has spent 17 of her 28 years working at Carousel. A natural question therefore would be why she has stayed with the same company for so long. According to her, this has everything to do with the company’s distinct culture and the people she gets to work with:
“I’ve always liked the environment at Carousel and the people I get to work with is fantastic. From the beginning, Carousel has been a very family-oriented company and even as we’ve grown, I believe that it’s still the same. It doesn’t matter what level you are on; people will always make sure you’re okay. And I think that has a lot to do with the type of talent we hire.”
