Name: Ronee Nicholson
Job title: Route Planner
Company name: Ningbo London Ltd
Time with current company: 3.5 years
Time in current role: 3 months
Tell us a little about your career journey and what made you choose to work in logistics:
I got a forklift license and took an apprenticeship with Canute working in the warehouse on nights. It was my first ever job and I loved the people I worked with and really enjoyed the work. I always felt very supported in the role, particularly as I was the only woman in the warehouse.
I moved to Ningbo as a traffic clerk just over three years ago and nine years on in the industry I am now a planner.
What does an average day at work look like for you?
My average day involves a pretty early start. I get into the office and plan the delivery and collection runs and greet the drivers as they arrive. I print the manifests and loading sheets, run pallet checks, deal with any load queries and, later in the day, I complete the second runs for the drivers.
I also deal with queries from customers, drivers and depots.
Which departments do you work closely with?
I work closely with the warehouse as they are they ones that will advise if there are any issues with freight that needs dealing with. I also work closely with the drivers and all colleagues in the office.
What are the challenges of your role?
Achieving our timed delivery bookings is the biggest one for me – ensuring I have planned correctly to enable our drivers to deliver at the time the customer has requested.
Additionally, the role requires a lot of multi-tasking, particularly when there are a number of jobs that all need completing at the same time.
What do you like / enjoy about your role?
I feel like my role is more of a career now rather than just a job. I enjoy working alongside the drivers and learning new skills – which has enabled me to progress from traffic clerk to planner.
Has anything surprised you or other people about your role?
How supportive everyone has been and how we all help each other.
What are your future career plans?
I enjoy my current role and I am quite happy continuing in it and seeing where I end up. I would like to progress within the transport industry in the future and I am looking forward to embracing my next career challenge.
What would you say to someone that is considering starting a career in the logistics industry?
Going by my experience I would say go for it. I enjoy working in transport and would tell anyone considering it to give it a go.