First and foremost, I want to thank and praise the generosity of all of those involved in making this internship experience possible. I would like to thank Wabash College for putting me in a position to learn and grow this summer, as well as the Small Business Internship Fund for funding my endeavors this summer. This past month at CTS has been one of the most transforming experiences that I have ever been a part as I have progressed in ways that I had never thought possible. From the first day, my fellow interns and I were “thrown into the fire”, as we were placed on the phones communicating with unique and differing people from all around the country moving produce and brokering freight. This was a world that I was completely naive to and after this experience, I have become completely immersed within logistics. My boss, Erik, has instilled a newfound confidence in myself when I communicate with others, as well as, taught me new and effective ways to go about problem solving in a department that I am not familiar with. These skills are directly applicable to struggles I have, and will continue to face in the real world each and every day, and I see myself becoming a well-rounded individual from this opportunity as a whole.
Participating within a successful business has also shed light on the importance of communication within today’s society. Commodity Transportation Services is a business that has been built and grown around hard work and communication, and the attitude of the employees has rubbed off on me, changing me for the better. Working in the logistics business is high pressure and is a very intricate profession due to the several moving parts and factors that have a major effect on a simple task being completed. I have learned to become more organized while handling multiple projects at a time, while finding a more efficient way to get things done in a timely manner. The multitude of skills that I have been able to gather in my short time here has been insurmountable, and will be easily transferable into many aspects of my life.
Currently, I have progressed into booking and handling my own loads of freight moving throughout the country, similar to full-time employees. This has put me in a position where I have to be extremely responsible, and I have learned to be tactful in my approach to problems that constantly arise. As my final weeks at CTS approaches, I hope to become even more confident and comfortable with working with others in this ever-changing business. Though challenging, I have been able to learn so many things from my time at CTS and will continue to progress. With this being said, I cannot be more grateful to Wabash College, Erik Ness, and the SBIF for this experience.
