Jenny joined TJ in 2018 and loves the fact that every day in the job is different. When she has some time off work, she enjoys visiting friends in France!
I manage the scheduling of loads for 60-100 trucks per day, which certainly keeps me busy! My core responsibilities include routing the trucks and liaising with our drivers to ensure they have the correct information to enable them to carry out their deliveries and to help resolve any issues that arise over the course of the day. My secondary duties include dealing with customers and answering queries, providing quotes, taking orders and dealing with day-to-day operational challenges.
I was born into the transport industry and have been around trucks my entire life. I started my career in the removal industry, where I later funded my own Transport Management CPC training, before moving into specialised haulage planning for the movement of plant and abnormal loads.
My next role was as shift manager for a breakdown and recovery company, where I was responsible for coordinating vehicles from as far west as Dorchester to as far east as Chichester and as far north as Amesbury. Our main customers were Hampshire Police, the RAC, AA, Green Flag, Britannia Rescue and other large breakdown organisations. Alongside this, I launched the business with a car and van rental franchise, which was extremely successful.
Next I moved to a role where I managed car transporters, which involved moving salvage and accident-damaged vehicles to body shops for repair. I then spent two years working in a supply chain role, but I found the slower pace dull as I was used to a more dynamic way of working and this was when I applied for TJ and I’ve never looked back!
Since joining TJ I’ve completed an HR course and a two-day Mental Health First Aid course, both at PETA Training in Portsmouth. I completed the HR course first and then asked to go on the mental health course afterwards as I could see it would enable me to potentially help any fellow staff that were having a crisis. The stigma of mental illness needs to be broken down and people need to know that they can ask for help, the same way you would for a physical condition, and I’m keen to help in any way I can.
Every day is different! Planning large numbers of vehicles/drivers to deliver at the correct time to numerous different sites is like completing a 2000-piece jigsaw on a daily basis – very challenging but very enjoyable, especially once complete!
It can sometimes be an uphill battle to be recognised for my experience and skill set. When I first started, one driver asked to speak to “one of the lads” because he wished to speak about his driving hours and he didn’t think I’d be able to assist him. I will add that once people get to know me they don’t tend to question me, as they soon realise that I know my stuff! I’ve also experienced some of the most amazing positive reinforcement from male colleagues too.
I was the first female planner employed by TJ Transport and I feel that is quite an achievement in itself! To then be promoted to Team Leader as well shows the shift in mindset from what was historically a male dominated industry. It has been great to see that there are now a number of other females in what were once considered “male roles”.
The people are fantastic! Everyone pulls together as a team and there’s always a really friendly atmosphere, which is great.
Meet some of our other team members or find out more about TJ Transport’s services!
Here we talk to Woodhorn’s Commercial Director, Mike Jupp, about the partnership that has grown between TJ and Woodhorn over the years. TJ began working with Woodhorn around 11 years ago, after Mike got in touch with TJ’s Commercial Director, Steve Grant, who he knew from many years ago.
Gravel is versatile, durable and affordable making it a popular choice in various industries including construction, groundworks, utilities and landscaping. Gravel is available in a range of different sizes and we can source the size you want in the quantities you need, quickly and efficiently.
At Butser Quarry, our products and services are tailored to serving the construction industry and beyond. We’ve built up many strong partnerships over the years and since acquiring the quarry, we’ve been pleased to supply our own aggregates to these valued customers.
Change your stored postcode to update prices for your location.