Meet JoAnne Bicker With Jersey Girl Logistics, LLC
TIA loves to celebrate our diverse membership. Meet new TIA member JoAnne Bricker, owner of Jersey Girl Logistics, LLC in Mantua, N.J.
How did you get involved in the industry? How many years have you been working in the industry?
I first found my love for trucking at a local petroleum carrier. I was a young mother, with an infant waiting tables and was looking for an office job is what I told myself. I answered an ad in the paper for general office help. My first day seemed like a fairly normal office environment, until the stock market closed. The phones went CRAZY, all the lights lit up on the phones, we were grabbing the calls as quickly as we could. People calling for pricing, others calling to schedule deliveries, and everyone was moving so quickly. I fell so deeply in love, I found a job that could keep up with my energy level! From there I’d ask everyday, “What next?”. After six years I had worked for all 12 of their companies in one way or another, trained every employee they hired and consistently worked on increasing my value. I’ve been in the industry for 21 years now and still loving every moment.
Who has inspired your career?
I would say I started my career out of necessity, but quickly became passionate about it and wanted to be the best there was. I strived to be someone my children could look at and be inspired by so I’d say they will be my forever inspiration for always wanting to be a better person. Although, in 2014 I returned to a previous position after taking some time off and was lucky enough to work with Joey Walker. I didn’t work with Joey my previous years there because he was an affiliate owner. When I came back he was in a very similar role as I was but he was an independent contractor. I would hear his grandkids in the background at the pool when we would talk. I’d say, “Joey, when are you going to retire so I can do your job?” and his response would always be, “Kid, you can do this, you just have to do it.” Several years of this conversation and I finally started reaching out to other affiliate owners to secure a remote position back hauling trucks. I was the first person at a large carrier to be a remote female employee, specifically hired to back haul liquid bulk trucks. So Joey was right, I did do it, and I think of him every time it’s time to push myself to leap.
What has been the greatest challenge/opportunity in your career?
The greatest opportunity and challenge has been opening my own brokerage. Being that I specialize in liquid and dry bulk hazmat, there are a lot of pieces to everything we do. I am very passionate about doing things with precision and in line with the methods I’ve used over the years as a safety conscious person. I take a lot of pride in what we do, and when you take your responsibilities seriously I think that in of itself adds a level of challenges outside of checking the boxes. I truly want to make a difference for the smaller- to medium-sized carriers out there that need help filling in the gaps of their drivers 70 hour clocks. I also want to provide my shippers with carriers they can rely on, that treat drivers well. Having drivers that feel valued is a major key to servicing your customers. I feel like when you figure that part out, you’ve figured out the key to trucking. I am so fortunate for my network and knowing so many with integrity that I get so much pride and joy out of making the connections. It’s a dream come true for sure!
What advice would you give to others who want to start working in the industry?
Start from the ground up. A solid foundation is a huge key to building your career or business. Put processes in place for everything you do and follow your processes. Spend more time listening and asking customers, “How do you see me benefiting your team most?”.
Why is it important for you to be a member of TIA?
It’s important to me for all of the resources they offer, the in-person engagement opportunities, as well as the advocacy groups and support. I’m really thrilled to be a TIA member, it’s been a great experience! I am enrolled in their Certified Transportation Broker (CTB) course and really enjoying it. After 20+ years on the carrier side it’s been beneficial to look at things from a broker perspective. I enjoy the engagement opportunities and hope to take advantage of attending an in-person event soon! The weekly lunch and learn webinars have been amazing as well! Everyone is very kind and knowledgeable.
Bricker was recently named the Trimester 2 recipient of the Bill Tucker CTB Scholarship. For more information on TIA’s CTB course, click here.
