To move goods reliably and efficiently from A to B, we at InstaFreight rely on one thing above all: a great team of dispatchers who efficiently take care of the daily transport process with the help of our technological solutions. Today we would like to introduce you to Maximilian Berg, our Forwarding Lead for the Region South. He reveals how dispatching works at InstaFreight – and what exciting challenges new team members can look forward to.
1. Max, what excites you about logistics?
I’m fascinated by the processes that move millions of tons of goods around the world every day. Goods that we need for our daily life and whose availability we often take for granted. Very few people know about the highly complex procedures that are necessary to ensure that the shelves in our supermarkets are always stocked. This turns logistics into a highly relevant industry, which is becoming increasingly fast-paced and efficiency-driven due to the ever-growing demands of retailers, industry and consumers. After all, no one wants to wait weeks for their online store order or pay high shipping fees nowadays. So transports have to be executed at more closely timed intervals and at lower costs – that’s a major challenge for us as dispatchers. In addition, the logistics industry is currently experiencing a wave of automation and digitization as a result of these developments. I was eager to take the chance and help drive the modernization of the industry at InstaFreight.
2. Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your professional background?
I was already interested in transportation and logistics when I was in school. That’s why I took the opportunity to specialize in logistics management at my business school. During this time, I also got my first practical insights into the logistics industry through several internships. This strengthened my interest in transportation and it was the next logical step for me to complete a 3-year apprenticeship as a freight forwarding and logistics services manager after graduating from school. Afterwards, I worked for one year as a dispatcher in my training company, a forwarding agency near Mainz, and was able to gain further practical experience in transport logistics. I then continued my professional development and completed a bachelor’s degree in freight transport and logistics. Since September 2020, I have now been working as Forwarding Lead at InstaFreight.
3. How did you ultimately end up at InstaFreight?
I first came into contact with InstaFreight during my time as an apprentice at my training company. As a freight forwarder, we were part of InstaFreight’s carrier network and carried out transport orders via the InstaFreight platform. So I first got to know InstaFreight from a partner perspective. The technology-based business model already excited me back then. That’s why I re-established my contact with InstaFreight after my bachelor’s degree and applied for the position of Team Lead in the dispatching department. It only took a few weeks from the application to my start at InstaFreight. Since then, I’ve been able to combine my professional experience in transport logistics with my keen interest in technology to help transport logistics into the digital age.
4. What are the tasks of a dispatcher at InstaFreight?
At InstaFreight, I appreciate the wide range and variety of tasks we take on in dispatching. They include setting up, expanding, and maintaining our carrier network, accepting and assigning transport orders, and strategic tasks. Thereby we cooperate intensively with other departments such as the sales team, for example when it comes to processing price inquiries.
The technological approach behind InstaFreight’s business model is particularly exciting. Everything works a bit differently for us than for a classic logistics company, where many processes are still handled manually. At InstaFreight, transport orders are not sold by phone, but centrally and digitally via our platform. As soon as a customer places an order on the platform, one of our dispatchers takes over all further planning. He is supported by our automated matching algorithm, which selects the right carrier with the right equipment from our large carrier network. By doing so, we ensure that route planning is economical, efficient and sustainable. The carrier can now confirm the order simply with a mouse click on the InstaFreight platform. From this point on, our quality managers* take over, taking care of the subsequent transport processing.
*Kajsa Arnlund reveals more about quality management tasks in this interview – just if you are curious. 😉
5. What sets InstaFreight apart from other logistics companies?
Quite clearly: our technological and data-driven approach to manage order fulfillment efficiently and transparently. Our customers can find all information centrally on the InstaFreight platform and thus have an overview of their transport logistics, including real-time tracking of the trucks. Through our Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), they can even connect the InstaFreight platform to their (ERP) system. They also benefit from other data-based services, such as our KPI reporting.
However, our digital approach is not only an important differentiation criteria for our customers. It also offers great opportunities for us as dispatchers. At InstaFreight, we can enhance our technological know-how and establish ourselves as experts for a modern transport logistics.
6. How would you describe InstaFreight? What makes us stand out?
What definitely sets InstaFreight apart from other companies is the mix of expertise and courage! The step our founders took to launch a digital business model in such a traditional market as the logistics industry requires a lot of know-how and courage, in my view. I also appreciate this mentality in my daily work at InstaFreight: Here, everyone is encouraged to continue their education through offerings such as the InstaSMART Academy*, to learn from experts in the industry, to contribute with new ideas, and to sometimes even take unconventional paths.
For me, this is linked to two other characteristics of InstaFreight: innovation and dynamics. There is no such thing as stagnation with us. We are constantly developing our business model, responding to new needs and developments on the market, and thus ensuring that our service always meets our customers’ requirements. This is expressed in our entire corporate culture: I can also develop as a person here, take on new tasks and make a career for myself. So everyone who is a technology enthusiast and wants to revolutionize the logistics industry with us, is very welcome to join us!
Of course, you don’t have to be a born tech professional to join us: Our platform is very simple and user-friendly, and working with it is really fun. In addition, all new team members receive a detailed onboarding: In a 2-day introduction, they first get to know InstaFreight and our products. New starters in the dispatching department additionally undergo training for the entire operations area and thus familiarize themselves with the most important departments, teams and areas of responsibility.
*Want to know more about our InstaSMART Academy? Then this LinkedIn article by our Head of People & Culture, Rosalina Loclair, is for you!
7. What do you like most about your job?
Definitely the team spirit! Teamwork and working across departments are very important to us. We in the dispatching department in particular have many touchpoints with other departments, for example with sales and marketing, when we represent InstaFreight at trade fairs and support the sales team in advising customers at our booth. This makes our work versatile and varied. However, we not only act as an intermediary internally, but also externally. We connect shippers who book an order through us with carriers for whom we find the right order. The fact that not one order is the same as another means that new and exciting challenges await us in our work every day.
8. What is it like for you to currently work from the home office?
Due to the Corona pandemic, we have all been working primarily from home since mid-March 2020. My onboarding has also mostly taken place online. This was a big challenge for me, but InstaFreight did a great job: In fact, I have never received such an extensive and thorough onboarding before. I was trained in all topics and tasks and had the good feeling of being integrated into the InstaFamily right from the start. This close communication with colleagues makes working at InstaFreight stand out. Despite our home office policy, we have a lot of contact with each other and exchange ideas on a daily basis. Our weekly all-hands meeting, where the whole company gets together virtually, also boosts our team spirit – and besides, we get to hear all important news about InstaFreight.
In fact, our home office policy is turning out so well that there will be opportunities to work from home several times a week, even after the pandemic. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing my colleagues again in person, of course. The small talk at our coffee machine, which leads to many constructive conversations, is simply irreplaceable, just like playing ping-pong together during the lunch break. And of course our new tap for the occasional beer after work still has to be inaugurated 😉
Thank you very much for your insights into Dispatching at InstaFreight!
Do you want to be a dispatcher at InstaFreight yourself? Then become part of our team and digitize the logistics industry with us! Click here for our vacancies.
