For most people, the logistics that go into the shipping and delivery of their many orders are beyond consideration. They understand that it spans continents and moves the economy, but what does it take to keep it all moving? For Spencer Gardner, a national franchise owner of Unishippers Global Logistics LLC, the massive logistical complexity and its many minutiae are the work of a lifetime. A critical partner for the United Parcel Service, Unishippers focuses on small and medium-sized businesses in market segments that too often go unnoticed by other shipping representatives.
Gardner’s vision for the company — anchored in excellent service and creating systems that help companies begin an important partnership with Unishippers — has earned him recognition from Marquis Who’s Who. Simplifying shipping logistics has made a significant difference for the businesses that Gardner and Unishippers serve.
Evolution of Unishippers Global Logistics
Unishippers as a company has benefited a great deal from the work of Gardner, its growth bolstered by his ability to adapt to the ever-changing logistics environment. While competitors have run afoul of market disruptions and left the field, Unishippers has provided new opportunities and expanded its network of carriers. Discussing a competitor that went bankrupt last year, Gardner says, “What that does is it removes probably a thousand trucks from the road and allows other carriers to not only go get more business but also have more autonomy and leeway to increase their presence.”
An increased Unishippers presence means more businesses empowered by its proprietary transport management system, which comes with enhanced tracking capabilities and seamless label creation, among other features. “We can help manage any mode of transportation,” says Gardner, “We can give our customers a piece of the rate and buying power that they can’t negotiate on their own.”
Outlasting competition is a great way to grow as a business, and it’s a lesson that Gardner brought with him to Unishippers. “At the end of the day, a lot of my success boils down to one thing,” he explains, “The last man standing always wins. No matter what happened yesterday, today is a new day and we’re going to make it a success.”
The Last Man Standing: Building a Career on Resilience
Gardner didn’t start his career at Unishippers. He began at Worldwide Express, where he worked his way from an account executive to an area sales manager during an eight-year stay at the company. He grew a talent for building client relationships and turning that into success for the company and took those lessons to Unishippers. Now, he’s helping to develop future leaders, training them in both the profession and the cultivation of their own potential.
By teaching them the value of resilience and perseverance, Gardner is emphasizing how success in logistics comes from learning from failures and iterating on them to create new, better systems. “It’s a failure-driven industry,” he states. “We failed more than any other people out there. But it’s not about worrying about those failures. It’s more about not giving up and just keeping going until you find your wins. Then, tomorrow is another story.”
Staying True to the Work Ethic
“Our job at the end of the day is to relieve the burden of logistics off of these customers,” says Gardner, “So, they can focus on scaling their business.” Unishippers does this by taking the burden of logistics on itself, and that requires the kind of work ethic that Gardner is spreading through the company. He credits his success to staying true to that lesson, along with a significant emphasis on clear communication and a healthy dose of empathy and understanding. Even in the failures, Gardner has continued building Unishippers, as well as building himself and his team.
