Profile: National Fast Freight
Trucking company experiences consistent growth in all markets
By Kathlyn Horibe
October 13, 2008
Lori McCreight, a 15-year veteran of the transportation industry, is president of National Fast Freight. The holding entity of the Vaughan, Ont.-based company is the Calyx Transportation Group, a third-party logistics and transportation provider.
“We’re a very unique organization in the sense that of Calyx’s five operating companies, three of the companies have women presidents,” Ms. McCreight said.
The other two presidents are Maja Vukosavljevic of Euroworld Transport System Canada Inc., which specializes in global sea and air transportation, and Kathy McWilliams of Nesel Fast Freight, which transports and distributes furniture, appliances and electronics throughout Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes and Newfoundland. Indis Inc. and Muir’s Cartage Limited round out the Calyx Group, which employs 1,800 people and operates a network across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
From her experience with Calyx, Ms. McCreight, a chartered accountant, realizes the importance of having a mentor. “That’s one thing that we’ve been very lucky about in our organization,” she said. “We have a very good internal male mentor, Rob Donaghey, CEO of Calyx. He’s been very supportive by opening a lot of doors, helping me network and introducing me to people. With that introduction, other industry members see that he’s confident in my abilities and they’re open to listening and working with me.”
She is so gung-ho about mentoring that she suggests younger women coming into the industry should have two mentors, a male and a female who can help with being a woman in a male-dominated industry. “Try to align yourself with a mentor who you hear good things about and who’s also knowledgeable and has contacts in the industry,” she said.
Since its inception in January 1992, National Fast Freight has experienced consistent growth in every market. That’s what attracted Ms. McCreight to the company – not trucking per se. “I was drawn to a privately held organization that was small,” she said, “and would provide an opportunity for me to grow both professionally and personally.”
And that’s what happened. She started as a controller at NFF, then moved up through the ranks to general manager, vice-president and general manager, and now president.
NFF provides intermodal and expedited road services throughout Canada and the U.S. with terminals in every province except Newfoundland and two Maritime provinces. “Our core business is providing our customers with intermodal LTL (less-than-truckload) service within Canada,” Ms. McCreight said. The company also offers truckload, transload, warehousing and logistics services.
“To complement that service and provide convenience and flexibility to our customers, we have developed partnerships throughout Canada and the U.S. to offer comprehensive coverage of additional LTL transportation requirements,” she said.
“We also give our customers the ability to access real-time information on each and every shipment. Our software allows our customers to obtain the information they need to initiate their own dispatch orders and trace their shipments online. Due to continuous improvements to our technology, our experienced staff can react to customer demands quickly.”
In addition, NFF is racking up awards. Last year, the company received two third-place Communications Awards for its website and media campaign from the Transportation Sales & Marketing Association. “2007 was our first year entering the Communications Awards and we’re very pleased with our results,” she said.
Regarding the challenges she’s experienced as a woman working in a man’s world, Ms. McCreight said, “I can honestly say that I’ve never actually been challenged throughout my career in trucking because I’m a female. At the beginning, probably some people didn’t take me too seriously. But as I started to learn and grow and become fully engaged in the business of transportation and logistics, that attitude wasn’t much of a hurdle.”
For the most part, her challenges have been typical of those faced by a lot of people. Transportation was new to her, which involved “a lot of learning and questions,” she said. “Not feeling self-conscious about asking the questions was important.”
The main challenge facing her now is balancing the demands of work and family. With NFF still focused on growth and profitability, her responsibilities are to provide strategy and direction for the organization. “This can mean long hours and travel,” Ms. McCreight said. “At home, it’s just being Mom. ‘Are you coming to my hockey game? Don’t forget my dance class. We’re out of milk!’”
Switching gears can be very challenging, she said, especially when she has deadlines to meet. However, she doesn’t feel she’s disadvantaged because she’s female. “We have great organizational qualities,” she said.
“For any woman coming into trucking, they’re going to have to find that balance between home life and career,” she added. “Men have to to some degree as well. Don’t let it detract you. You just have to plan better, which might mean coming home for dinner with your family and then starting to work again later on in the evening. There’s nothing wrong in that. You have to work smart.
“Don’t be afraid of a challenge,” Ms. McCreight continued. “If you feel strongly about something, go for it. Don’t give up on what you feel is right. And don’t ever underestimate your own ability. Just be professional and be yourself.
“Trucking is an industry that’s both dynamic and challenging. Always be prepared to want to continue to learn.”