Although it’s been about a decade since Brian Hunter attended the Freight Academy program, the perspectives and insights he gained from the experience have remained with him to this day– from the time he was a district freight coordinator for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to his current role as Transportation Planning Manager.
The Freight Academy expanded his view of the transportation system, illustrated ways in which all the different elements align and interact, and he saw the way in which his decisions impacted passenger vehicles, trucks, and commerce in general from another perspective. As he moved into different roles over the last 10 years, everything he learned at the Freight Academy helped him make better, more holistic decisions that would be of benefit to all users of the roadway.
“I remember a trip to the rail intermodal yard, and I reference that continually,” Brian said. “Seeing firsthand the interaction between the water side and the land side, and how trucks can get out of the facility and onto the interstate and do their jobs was eye opening. We live in a world in which we have products delivered to our stores or our homes, and we must figure out how to get those products where they need to be while also supporting the livelihood of those truckers. For me, that trip really brought the entire freight industry into a new perspective.”
Upon completion of the Freight Academy, Brian was highly engaged in many changes that took place in his agency, including updating the region’s strategic freight plan. Prior to that, all input had been collected from municipalities. With his Freight Academy experience behind him, Brian knew more efficient methods of getting the information he needed.
“We did an outreach to talk to transportation providers across all industry, including shippers and other people involved in moving freight, and we integrated their responses into the new freight plan,” he said. “I learned that talking directly to the people involved is a lot more productive than just relying on what you think they need.”
He learned a different way of communicating; formulated more strategic, intentional questions, and gained insights he hadn’t had before. Hearing the different speakers at the Freight Academy who worked in warehouses and manufacturing helped him get clarity on their perspectives.
“It helped me see things differently. Up until then, I had been a step removed from the people who were actually on the job, moving the freight,” he said.
Today, Brian manages intergovernmental coordination with cities, counties, and metropolitan planning organizations in the Tampa Bay region, as well as overseeing travel demand modeling and transportation statistics.
“The fact that I completed the Freight Academy expanded my ability to understand that everything is connected, and that my decisions have to account for all of that,” he said. “Some people will have a higher or lower quality of service when you make changes, and you have to make decisions that balance that out. It expanded my own view, and I can see how all these decisions directly impact people’s lives.”
As a Freight Academy graduate, he feels better equipped to do his job. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s invaluable for anyone who wants to be in this profession,” he said.
