Jeffrey Brauner knows what the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is like—he’s worked there for 10 years. But it was through his experience at the Freight Academy in 2019, when he was Principal Transportation Planner at the Port of New York and New Jersey, that he learned so much more about the complexity of freight logistics and expanded his perspective by being taken to sites he’d never visited before. The entire experience was insightful and memorable, and all combined to help gain a more comprehensive understanding of the freight industry.
“There were three elements of the Freight Academy that were very helpful to me,” Jeffrey said. “The site visits were certainly one. It was incredibly valuable to have such a concentrated time of seeing a distribution center, a truck facility, and other places that you don’t normally get to see. For me, seeing the Port of New York and New Jersey is my focus, but I had never seen anything like FedEx’s air cargo operations. Those experiences were so useful and would not have been possible without being in the Freight Academy.”
Hearing from numerous freight experts from across the industry was another highlight of his Freight Academy experience. Listening to professionals who manage railroads, trucking facilities, distribution centers and others at the head of their companies was eye opening and impactful. He counts their presentations among the highlights of his experience at the Freight Academy.
“I think the best part of it all was meeting my cohort,” he said. “You realize you’re doing this with a community of people with a varying set of circumstances, you’re cross-pollinating ideas and experiences, and you’re learning so much from each other.”
Although his main involvement at the time had been rail, he was given a capstone assignment with a focus on trucking, which was not his area of expertise. However, he and his team relied on each other’s knowledge and were able to prepare. They had a successful project but best of all, it was a great way to create relationships with others who are just as passionate about freight planning, and they continue to remain in contact.
“These are the elements that make the Freight Academy so great,” he said. “I gained more appreciation for the complexity of logistics, and I still tell stories about visits to certain distribution centers. I learned so much about logistics when we visited a distribution center for a private label trail mix. If you want to know how complicated logistics can be, just look at something as simple as a bag of trail mix.”
Freight is certainly about moving a lot of boxes, but Jeffrey learned there are many more layers to the story.
“There are boxes, but you can’t see inside. You must understand what the boxes are, and that it’s a lot more than just getting those boxes off a ship,” he said. “That part is the distribution side, to which I was not exposed before I went to the Freight Academy. This exposure and experience have shaped my career as I have become a Senior Program Manager at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. My responsibilities have expanded.”
Working more on the infrastructure of the ports than on the business and distribution side, he now has a deeper understanding of what he does, and why it’s so important. Staying for a week and being fully immersed in the Freight Academy for a full week was also a differentiator for Jeffrey. Attending required his full commitment and complete focus, and he believes that is why he gained so much value from his experience.
“Participating in the Freight Academy is not done casually. You need to be more than just interested, you need to be passionate,” he said. “The Freight Academy is something I highlight on my resume, alongside my academic degrees, and I’m proud to have attended.”
