Lucy St. John entered the Freight Academy in 2023 with a somewhat more extensive background in freight than many of the others she encountered in her cohort. Still, she describes her experience going on field trips to logistics centers and distribution centers, and listening to presentations as “one light bulb moment after another.”
In her role as Senior Planner in the Bureau of Planning and Community Assistance for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, she had just participated in the completion of a new freight plan. Her responsibilities had grown to include freight, but after her time at the Freight Academy, she knew her perspective had broadened. She learned more about every part of the entire process; every element of the network on the local, regional, and state level, and gained clarity on port operations and how it all affects everyone along the entire supply line.
She remembers every part of it as a “wow” moment. She had been familiar with some of the ports, but not in logistics centers for trains, nor to the Port of New York and New Jersey, and had not seen a container ship before.
“All the speakers and the field trips were tied together, and when you think of logistics, you don’t realize all the elements. The weather affects everything, and it’s not just about trucks or rails. There are so many other things that come into play, and when one piece is out of order, you see what a cascading effect it has on how freight is moved,” she said. “Every field trip and every session was eye opening.”
She was out of the office for a full week to attend the Freight Academy, but it was completely worth it.
“What I brought back to my agency was the ability to share valuable information to update our freight plan,” she said. “It was such an important opportunity, and the Freight Academy also broadened my network of professionals that I could connect with.”
With the other industry professionals in her cohort from all over the country, she completed a capstone project that she considers particularly enriching.
“We learned so much from each other, and working on that capstone was a great activity,” she said. “One of the great takeaway messages I learned is that freight is so far beyond air cargo or trains. It’s UPS trucks, it’s tow trucks, it’s even delivering linens to hospitals. All of it is freight, and it’s done using all sorts of vehicles, and I learned to think more about how it all impacts the local economy and how it all fits into a bigger picture.”
She brought back to her agency an aim and a goal to do more to convey to all stakeholders the importance of understanding the complexities that exist in the freight industry, and how it’s an integrated effort to bring those products to consumers.
“Sharing what I have learned is extremely important. I’ve learned to be a better messenger and to educate others more about this,” she said. “Every part of the Freight Academy was enriching and exciting to see how everything combines to work together.”
