Leadership through mentorship and networking – Taking the Hire Road

On a recent episode of Taking the Hire Road, Jeremy Reymer chatted with Candi Coate, certified director of safety (CDS) and the north region corporate safety leader for Highway Transport. The pair discussed the importance of embracing the industry and building a network.

Like many logistics professionals, Coate stumbled into the industry by surprise. After spending several years in a sales role that kept her on the road, she was presented with the opportunity to move into a safety position at a trucking company.

While Coate had never considered a career in transportation before, she embraced the chance to spend more time at home with her children while also learning a whole new set of professional skills. The rest is history.

It wasn’t long before Coate realized that, at its core, transportation is a people business. She poured her time and energy into getting to know the people around her — including truck drivers and other safety professionals — in order to excel in her new role.

“I found a passion I never knew I had,” Coate said.

That passion for building relationships and keeping people safe prompted Coate to learn all she could about regulations and compliance while continuing to grow an industry network. Eventually, this path led her to pursuing her CDS credentials, a process she encourages all safety professionals to consider.

Coate reiterated that the relationships she formed through the CDS process — as well as by joining various industry associations — have transformed both her personal and professional lives. Other safety professionals have become some of her closest friends, which she attributes to the shared goals and values involved in safety work.

Asked how smaller fleets with tighter budgets can prioritize safety and compliance without breaking the bank, Coate reiterated the importance of industry relationships. While joining large associations may be a financial stretch for these companies, there are smaller organizations that can serve the same purpose.

“If you can’t afford to be involved in bigger organizations, get involved at your local level,” Coate said. “You can learn about the regulations and the things you can do as a safety professional to reduce crashes and keep safety at the forefront.”

Coate also made it clear that keeping drivers safe is a task that extends far beyond the safety department, engaging folks across the entire industry.

“We’ve got so much work to do to get our roads to the safety level we need,” she said. “You don’t have to be a safety professional to help work toward safer roadways.”

Click here to learn more about Highway Transport.

Other highlights from this episode of Taking the Hire Road

Book recommendation: “The Human Touch in Workplace Safety” by Kevin Burns

Sponsors: Career Now Brands, The National Transportation Institute, Infinit-I, Workhound, Asurint, Transportation Marketing Group, Seiza, Drive My Way, DriverReach, F|Staff, Trucksafe

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