
429: Women In Supply Chain, Kameel Gaines
10/07/24 • 44 min
Kameel Gaines talks about her career journey; her business Rig on Wheels; driver recruitment; & the importance of elevating African American women in trucking.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:[07.37] Kameel’s career journey, and how she found her way from educational sales to trucking recruitment.
“Trucking chose me!”
[10.38] Why Kameel founded her own business, Rig on Wheels, and why she always had an entrepreneurial mindset.
“I came from an entrepreneurial family, so I wasn’t afraid of it.
[13.42] A closer look at Rig on Wheels; what makes it different; and Kameel’s reputation for innovation and taking a driver-centric approach to business.
“We are very much an advocate of the professional driver. Innovation is very important because evolution is coming, it’s here! We want to make sure that our drivers are ready.”
“Recruitment is changing, and social media is the new CB radio! We need to meet drivers where they are.”
[16.54] Rig on Wheels’ upcoming 15-year anniversary, and Kameel’s laidback approach to the celebrations.
“I’m just excited that my team is excited!”
[18.10] Why Kameel launched the first-of-its-kind Rig on Wheels podcast; her passion for ongoing learning; and why she’s always looking to improve.
“I started educating myself, and looking at other peoples shows. And, instead of looking at them as a spectator, I was looking to learn... How can we do this better? We’re not looking for perfection, but we are looking for excellence.”
[21.46] Kameel’s perspective on the rise of supply chain media, and the innate inclusivity in helping professionals from all walks of life to engage, learn, and communicate in new ways.
“There are a lot of voices, and there’s a voice for everyone – that’s what’s great. Everybody identifies with someone.”
[26.29] Kameel’s previous role as co-chairwoman of the African American Women’s Trucking Association, and the importance of elevating the representation and success of African American women in trucking.
“Representation matters. You can’t be what you don’t see.”
[29.31] The role of mentors in Kameel’s career journey, and how she maintained those relationships over time.
[34.33] Kameel’s advice for the young women looking to follow in her footsteps.
“Open up your eyes to new possibilities, get out of your comfort zone – the world is your back yard.”
[36.47] The one (unexpected) career achievement that Kameel is most proud of.
[37.47] The future for Rig on Wheels.
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:You can connect with Kameel over on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear from more women in trucking, check out 347: Women In Supply ChainTM, Seretha Willingham, 275: Women In Supply ChainTM, Amani Radman, or 205: Time To Make A Move, with Knichel Logistics.
Kameel Gaines talks about her career journey; her business Rig on Wheels; driver recruitment; & the importance of elevating African American women in trucking.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:[07.37] Kameel’s career journey, and how she found her way from educational sales to trucking recruitment.
“Trucking chose me!”
[10.38] Why Kameel founded her own business, Rig on Wheels, and why she always had an entrepreneurial mindset.
“I came from an entrepreneurial family, so I wasn’t afraid of it.
[13.42] A closer look at Rig on Wheels; what makes it different; and Kameel’s reputation for innovation and taking a driver-centric approach to business.
“We are very much an advocate of the professional driver. Innovation is very important because evolution is coming, it’s here! We want to make sure that our drivers are ready.”
“Recruitment is changing, and social media is the new CB radio! We need to meet drivers where they are.”
[16.54] Rig on Wheels’ upcoming 15-year anniversary, and Kameel’s laidback approach to the celebrations.
“I’m just excited that my team is excited!”
[18.10] Why Kameel launched the first-of-its-kind Rig on Wheels podcast; her passion for ongoing learning; and why she’s always looking to improve.
“I started educating myself, and looking at other peoples shows. And, instead of looking at them as a spectator, I was looking to learn... How can we do this better? We’re not looking for perfection, but we are looking for excellence.”
[21.46] Kameel’s perspective on the rise of supply chain media, and the innate inclusivity in helping professionals from all walks of life to engage, learn, and communicate in new ways.
“There are a lot of voices, and there’s a voice for everyone – that’s what’s great. Everybody identifies with someone.”
[26.29] Kameel’s previous role as co-chairwoman of the African American Women’s Trucking Association, and the importance of elevating the representation and success of African American women in trucking.
“Representation matters. You can’t be what you don’t see.”
[29.31] The role of mentors in Kameel’s career journey, and how she maintained those relationships over time.
[34.33] Kameel’s advice for the young women looking to follow in her footsteps.
“Open up your eyes to new possibilities, get out of your comfort zone – the world is your back yard.”
[36.47] The one (unexpected) career achievement that Kameel is most proud of.
[37.47] The future for Rig on Wheels.
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:You can connect with Kameel over on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear from more women in trucking, check out 347: Women In Supply ChainTM, Seretha Willingham, 275: Women In Supply ChainTM, Amani Radman, or 205: Time To Make A Move, with Knichel Logistics.
Previous Episode

428: Create Customer Experiences that Supercharge Success, with Narvar
Amit Sharma of Narvar talks about leveraging intelligent communication to boost consumer trust, create memorable shopping experiences & maximize conversions.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:[07.56] Amit’s career journey, and how it led him to establish Narvar.
[10.12] An overview of Narvar – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.
“Online, after we buy, there’s a waiting period. And often that waiting period is overlooked, or under-invested. We help businesses engage their customers with the intention of driving long term loyalty and advocacy.”
[12.54] The ideal client for Narvar.
[14.28] Amit’s take on the biggest e-commerce challenges right now, especially when it comes to the post-purchase experience.
“Once you buy a product, it’s a chore. ‘Find a tracking number; When can I get it?; Do I have to be at home,?; Will the package be secure?’... There are all these questions that lead to anxiety about the order you placed. So the challenge is to build the trust every step of the way.”
“There’s a disconnect... you have to understand the customers context and provide the right information at the right time.”
[17.13] Narvar’s mission to simplify the everyday lives of consumers, and why taking care of retail customers isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good business.
“Everything is “and” now. It has to be cheaper AND it has to be faster AND it has to be on time AND it has to be an amazing customer experience.”
“Consumers want returns policies and processes that are easy to understand and follow... and making it convenient is better for the retailer as well.”
[25.18] Why 60% of shoppers are more likely to choose a retailer that can tell them the exact date a package will arrive at the time of order; and the role of Narvar’s ‘Promise’ solution in helping retailers utilize intelligent delivery estimates to drive conversion and deliver transparency.
“Given a choice, customers select visibility and predictability of delivery dates versus faster delivery. And, from the merchant perspective, we then see consumers buy more, and make less customer service enquiries, because you’ve built trust and confidence.... There’s a big benefit from setting that expectation.”
[31.46] How Narvar helps retailers continue to communicate with consumers using post-purchase marketing and different touchpoints to keep them informed, but also boost trust, keep experience levels high and upsell.
[35.35] The challenge of returns, and how Narvar helps retailers to find the balance of retaining revenue and reducing costs, whilst also offering customers easy, convenient, positive experiences.
“All of the data and sophistication gets applied on the acquisition side, but not much on the retention side. Returns is an opportunity for that.”
[40.38] Why Narvar is fostering collaboration between retailers, and how a unique relationship with Kohl’s is setting a standard for smoother, cheaper, and more sustainable returns experiences for brands and consumers alike.
“Cheaper, convenient, and beneficial for everybody.”
[44.42] The upcoming trends and opportunities in the ecommerce industry that we should be looking out for.
“Using intelligence, the supply chain is going to get more and more intuitive, more consumer-friendly, and more cost-effective for all the players involved.”
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:Head over to Narvar’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Narvar and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and X (Twitter), or you can connect with Amit on LinkedIn.
Next Episode

430: Unify Your Supply Chain Systems, with Manhattan Associates
Bryant Smith of Manhattan talks about supply chain unification; visibility, resiliency & cost; overcoming siloes; and delivering big results with their TMS.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:[06.52] An overview of Manhattan – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.
[08.20] The basics of supply chain unification, what it means, and the common misconceptions.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about unification... Sometimes you hear other companies express unification as integrations between different systems... that’s not our definition of unification!”
“There are a lot of different components and workflows that are associated with managing a supply chain... and we have a single platform that manages all those workflows in one central place.”
[10.39] A closer look at Manhattan’s transport management solutions and modernized tech platform, and how the platform has evolved over time.
“Supply chain execution is hard – but using the technology shouldn’t be.”
[18.20] Why supply chain has historically been so siloed, and how we can unify our fractured ecosystems.
“Supply chain tech started as on-premise, and that creates siloes... And the approach was very pointed. People would say “I have this problem, I need to create a software to solve it” – so now we have a bunch of software’s that do really specialized things.”
[23.10] Visibility: what it means to Manhattan, why it’s so important, and the huge potential it has for supply chain, from optimizing buying patterns to improved labor utilization.
“It’s not warehouse versus transportation any more. It’s inbound versus outbound.”
[29.39] The power of resiliency, and what it means for organizations as they face continued global disruption.
“Being resilient is about seeing and understanding, but also about being able to proactively – or reactively – resolve exceptions as they happen.”
[37.06] The impact of supply chain unification on cost, and the range of business areas in which companies can make significant reductions.
[41.30] A case study detailing how Manhattan helped a global specialist in energy management to unify, simplify their technology landscape, and reduce cost, resulting in a huge seven-figure return on investment.
[45.33] The ideal client for Manhattan.
“Our architecture allows you to scale up and down based on your complexity.”
[46.48] The future for Manhattan, and the big role generative AI and automation is going to play in supply chain unification.
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:Head over to Manhattan’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Manhattan and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and X (Twitter), or you can connect with Bryant on LinkedIn.
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