More to the Story with Staley: Inspirational Logistics

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – 32-year-old Mike Beckwith is the Director of Sales here at the Chattanooga branch of BlueGrace Logistics.

These companies are the “middleman” between businesses that produce goods and the truckers that deliver them.

Ten years ago, while waiting tables at a local restaurant, a friend suggested Beckwith get into logistics. Good move.

“He asked me if I ever thought about logistics. At the time, I had no idea what logistics was,” Beckwith said. “I went in for an interview and got the job.”

Beckwith rose up through the ranks quickly. He was the first person hired at the Chattanooga BlueGrace office. We’re talking ground floor.

Now he’s giving back… as a teacher.

His company, along with several other companies, are working in conjunction with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). It’s a class teaching these students the world of third-party logistics.

Beckwith himself never had this kind of formal training.

“I myself never finished college. It was an opportunity to have a career that I get out of it what I put into it. Now, it’s great to see others who are looking for the same kind of opportunity,” Beckwith added.

It’s a 13-week program, meeting twice a week. Beckwith and the other instructors spend a lot of time teaching local transportation history, as well as application to the job.

Beckwith helped build the curriculum for this program. His goal is to help these folks build a career and a dream. Just like he had.

“It was always my dream to open up my own branch of a company and set the culture. What we’ve done here at BlueGrace has been a very rewarding experience,” Beckwith said.

The registration deadline for the fall course is August 23. That’s when a new class will sit in these seats at UTC, with a chance to get into the world of trucks and freight brokers.