The Transport Exchange operates two of the UK’s largest, busiest and fastest-growing independent freight exchanges. For example, if a haulier has an urgent load from a regular client but there is no vehicles available, the Transport Exchange Group can help him. If they are a member of Haulage Exchange, they can post the load on the company website, including details of the load, destination and timings. A customer service member of the company can help them, and the company lend them an available vehicle. The business can give courier insurance, and "goods in transit" insurance for the items to protect the goods and couriers.

I observed Lisa, the customer service person. She coordinates the set-up for companies who join the transport exchange. Also, she verifies the insurance to make sure it is valid. When a member or a company need help, she can contact the load poster directly.  She talks with the customer about the scope of the service, and she takes responsibility for the client. She'll get paid according to the terms agreed. Both parties can leave feedback online.

Hannah, the customer service manager, supervised my British partner Juliana and me. She taught us to do some operations. We learned to how to formulate prices, timings and organise the numbers of vehicles loaned.  Then, after teaching us this, she gave us administration work. We changed some technical features of the companies.

Furthermore, she set us the task to count stock to see if there was anything that had run out. After we checked the stock room, we went on Excel and inserted the quantity of each product. We learned some interesting and important things about how to run a business.

The experience will certainly influence what I will choose to study next year, because I saw how the Transport Exchange Company works and that there is a variety of opportunities, for example: technical support, web manager, sales managers, or marketing manager. There was a good atmosphere. The staff were cheerful and fun. That makes me want to work in a similar company in the future.

Assia Fidalgo, Terminale S