Careers in Logistics: Q&A with Sarah St. Myer

FCL’s Sarah St. Myers joined us to detail her career in logistics, offer advice for aspiring supply chain professionals and provide a few of her top recommendations for Indy’s food scene.

So Sarah, what personal interests/events/previous jobs led you to your current role?

I’ve been in transportation for the better part of 18 years (I had to double-check my math because surely that couldn’t be right), and have found I love the accounting side. I’ve worked in operations both in LTL and TL, but have mostly been on the accounting and system sides in logistics, fleet maintenance, and carrier insurance. I got lucky when a previous co-worker, Jason Borthwick, reached out to me about joining First Call.

Could you give an example of some specific work challenges you’ve dealt with recently?

I think one of the biggest challenges is tracking down paperwork when customers require all pages to all BOLs or POs. A lot of carriers assume we just need the signed page, which can cause delays in processing the invoice. We would all love to avoid the delays, if possible.

What’s one thing you wish people better understood about what you do?

Obviously, I want to make sure that we as a company bill everything correctly to our customers the first time, but I also want to make sure we’re processing carrier invoices correctly the first time as well. For small carriers, a delay on just one or two invoices can impact their operations quickly.

What do you consider the most important skill or characteristic to be successful in a role like yours?

Flexibility and the ability to multitask. I can sometimes hyperfocus on a task, but then need to quickly pivot to help a team member, a carrier, a customer or a factoring company. Being able to move from one task to another quickly and efficiently is key.

What do you value most about your career?

I value what I’ve been able to learn about transportation management systems, customer systems, carrier and customer contracts, various billing methods and so on. I think this has allowed me to be pretty adaptable. I like to be able to hit the ground running every morning and accomplish as much as possible each day.

What would you tell someone who’s considering working at First Call?

Do it! I think they would be hard-pressed to find a better and more knowledgeable group of people anywhere. We truly operate as a team. It’s a great company and environment with great people.

Outside of work, what passions or hobbies do you spend time on?

My wife Alichia and I are about to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. Love finding new shops and restaurants with her. We have a dog that I love a ridiculous amount (he has his own Instagram, @olliepants1207) and two cats. I also love house plants and learning how to make new plants thrive.

Oh nice! Any favorite Indy-area restaurants you’d recommend?

I love eating breakfast out. I don’t think Indy dwellers can go wrong with Good Morning Mama’s in Broad Ripple or Ruth’s Cafe in the Keystone area. Neither are fancy, but the service and food are always top-notch.

Sadly, my favorite BBQ food truck that was randomly in a brewery’s parking lot closed. I also enjoy Luciana’s Mexican Restaurant, which has several locations all over town. Indy has a great food scene.

Are there any professional or charitable organizations you’re passionate about/involved in?

I love supporting animal shelters and organizations, when possible. Our dog and one of our cats came from a very small shelter, and I think the people who can do that work are the best.

Interested in joining the First Call team? Check out our careers page for more info on available positions, benefits and more!