Logisticians of The Future Tell Us About The Youth UND Program and the Future of the Logistics Industry

“INCREASING THIS TYPE OF TRAINING IS THE MOST NEEDED ISSUE”

Young UND members, who share that the training contributes to the operation processes outside the fields they work, and that they also benefit from the experiences of the instructors at Istanbul University and in the sector, also states that their coming together creates a synergy.

“Within the Program, We Learned the Areas We Didn't Know in the Sector”

Omsan Logistics Fleet Planning Officer Taygun Durmaz, who completed the Young UND Academy's Logistician Experts of the Future Certificate Program with the first place, states that with this program, they had the chance to improve themselves in the areas they didn’t know. Stating that the program carried him much further as a milestone and network, Durmaz continued his speech as follows: “Our instructors were very high quality. Right now, when I have a problem with UBAK, I call UND or the instructor who teaches that course, and they also help with the subject. The training has provided us with such an opportunity. The fact that the program is open and free to young participants in the sector also creates equal opportunities.”

“We Have To Be Better Than A Polish Transporter”

Durmaz, who continues his words with the assessment that there are 15 thousand vehicles going abroad in land transportation as of today, and that we should be better than a Polish transporter, states that we are at a higher point in terms of fleet vitality and average age, but lower than them in terms of number of vehicles. Underlining the need for digitization of the industry, Durmaz said that; “For example, when the driver is in Germany, I want to talk to him via a telematics device in the vehicle instead of a phone. Because when you depend on people, they can mislead you and we are working on eliminating these mistakes. I think the industry should evolve in this direction within a system.”

“To Make Your Business Quality, You Need to Incorporate Updated Technology into Your Work”

Ali Kuş, who continues his duty as Bursa Regional Manager at Forwardie Logistics Inc. and is the second of the Future Logistics Experts Certificate Program, states that as logistics service providers, they need to be in contact with both the customer and the transporter side, and that technology is at work at this point. Pointing out that technology is the basis of the education they receive, Kuş said that; “As in the basis of training, the point where every subject connects is how much you can integrate technology into your work. Because you need to add the updated technology to your work in order to make your work quality while transporting a good from one place to another.”

“I Realize That I Use The Information I Learned Through This Program Within My Business”

Expressing that they took lessons from experts in many different fields, Kuş said that; “Training was given by experts of basic knowledge in the sector such as family companies and insurance processes. It has been a very productive program for me. It was very satisfying for a basic education. The training took about 6 months. I realize that I use the knowledge I learned in this program in my work.”

“Increasing This Type of Training Is The Most Needed Issue”

Emphasizing that Turkey is strong in terms of logistics, however, such trainings should be increased in order to support new participants and existing individuals working in the sector, Kuş said that; "I think the most needed issue is to increase such trainings. As long as we do our job with technical knowledge, the quality in the sector will increase. If a product is produced in a place, someone has to buy it and someone else has to carry it. This sector will always be very strong and will continue to rise. For this reason, the younger generation will always be in it.”

“We Are Trying To Improve Ourselves Both With Trainings And With Other Operations We Do”

Another participant, DB Schenker Arkas Senior Operations Representative Gonca Müge Durnalı, who completed the program with the 2nd degree and received her certificate, states that she has a certain expertise in highways, but that they have the opportunity to develop themselves in areas where they are week through training. Stating that the instructors conveyed all the details from finance to customs, Durnalı said that; “Since the trainings are interactive, we also benefited from their knowledge and experience. All of our instructors were important people in their fields. The firm I work for has rail shipments. With the lessons on the railway, I felt one step ahead in paperwork or operations in this field where we had just started.”

“Our Experienced Women Workforce in Operations Is Quite Few”

Stating that the logistics sector is a male-dominated sector and that she wants to show that more women can take place in the sector by breaking this perception with the training program, Durnalı said that; “Our sector is a male-dominated sector. I thought that if I could be ranked, a woman somewhere would see this and say, 'Women can also take part in this sector.' There are many women working in seaway and airline, but women are mostly in the documentation or sales groups on the road. I think the reason for this is that it has continued as a male-dominated sector and its difficulties since the past. Therefore, it makes me proud to be a woman next to my other colleagues.”

“Transport Systems Will Become More Localized”

Stating that the transportation systems will be localized in the logistics sector in the future, Durnalı said about the sector that; "I think that the loads can be distributed to the houses, for example, by bicycles, and that there should be a standardization in the sector and this will be achieved through digitalization."

“Our Profession Is Already An Excellent Personal Development Program”

Sharing the 2nd rank of the program with Ali Kuş and Gonca Müge Durnalı, DB Schenker Arkas Senior Operations Specialist Sedat Gökçe states that they are responsible for transferring what they learned from the trainers, whom he named as the first generation, to the next generations as those who know both the old and the new generations. Gökçe said about training that; “We carried out a very comfortable education in the digital environment for months. The knowledge gained by the first generation through experience is very important. It is our responsibility to deliver this knowledge to future generations. The advantage of this training is that: It brought us together with the first generation. We learned new things technically and the training opened the door for us to communicate with the first generation much easier. Our profession is already an excellent personal development program. We come across many different people and different situations. We have to solve problems on our own, which improves our perspective on things.”

“Logistics Sector Will Continue for Longer Years”

Stating that logistics may change shape or form in the future, but that it will continue for many years, Gökçe continued his speech as follows: “For this reason, those who think about the logistics sector can evaluate their career opportunities. We will prepare the next generation by creating a network together and adapting the first generation to the new era. By further improving the processes here, we can adapt them to today's digital world. The logistics sector will continue for many more years.”

“We Spent A Lot Of Effort And We Had The Chance To Apply What We Learned In Our Work”

Having completed the program with the 3rd degree, Toros International Transport Marketing and Business Development Specialist Muhammed Barbaros Büyükyılmaz stated that the training he received at the Young UND Academy within the scope of the Logistician Experts of the Future Certificate Program was an important chance for them and said that; “We come to the warehouse at the workplace, implement the transportation operation or do the marketing. When we think about the whole business, the training has conveyed all of these items to us one by one. At the end of the training, we had the chance to do our job more consciously and to apply what we learned in our work.”

“We Have Logistics in Our Genes”

Emphasizing that the logistics industry will continue to exist in the future, Büyükyılmaz continued his words as follows: “Considering the trade routes that have passed through Turkish territory, we have logistics in our genes. It will be a sector that maintains its logistics power from the past to the present and from the present to the future. Our vehicles will be equipped with environmentally friendly technology that protects the environment, and I hope that we will both transport and maintain our lives without polluting our world.”

“Young UND Connected 2nd Generation Representatives to the Sector Even More With This Program”

Sharing the 3rd rank of the program with Muhammed Barbaros Büyükyılmaz, Toros International Transport Deputy Manager Talha Çimagil stated that he is the second generation representative of Toros Transport and has been working for Toros Transport for many years. Noting that he learned the details of his work through training, Çimagil said in his speech that; “Young UND has further connected the 2nd generation representatives to the sector with this program. For example, they gave us current legislation in education and explained why these legislations were prepared in this way. The classes were online, but when we could not attend, the registration helped us a lot, and then we were able to open the registration and study.”

“It Has Given Us A Sense Of Unity And Togetherness”

Çimagil lists the problems of the sector under several headings as bureaucratic and structural problems. Supporting the view that UND took the necessary steps against the problems, but the state should take steps for bureaucratic problems, Çimagil also said the following regarding another problem: “There is no unity in the sector. But at this point, Young UND gave us the opportunity to get to know each other. We got to know our colleagues from the industry. I think it has given us a sense of unity and togetherness.”

“There Will Be An Intensive Work With The Personnel With A High Division Of Labor And Low Qualifications”

While emphasizing that transportation has changed a lot, Çimagil finally states that the logistics sector will have a divided structure in the future and explains this as follows: “I think that by moving from large factories to small factories, there will be intense work with the personnel with a high division of labor and low quality. This will bring continuity and great speed to the sector. We have seen that such structures should increase in the pandemic as well.”