Freight Operations Supervisor at Con-way Freight
Ranger underscores his combat leadership skills in quest for a job as supervisor at Con-way Freight.
By Warren Duffie

As a freight operations supervisor, Raul Romero deals with fast-paced stress on a daily basis. He oversees the outbound shift at the Con-way Freight facility in Calexico, Calif. In this role, he makes sure that cargo bound for customers is transferred to his facility, loaded in truck trailers and dispatched at night for next-day delivery.

Adding to this intense environment is the fact that Romero, 28, only recently completed the 13-week Field Management Trainee program to become a freight operations supervisor. Yet, if Romero is nervous, he doesn’t show it. The former Army Ranger knows the meaning of a challenging work environment – having served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. And while he’s tight-lipped about what he did overseas, it’s safe to assume he kept busy.

“I thrive in a fast-paced environment,” said the former corporal. “I love the speed and deadline pressure of the freight industry. I don’t think I could enjoy working somewhere that didn’t offer me a challenge. At Con-way, I can put into play all the leadership skills, work ethic and discipline I learned in the Army.”

In Uniform
Romero always thought about joining the military, but he considered it more seriously after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Then when former NFL star Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan, Romero decided to enlist in 2004.

“Here was a man who had it all yet humbled himself and gave it all up to serve his country,” Romero said. “That really inspired me.”

At Fort Benning, Romero completed basic training, infantry school, Airborne School, and Ranger School. He served with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Regiment, at Fort Lewis, Wash., and deployed to Iraq three times and Afghanistan once.

The Transition
In 2008, after a severe ACL injury while playing a pick-up game of football, Romero left the Army. He returned home to Arizona, enrolled in the business management program at the University of Phoenix, and worked part-time for his family’s agricultural supply company.

After working for his family, Romero moved to Tucson to shorten his school commute. He found a job as a tactical shooting instructor at Warriorschool, which teaches self defense to government and corporate employees preparing to deploy to hot zones worldwide.

Romero completed his bachelor’s degree earlier this year and began considering a new career path. Since worked for his family’s company, he knew about freight and enjoyed it. So he began looking for military-friendly companies.

“Con-way stood out,” he said. “The company has a lot of military veterans working for it and I really liked the corporate culture and the variety of the work.”

Once hired, Romero attended a 13-week training program that taught him the intangibles of becoming a freight operations supervisor.

“When I applied at Con-way, I really stressed my time leading Soldiers in combat and my experience as an instructor,” he said. “I wanted to show I knew how to manage people. I also highlighted that I speak English and Spanish fluently, and have an elementary knowledge of Arabic.”

Plan financially. “In the civilian world, you can make more money, but the cost of living is higher. You don’t have housing allowances or free health care anymore.”

“When I applied at Con-way, I really stressed my time leading Soldiers in combat and my experience as an instructor,” he said. “I wanted to show I knew how to manage people. I also highlighted that I speak English and Spanish fluently, and have an elementary knowledge of Arabic.”

What Romero Likes About His Job

• My co-workers
• The fast pace and challenge of my job
  

Con-way Freight
Founded: 1983
HQ: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Employees: 16,600
2010 Revenues: $2.6 billion
www.con-way.com

Did You Know?
Con-way Freight is the largest division of Con-way, Inc. with 16,600 employees, more than 365 operating locations, 16,000 dock doors and 32,750 tractors and trailers.