I Left Logistics. Logistics Never Left Me

In the last 9 months, I have been asked one question more than anything else “Why? Why are you back?”.  After retiring in July 2024, many people assumed my journey in logistics was over. The truth is, stepping away taught me something important: this industry is part of who I am. The logistics industry has a unique draw that brings us into it: We make a difference in people’s lives. Our industry exists because we can improve an individual’s quality of life and we can improve a company’s efficiency, effectiveness, and their bottom line. We make a difference!

So, why am I back?  I’m back because we matter.  I’m back because we make a difference.  I’m back because I love what our industry does for our customers, our stakeholders, and our world.

A quick background

I made my first delivery on the same day I got my driver’s license at age 16. The year was 1986, my hair was longer and less gray, I had fewer wrinkles, I could run faster, and play harder.  Weekends were spent cruising with friends, listening to music, and chasing girls (mostly failing at this one).

After that first delivery, I became a Courier delivering the Orlando and Central Florida area.  My first route was a route that started at Walt Disney World and delivered to all of the hotels on Disney Property.  This was my first experience in seeing how we made a difference to the guests that were coming to visit.  I then moved into the office as a Dispatcher then Accounting.  Then, in 1997, I moved into an executive role with our small company before purchasing the company a few years later.  I was the 100% owner until I merged it in 2016 and was then a minority owner in a larger company that was sold again in 2022.  I worked for two more years before retiring in July of 2024.

Together with an unbelievably talented and dedicated team, we grew a company from one small office with 3 employees and 10 drivers in 1997 to a company that had operated in four states with over 100 employees, 400 drivers, and over 500,000 square feet of warehouse space.  We did it!  We ran the race, and together, we built something special that led us to victory!  I have lived the American Dream.

What did I learn in my time away

I watched the new ownership take my old company which was “my baby” and do things that I would have done differently.  They bought the company and they had every right to make the decisions that they believed were best.  For me, it was hard to watch. I saw talented people I cared deeply about leave the organization, and that was painful. These were people that mean the world to me.  Had I let them down?  Did I fail them?  That is a question with which I struggle to this day.

My old company changed. My former company evolved in ways that were different from how I would have led it. Some changes were difficult for me to watch, particularly when talented people I deeply respected moved on from the company. Why?  What happened? The answer is that change is inevitable, people change, companies change.

However, good people and good leadership always produce a good result.  You can’t build a championship team with C caliber players and C caliber leadership. Great teams are built with a combination of great players and great leadership.

I learned that numbers matter because they tell the truth, even when we don’t want to hear it.

I learned that leadership matters because good people can only thrive when they have leaders who believe in them, support them, emphasize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

I learned that people matter because businesses don’t build themselves. Great teams do.

What brought me back

I am back because I love this industry. I love what we do for the world.

I came back because I value the people who helped shape my career and my life.

I came back because I appreciate our clients, our relationships, and the trust they place in us every day.

I came back because I respect my competitors who push us all to improve.  Each company and person brings our own story, our own strengths, and our own approach to serving customers. Together, we make a real difference!

Most importantly, I came back because I still have more to learn. I still have room to grow. And I still enjoy the challenge.

The Team Returned

One of the greatest opportunities that Take 2 Logistics provided was the chance to bring some of the talented people from our past back together again. While we are not seeking to replicate the size, growth, or expansion we achieved before, we are fully committed to delivering an exceptional experience for our customers.

Every day, our team works tirelessly to ensure our clients receive the highest level of service. They are talented, driven, experienced, and deeply committed to our mission. The opportunity to work alongside these incredible professionals for decades has been one of the greatest joys of my career.

Perhaps one of the most rewarding parts of this new chapter is having the opportunity to work with many of them once again. Great companies are built by great people, and I am grateful to be surrounded by a team that continues to make a difference every day.

What have I learned since we opened Take 2 Logistics

Take 2 Logistics returned to our roots of providing rush Courier Service around Greater Orlando and Central Florida. I didn’t know it then, but that first delivery would begin a 40-year journey that would introduce me to thousands of incredible people, teach me countless lessons, and shape the person I would become.  While I am not delivering (and certainly not in a Z-28), the fun of doing a pickup followed by a delivery is back!

What a client wants today is the same as what a client has always wanted.  They want a quality service for a reasonable price. The vast majority of companies are willing to pay for a quality service. Clients want communication.  If something goes wrong, tell them.  If we make a mistake, tell them. If we get it right, tell them. Relationships have always been built with communication and honesty as a foundation. That is true today, was true yesterday, and will be true tomorrow.

There have been some changes.  In the rush delivery services, clients are not as demanding of a delivery in 2 hours as they were in the past. They want delivery “today” or “as quickly as possible.” They recognize that immediate deliveries are not as needed or as necessary as before.

The industries we serve have changed and the needs within those industries have changed. We are no longer delivering printing proofs for approval, or delivering paper reports. We don’t deliver paper bank checks.  Instead, we deliver tangible goods.  Actual items that are being used, consumed, or sent to our client’s customers. We are moving a greater percentage of palletized orders and products than in the past.

So, a lot has changed. The faces have changed. The cities have changed. Technology has changed. The products have changed. People are still people. We are still here to make a difference in their lives. We are here because we matter.

After 40 years, I know one thing with certainty: logistics is not about packages, pallets, trucks, or technology. It is about people.

People who need solutions. People who need partners. People who need someone they can trust.

That is why I came back.

That is why Take 2 Logistics exists.

Because making a difference still matters.

——————-
Lance Dearborn
Take 2 Logistics
CEO/Owner
lance.dearborn@take2logistics.com