Operations Leader - Logistics Transformation Expert

Kenneth J. Michalek

Scottsdale, AZ 253-***-**** ***@*********.*** www.linkedin.com/in/michalek/

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Transportation, Logistics and Supply Chain operator with 20 years of leadership across multi-site distribution, LTL and truckload networks and offshore logistics. Proven ability to improve deployment, reduce cost structure, and align transportation strategy with business performance. Experience spans across asset-based carriers, freight forwarding, and consulting environments, with a focus on identifying where operational friction impacts margin and service. Consistently brings a practical, field-tested perspective to distribution-heavy organizations navigating growth, integration, and network complexity.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Warehouse Operations Distribution Center Leadership Freight Operations Management Cross Dock Operations Multi-Site Operational Leadership Transportation & Logistics Operations Workforce Planning & Labor Management Facility Design & Operational Flow Project Launch & Execution PMO Leadership Operational Process Engineering Lean / Six Sigma Methodologies DMAIC Process Improvement Change Management Mergers & Integration Management Continuous Improvement

DIGITIAL TRANSFORMATION & AI-ENABLED OPERATIONS

Transportation Workflow Automation AI-Assisted Operational Design Operational Decision-Support Systems NMFC Classification Logic Transportation Rating Systems Workflow Intelligence Platforms Knowledge-Base Development GitHub Workflow Management Data Scraping & Operational Intelligence Cloudflare Deployment Architecture AI Collaboration Platforms Operational Analytics & KPI Dashboards

SELECTED OPERATIONAL & TRANSFORMATION HIGHLIGHTS

Managed 24/7 operations for a 140-door unionized breakbulk distribution center supporting large-scale regional freight operations.

Helped improve operating ratio performance from 92 to 87 across a 56-terminal, $500MM regional transportation network.

Directed terminal construction, redesign, and operational launch projects across multiple western U.S. facilities.

Led wireless operational technology deployments, driver management systems, dimensioning systems, and freight workflow automation initiatives.

Managed merger and operational integration initiatives involving terminal consolidations, workforce transitions, technology integration, and freight flow redesign.

Applied Lean/Six Sigma operational methodologies to labor productivity, workflow optimization, staffing models, and process control initiatives.

Developed AI-assisted operational workflow concepts focused on NMFC alignment, shipment classification accuracy, transportation rating logic, and operational decision support.

Built transportation intelligence and workflow automation frameworks utilizing AI collaboration platforms, structured operational data, and logistics engineering methodologies

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

GRG Transportation Consulting Scottsdale, AZ

Business Strategist & Deployment 2016 - Present

Provide transportation and logistics consulting services to small and mid-sized manufacturers, distributors, and logistics providers. Focus on execution-level improvements across routing, cost structure, and network design.

Rate Reduction Consulting - Shipper Carrier Specific Pricing (CSP) – Overlayed Blanket Pricing of qualified carriers for market competitiveness. Demonstrated instant saving and simplified shipping logistics allowing clients to flatten their organization structure to eliminate managerial layers to manage carriers of LTL, Truckload, Drayage and Expedited. Shipping Cost reduction ranged from 10% to 20%. Integrated the GRG Density calculator to eliminate carrier rebill due class adjustments.

Designed and Executed Mainland & Offshore Shipping - Reduced quote friction and enhanced reliability (Hawaii & Alaska), increase quote conversion and cost reduction by engineering and deploying the GRG Hawaii and GRG Alaska Rater Portal. Merged 3PL Platforms to link partnered consolidators to customize the shipping mechanics. As one client experienced, shipment volume in 2024 -2025, 72 full loads with a net saving of 50% per container for Door-to-Door service

3PL Mainland Logistics & Offshore consolidation – Reconcile and engineered clients points file to create a SMC3 Carrier Connect profile. Created Client SMC3 tariff with Point-to-Point rate tables for seamless solution links for 3PL and partner carriers to view service offering and value proposition.

Engineered Data Capture - Brown Transfer/CZAF - Deployed Acordex driver management platform to capture paperless Proof of Deliveries (POD) and seamlessly linked images via API/EDI to 3PLs and Carriers Imager Servers for shipment completion and prompt invoice payment. This corrected a 10% a nonpayment because of non-support delivery because of poor document management processes.

Reconfigured Delivery Management System – Brown Transfer/CZAF - Leverage the Acordex platform of driver management, geofencing dispatching, drop yard inventory. Expanded the platform to capture outbound shipment count and tonnage by destination zip codes to create Skel Bills to eliminate manual shipment route coding. Eliminated misrouted shipments, reduced administrative hours, improved network on-time service percentages and eliminated paper updated of route changes.

Supply Chain Analysis - Holman Distribution – Engineered an investment strategy for expanding their service offering to include 24/7 Fleet Services for Kimberly Clarke, Conway, Arkansas that would eliminate the expense of a 3rd party trucking operation.

Aloha Freight Forwarding, Compton, CA

Chief Operating Officer 2014 - 2015

$60 Million Private Transportation Company - Hawaiian consolidation & logistics

Led regional operations and commercial strategy for freight forwarding and offshore logistics network.

Engineered Revenue Growth by Revitalized inactive CRM accounts and identify the highest contribution profiles and harnessed (Open Lock Training) to secure shipper commitments. Close the deal with clients focused on freight mix compatibility to improve Container cube from 89% to 93% that translated into $976K net profit lift.

Developed territory Sales Management Strategy to improve sales productivity, by creating interactive mapping to identify active, inactive and new prospects. Create a territory blueprint for attaining targeted commodities, improving container cube utilization. Aloha's Cube Utilization improvement by 5.88% within 8 months, adding $1.298,000 additional revenue.

New Business - Implemented distribution of Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers Bobbleheads marketing solution for merchandising startup company. By Clearing inbound China Containers at the LA Port, unloaded, inventoried and coordinated delivery for Team Event nights. Generated additional $300k in unused warehouse space.

Re-energized the company’s logistics solution for Proctor & Gamble in expanding revenue to Hawaii by shrinking the ordering to delivery to 10-12 Days compared to the shippers’ process of 28-30 days. Accelerated the consignee’s inventory turn rate and enhanced the cash flow operating on a Net 20 account payable.

Negotiated Contract Carrier Contract - Reduce carrier Team downtime by weekend unloading to increase their revenue per team by allowing rapid dispatching to the next load to optimize their revenue miles and their hours of service

Creative Logistics Secured New Business – Behr Paint - Engineered a logistics solution for Alaska by leveraging the twice a week sailing schedules, consolidated weekly shipments and leverage aggressive 3PL LTL carrier rates. Created 45% margin compared to truckload dispatching.

Pacific Alaska Freightways, Fife, WA

Director of Revenue Management 2007 – 2014

$60 Million Private Transportation Company – Alaska Consolidation & Logistics

Oversaw revenue management efforts focused on Alaska consolidation and mainland logistics and managing RFP and transactional rate quotes performed by 5 Pricing Agents FTE.

Active Revenue Management – 5 FTE Pricing Agents focused on Alaska consolidation, mainland logistics sales and created customized an Offshore Rater that created instant rate results allowing for discretionary account manager discounts to secure the business. The conversion rate grew from 25% to 60% by instantly aligning the quote to the customer’s budget targets.

Designed and implementation inbound planning system – the 5-day planning window to manage staffing, equipment and coordinate appointment deliveries. Creating engineered sequential delivery zones, linked the CRM to determine delivery requirements and improving the cross-dock load rate. Processing window was reduced to allow timely driver dispatching of LTL shipments and obtain an 80% delivery rate on Monday and Wednesday. Re-engineering delivery drivers to 4–10-hour days to reduce overtime.

Engaged 3PL’s pricing, expanding truckload carriers’ network, to attain brokerage margin of 18–25%. Expanded the service footprint allowing the RFP process to incorporate a Chicago consolidation center to compliment a shipper’s carrier zone rates to avert head haul rates to the PNW Alaska Gateway.

Managed the Acquisition of Southern Alaska Freightways (SAF) to expand company’s service footprint to include Kodiak, AK and merging new customer CRM profiles, pricing and account data for a seamless customer experience.

USF Reddaway, Clackamas, OR

Vice President of Terminal Services 2001 – 2007

$600M transportation company - Western U.S. Network of 90 Terminals

Managed a Staff of 15 (IT, IE, Corporate C/S and Cargo Claims)

Project leadership - Engineered business processes and reduce labor to revenue ratios through process engineer and improved IT designs and implement cost-effective technology.

Project leadership - Implementation of cargo claims practices to reduce claim liability and paid claims ratio by improved terminal accountability and implemented delivery guard rail polices and standards for Wal-Mart and Home Depot.

Project leadership - integration of acquired companies and facilities relating to property consolidation, business process transition, and Information Technology integration. Projected savings of $30 million over five years.

Project leadership – Development of mobile data device (MDT) for an enterprise-wide initiative that saved $24 million capital investment by leveraging existing technology to streamline data collection processes, create paperless systems, and access real-time data pricing data.

Project leadership - Managed, trained, and implemented a $6 million Freight Management System, which included one year for development, two months for system training, and two weeks for training 240 managers. Implementation expenditure 50% under consulting firm estimate.

Project leadership - Engineered a freight bill transfer logic system that identified and corrected 8% reporting errors. The system provided a baseline report, which was necessary to improve processes, resulting in a $12 million reduction in operating ratio during six years, the second best in the country.

Project leadership – Engineered process generated $650,000 annual savings in labor, fuel, and lease/facility equipment by integrating 160-door, 26-acre joint venture terminal that created seamless exchange of freight flow.

Project leadership - Engineered process saved $600,000 annually and improved transit time 20% by renovating business processes for exporting and importing freight with Canada.

EDUCATION

Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, USA - B.A. Business Management and Accounting

CERTIFICATES AND TRAINING

YRC Open Lock Sales Training YRC Performance Management I & II YRC Statistical Process Control Association Professional Facilitation Training Six Sigma Certification Blackbelt Training D.O.T. Drug & Alcohol Awareness Training

TECHNOLOGY & SYSTEM PROFICIENCY

Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Operational Reporting & KPI Dashboards Freight Classification & Density Logic Wireless Operational Systems Workflow Automation Platforms AI Knowledge Systems GitHub Repository Management Cloudflare Deployment Platforms Operational Data Modeling Remote Imaging & Dispatch Systems Border Crossing Automation Transportation Rating Engines Customer Master File Integration Labor Planning Systems

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