In an industry that is constantly changing, it’s nice to find a recruiter who has stayed with the same company for over 10 years. At the Expedite Expo 2008, I had the chance to sit down with Claude Lawson, Senior Recruiter for FedEx Custom Critical in Green, Ohio.

Dale: First of all, thanks for taking the time to talk to us! How long have you been with FedEx, and how did you get started?

CL: This year makes 11 years! I was teaching at a school down in New Orleans, and they brought me up as a recruiter for Autoquik (a former of Roberts Express, which then became FedEx Custom Critical). I had done some consulting work with Roberts Express in February 1992 while still in the Air Force, where I was the lead instructor at the Air Force Recruiting School. Roberts had me come up and do a 3 day training seminar with their recruiters. I was totally impressed with the amount of professionalism I saw in the building. When I went home, my wife asked what I thought of the company, and I said “Honey, I could really work for that company!” Once I retired from the Air Force, I became a teacher for 2 years, and then in 1997, I sent a resume to Roberts Express, and I’ve been here ever since.

D: What would you say is the biggest difference you’ve seen between Roberts Express and FedEx CC?

CL: Other than just pure size, we went from a company that had a solid base at the time, but we went from being just being number one in the Expedite industry in our little area, to the big FedEx scale, and that was a very big change. It wasn’t such a big change in the way we do business, as Roberts was always about servicing of the customer. The emphasis on that hasn’t changed; it was just multiplied several times over. It’s always been ‘what can we do to make sure we take care of our owner operators, and how can we ‘tweak’ the business a little bit more to make sure our customers are satisfied. You’ve always got to go a little bit farther.

D: What difference have online sites such as Expediters Online made in the applicants you get now, vs before such sites existed?

CL: We’ve always gotten a lot of people who knew nothing about the business,. Now in addition to all the information I give them, I direct them to do their research at EO, and see what other drivers are saying bout what the business is really like, what to expect, and how to go from zero to success. I give a special Kudos to EO for their workshops. They are excellent for taking someone who has no knowledge, going thru the basics from financing, clear up to experienced expediters who discuss the do’s and don’ts of the business, and what being out on the road is really like. That way, they don’t come to me with no clue what the business is like, and we have a more informed applicant.

***image1*** D: What kind of people do you see coming into the business now?

CL: We still get a few of the traditional OTR tractor trailer drivers, who are tired of getting beat up in a tractor, doing drop and hook every day, and they want to switch to a straight truck. Lately, though, with everything that’s going on with the economy, plant buy-outs, etc… we’re seeing a lot of people who finished one career, and they’re not ready to retire. For example, the other day I had a gentleman sign on who was a banker. People like that come to me and want a complete change.

D: How do you see the state of the business now?

CL: I think it is still growing, the need is still there. Larger corporations still don’t want the expense of warehousing large amounts of their product, so I think it will continue to grow, and companies such as FedEx will continue to cater to their needs, and make the changes we need to make to be sure we’re meeting the changing needs of companies, such as with our T-Val, Temperature controlled units, and specialty loads.

D: Why do you feel makes FedEx attractive both to companies looking for an Expedite provider, and also prospective owner operators?

CL: (for the company) Commitment to getting it done right the first time. You need it there at a specific time, we’ll get it there, you need it picked up at a certain time, we’ll be there. We will get it right the first time.

For the prospective driver, if you want to be with a company with a solid base, that helps you provide for your family long term, you can be there for 10, 15, 20 years, ….and you know it’s going to be there.. FedEx Custom Critical is the company for you. If you want a company that will help you provide for your family long term, if you’re looking for a company that cares about its owner operators, and makes sure not only the companies interests are looked after, but their contractors are taken care of… FedEx Custom Critical is the company to come to.

D: What is the future for FedEx?

CL: We are always looking for that ‘new thing’ that we can provide for our customers… looking for that new niche within our industry that will not only satisfy a need for our customers, but will allow FedEx to be The Innovator in the industry. What I will tell you on that is ‘stayed tuned, news at 11’ !