Meet Ja’mes Morrell: Logistics Coordinator & Mentor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ja’mes Morrell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ja’mes, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I first started WiM Logistics, I was beginning my journey of finding myself. As a mother and wife, I lost sight of who I was and who I wanted to be. Everything I did, everything that put a smile on my face was to the benefit of my children and my husband. I struggled to find things that I desired, things that I could do for myself that would put a smile on my own face. I went through stages of starting businesses, but they didn’t capture my true abilities, and began to feel like actual work. I wanted to love the work that I chose, so it wouldn’t seem as if I were working. That was my issue! I didn’t know what I was good at besides being a mother and a wife.

What should our readers know about your business?
WiM Logistics is a freight and tow dispatching service provider. We help with every aspect of the transportation industry, from start-up to providing resources to ensure your success. The transportation industry is perceived to be a male dominated industry, but what most people don’t know is that women have been behind the scenes making sure the wheels keep rolling. More recently, women are beginning to take over behind the wheel becoming drivers. When I first got into this industry it was very intimidating! Here I am a 5’2 ex-model attempting to drive this 53 foot big rig, not to mention I was the only woman in my CDL class. I began to look at it as a challenge, because I was a woman, and everyone (guys in my class & anyone that I told) was so doubtful that this was something I could pull off. Not only did I pass, but I was 1/6 that passed on the first time around out of the 13 guys in my class. The day I passed my test I learned my resilience, my ability to overcome what I thought I couldn’t. A couple months after getting my CDL license, I began working for a company locally, doing switching work. Switching or yard dog as most call it, is when you move trailers from the yard to the dock door. So all I did was park trailers, which may seem like its not that hard but when I first began it was terror! Reversing these 53 footers to fit into a dock space between trailers with six inches of space on each side without tearing anything up, this scared me! I kept telling myself I couldn’t do it, I wasn’t good enough, what if I do tear something up? Then I was thrown to the wolves. I worked third shift, and on my first night my trainer showed me the controls and how they work, gave me his number and said call me if you need me! I was on my own, so I was left with two choices; sink or swim. Out of 52 drivers I was one of 3 female drivers, so crying wolf was not an option for me. Again, I felt like I had a point to prove. Six months as a driver I became transportation supervisor. This is where it all began for me! I had behind the wheel experience, so getting to learn the logistics side of the industry took me to another level. After two years with this company, I started WiM Logistics & burned all bridges. No matter how prepared I thought I was to just jump into my own thing, I was still scared. Mainly scared that now I have to answer to myself, and I was very familiar with letting myself down before I let anyone else down. So that’s the mentality I kept when I started WiM. I made sure that I treated this company as if I were working for someone else and had to answer to someone else. Preperation, deadlines, reports, analytics, budgets, everything I learned from working for someone else, helping to keep someone else’s business successful is what I did with my business. Everything I experienced with that company helped me establish my own roots. I took the good, the things that I liked about how they operated and enhanced them. Then I took the things I didn’t like, the struggles the drivers endured, and I made that the “something” that would make WiM stand out. WiM taylors to the needs of their drivers. I’ve been a driver and I’ve seen and experienced first hand how drivers locally and over the road struggle with their home life, their health, and their finances, so I chose to be the solution to that.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My #1 supporter will always be God! He continuously arms me with the strength, courage, and knowledge to be better and do better everyday. My husband is truly my rock! Those days when I feel overwhelmed and there’s more tears than there are victories, he is right there giving me the encouragement and confirmation that I need. When I first began this business, I did it for me, for my well-being, for my self-worth. But I also did it to show my children how to create their own opportunities and make things happen for themselves. I want them to see first hand that you can be anything you desire in the world and nothing is impossible. They look up to me and do as I do, so showing them first hand how to build their own dreams instead of helping someone else build theirs is something I take honor in providing.

Website: wimlogistics.com
Instagram: instagram.com/wimlogistics
Facebook: facebook.com/wimlogistics

Image Credits
Aleya Morrell