“Logistics and supply-chain management are primarily about finding the best solutions.”

International students are also welcome to do an internship at Farm Trans. Mikolaj (21), who lives in Rotterdam and is from Poland, has completed an internship at Farm Trans Bulk Logistics: “In 2021, I moved to the Netherlands to study International Logistics Management at the Breda University of Applied Sciences. In addition to my studies, I also have a part-time job in logistics.”

During earlier school projects, Mikolaj focused on other logistical topics, such as warehousing. Now, at Farm Trans, he has gained more experience in transport. We asked him which he preferred: “I still don't know what I like best. After I earn my degree, I will decide which direction to take. But, I think transport is the most dynamic, while at my part-time job in the warehouse, that dynamic aspect is more spread out over the course of the day.”

During his internship, Mikolaj focused on his research project. The subject of his research? Delays during loading and unloading and their effects. “We didn't know exactly how big the delays were and why they happened. I discovered that most delays were not caused by Farm Trans. But, its drivers do play a role in a delay: if drivers arrive late at the first loading address, they will also arrive late to the rest of their scheduled appointments. There are a number of commercial benefits to correctly keeping track of delays.

Mikolaj finds his study programme interesting, especially because he enjoys solving problems: “Logistics and supply-chain management are primarily about finding the best solutions.” This is the reason why he enjoys his research. After familiarising himself Farm Trans and the problem, he analysed all the information and came up with one possible solution: “I made a tool for semi-automated reports about delays. With this tool, Farm Trans can find out what has happened and who is responsible for the delay. This tool will hopefully be the start of a discussion about how to prevent further delays.”

When he has extra time, Mikolaj also sometimes helps the Customer Service and Planning departments: “I have a lot of freedom. When I said I wanted to help out in Planning because I was ahead of schedule with my research, Farm Trans let me help. And if I said I needed more time for my research, I was given more time. That was really great and special.”

Thinking back on his internship, Mikolaj talks about a skill he learned at Farm Trans: "Learning how to handle the pressure of time constraints is something that I will continue to apply in the future. I learned this in the Planning department where you are required to perform many actions.” Lastly, Mikolaj also looks back at the freedom he was afforded during his internship: “I am grateful for the opportunity that I was given and for the all the help Farm Trans has provided me. I am really glad that Farm Trans was the place where I could do my internship. I don't know if other companies would be quite as comfortable and helpful as Farm was for me.”