Susie K. Whitney is renowned as a shipping and freight expert and the entrepreneur behind SMJ Freight Solutions, LLC. She completed coursework at the North Dakota State College of Science from 1974 to 1976 and entered the shipping industry at a young age. Ms. Whitney credits her father, a long-haul trucker, with sparking her interest in the field.
Prior to establishing SMJ Freight Solutions in 2008, Ms. Whitney worked for companies including Colfax Farmers Elevator, Prime Wood Transportation and Direct Transport. She was additionally active with Saint Francis Hospital in the personal office, which included working with payroll, employee records, quarterly reports, insurance and more, before accepting a position with Midnight Express as a broker agent in 1996. Ms. Whitney further flourished with Midnight Express until 2008, at which point she was inspired to establish her own small business.
As the president and the owner of SMJ Freight Solutions, Ms. Whitney is responsible for the bulk of day-to-day operations, including invoices and accounting, payroll, developing client leads and customer service. She credits her professional success to her honesty and humility when faced with a mistake, and considers herself someone who can learn from difficult truths. Ms. Whitney believes that “hard work pays off” and that confidence is particularly important to female business owners.
Ms. Whitney was also recognized as the 2011 Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women. She has also excelled as a member of the Transportation Club. Looking toward the future, Ms. Whitney hopes to be making an exit from the freight industry, planning her retirement and turning over control of the business to her son.