Gagandeep Baidwan Interview

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(Newswire.net — January 25, 2021) —

Gagandeep Baidwan is an experienced entrepreneur and freight company owner. He has family roots in India. When Baidwan was growing up, his father was also involved in the freight industry. He is proud to follow in his father’s footsteps and to own a successful company.

In the course of his work, Gagandeep Baidwan has kept close track of the regulations that govern the trucking industry. He believes that some of these regulations have become onerous and that the trucking industry is harmed by too many restrictions.

He keeps a close eye on the factors that go into doing business in the freight industry. These include the necessity of keeping electronic logs, relevant DOT regulations, the cost of insurance and taxes, and rising diesel prices.

Gagandeep Baidwan is proud to be an independent business owner and to contribute to the free movement of goods around the nation. He is careful about choosing the freight that his drivers carry as well as arranging their driving schedules to provide work-life balance.

Baidwan is a young and up-and-coming member of the trucking industry, and his enthusiasm bodes well for the future of the industry. When people like Baidwan oversee trucking companies, the public will receive their goods in a safe and timely fashion.

Let’s start by telling us about your business.

My trucking company was started a few years ago. I am following in my father’s footsteps by becoming involved in the freight industry. I am a hands-on business owner, and I believe that my company is making positive change in the freight industry.

Please tell us how you make sure your customers will become raving fans of your company?

Customers become fans of my freight company because they always get their goods delivered on time. My drivers are very careful to deliver their loads safely. I have never had a load rejected because the items were damaged.

We practice excellent customer service as well. Our clients know that they can trust our company to provide an excellent service for a reasonable price.

Please tell us the one thing that separates your business from the competition.

My business is separated from the competition because we think through every aspect of delivering a load. It can be difficult to plan a trucker’s day because of the tight DOT restrictions on driving time and rest time. I have found a way to balance driving efficiency with following the DOT instructions to the letter.

And to finish this section, please tell us what is the one major key to your company’s success?

Passion is the key to our success. I have a true love of the freight industry. This was encouraged by my father when I was younger. I truly enjoy knowing that I am keeping America running by providing the products that people need to keep themselves and their families going.

For our readers just starting to build a company, what advice can you give entrepreneurs just starting out with a new venture?

Starting a new business is so stressful. I would advise that new business owners lineup as much help as they can before they get started. If you are trying to start a company on your own, it’s likely that you will have blind spots where you will miss out on important details. It’s particularly crucial to get help with the financial side of the business. You need a good accountant and a tax preparer at a minimum. You also need to have a good business lawyer on retainer.

For entrepreneurs seeking to build a business as successful as yours, what one big piece of advice can you give them when times get a little challenging?

When times are challenging, I would advise your readers to step back and take a deep breath. You can hamper yourself by leaping in and letting your fears and anxieties dictate how you respond to a problem. If you can, take a little while to deliberate on the consequences of your actions. It can be hard to balance this technique with the necessity of making certain business discussions quickly, but it becomes easier with time.

In today’s fast-changing business environment, how do you stay abreast of things?

I always keep a close eye on the industry changes that are affecting our business. Regulations in the freight industry are always changing. I keep an eye on the financial markets as well as the economy. Trucking is an industry that is always important, even in times of economic problems like today. Still, it’s necessary to be well-informed about the changes in economic conditions and in your industry itself.

What is your “Why”? In one sentence, why do you get up in the morning?

One of my major motivators is making my father proud of me. He was an immigrant who came to this country before myself and the rest of my family. He saved money and sent it to us before we could afford to join him in the United States. I have always been in awe of his work ethic and the way that he handles problems. I think that more people should look up to their parents. It seems to me that many young people want to move as far away from their parents’ example as possible. I think this is sad.

What is the most important thing one must do to be a great leader?

To be a good leader, it’s a must to be trustworthy. 

If you make a promise, keep it. If your employees want to know what they can do to make themselves more efficient, do it.

At the same time, you must be willing to bring up negative information when it is relevant to your employees’ jobs. They deserve to have all of the relevant information they need in order to make decisions.

If your employees are not performing up to your expectations, tell them so, but make it tactful and considerate.

In one sentence, describe how important your customers are to your business?

Be honest with every customer, no matter what.

Our business is nothing without our customers. What would we do if we didn’t have customers? Absolutely nothing. I think that taking proper care of customers is the most important consideration when you are running a business.

When you are running a trucking company, your customers need to know that their goods will be delivered on time and in good condition. They need to know exactly when to expect their shipments. Too many trucking companies fail to account for delays that come from rest time regulations. 

Describe a positive way that technology can make the world a better place.

Technology makes life more efficient and organized.

Technology is so important in the freight industry. We have automated systems on our trucks to help us with navigation and logging. We also use our personal cell phones to map and plan our routes and how our trucks should be loaded.

It’s difficult to think about how the freight industry operated before there were so many technological innovations. They truly make our jobs easier.

Tell us how something positive to motivate our readers.

This quote is from Jim Rohn. “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”

I think that a formal education is great, but on-the-job training will get your career off the ground. People can get too wrapped up in the theory of getting something done and forget to learn any practical considerations. I do value education greatly, but the practical component needs to happen as well.

How do you start your day to get ready?

I always get up early and handle the emails and correspondence that may have come in during the night. I do have a work cell phone that I keep on all the time in case my drivers need help at night. Mostly, I can handle things the next day.

I keep up with the business news by watching a morning business report and reading the news on my phone. I am very interested in economic news and data. I feel that keeping up with economic news helps me prepare for future movements in our industry.

I try to eat a good lunch so that I can prepare myself for the afternoon. I find that I don’t work as well when I am hungry. We usually eat in the office, but sometimes we order out.

In the afternoon, I do a walkthrough of our facilities and assess whether any of our equipment needs to be repaired. My maintenance crew is very good at keeping me in the loop.

I try to keep my evenings free to spend time with my family. Being a busy entrepreneur sometimes means that people don’t have time for their families, but I have always tried to keep the lines of communication open.

How do you handle rejection and setback?

It’s necessary to keep your personal feelings out of business decisions.

Everyone must handle rejection at some point. For me, I think the primary way that I handle this is to keep from taking it too personally. Sometimes other companies need to make decisions based on financial data and not on the quality of our services. 

What is your hiring philosophy?

My hiring philosophy boils down to choosing people who are passionate about the industry. 

Some people think that working in the trucking industry is boring, but I want to choose employees who are interested and will be self-motivated.

How do you keep your sanity in a competitive business environment?

No matter how stressful your day might be or how heavy the workload is, always make time for yourself and your loved ones.

Having a sense of sanity in a busy environment takes a lot of practice. I like to relax when I’m not working. I enjoy going to the gym and working out, that really clears my head. I also like to keep up with quality TV shows and reading for pleasure. I wish I could spend more time at the gym, I really need to make it a priority since my life can be somewhat sedentary.

To keep yourself sane, make sure that you keep some of yourself back from your business. Everyone who runs a successful business puts a great deal of themselves into their work, but you need to be open to work-life balance.