Women in the Warehouse: Cassandra Magnus

May 2022

Each quarter, GSF features a woman leader within the GSF family of companies, sharing her journey, insights and what it takes to succeed in this industry.

In honor of Mother’s Day this month, GSF’s featured woman in the warehouse is Cassandra Magnus, a hardworking team member at Quality Custom Distribution (QCD) Chicago East and a dedicated mother to five children, including three girls and two boys. In her role as Transportation Manager, Cassandra oversees all activities related to the facility’s transportation and ensures her team performs to the highest standards of service. Her responsibilities include coordinating projects, assigning daily tasks, analyzing data, overseeing daily dispatch, managing the fleet, and more.

Prior to joining QCD, Cassandra spent seven years working in Transportation Management at UPS, where she obtained her Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). She went on to instruct CDL training sessions both in the classroom and in the field.

For Cassandra, the family-like culture at her facility contributes to her overall job satisfaction. She enjoys "empowering and developing people" in her leadership role and encourages her team to make positive decisions that contribute to the company's success. When asked what skills she uses as a GSF associate and a mother, she stated that "leadership, stress management, behavior control, and educational skills" are among them.

She encourages other women interested in the industry to learn from and build on their experiences.

“Just keep truckin',” Cassandra says. “Transportation is a bumpy road, and I’ve learned through successes and failures. You must have thick skin, learn from mistakes, and let them push you to excel.”

Cassandra also offers advice to mothers who want to succeed in their career, while balancing their family life. “Be honest about what you can handle,” she says.

“Being a working parent isn’t impossible, but it does add a certain level of difficulty. It is important to know your limits and be up-front about your capabilities. Your work and home life can suffer, if you don’t know where your ceiling is.”

GSF recognizes all the hardworking mothers across GSF and its family of companies for their contributions at work and at home. Happy Mother’s Day!