Hanna’s Journey to Becoming Dispatcher of the Year: What’s the Secret to Her Success?

In the world of express road transport, every second counts. At SWIDA Innovative, our success is built on people who can keep a cool head even during the most chaotic times. We wrapped up 2025 in
style – celebrating at our traditional Birthday/Christmas party and honouring our best performers.

The title of Dispatcher of the Year went to our expert, Hanna. We sat down with her to discuss how she views the challenging end of the year and how success is forged in the dynamic freight forwarding environment.

A Fresh Title Holder! What Does the Award Mean to Hanna?

Hanna has been with SWIDA Innovative for nearly four years, and her victory wasn’t a coincidence. How does she view this achievement?

“I admit, I was very pleased. In our line of work, every day is a small battle for results, and sometimes in the rush, you forget to notice the progress you’ve made. For me, this award confirms that even the toughest situations we handled during the year had a purpose and that my effort to help the team and clients is seen,” Hanna says with a smile.

Reflecting on Peak Season: High Prices and Driver Shortages

We’ve just finished the busiest time of the year for logistics, including Black Friday and Christmas. We asked Hanna what it was like during this “peak season” and how her work changed during the rush.

“I didn’t feel that much of a difference in the pace during December… unless you count the snow and wind, which really complicated things,” Hanna jokes. However, she notes that the real complications stemmed from pricing factors and a driver shortage.

“The biggest shift came about a week before Christmas. Transport prices doubled, and finding available vehicles became increasingly difficult as only a few drivers wanted to travel so close to the holidays. That’s when persistence proved crucial – finding suitable vehicles was much harder than during the rest of the year.”

Hanna’s Beginnings at SWIDA

Today, she is the Dispatcher of the Year, but how does one become an expert in critical situations? Hanna opened up about her chaotic start on the team.

“Honestly, my beginnings were a bit chaotic. I had to absorb a huge amount of information in a short time. I learned a lot of things ‘on the fly’ and faced high-pressure situations from day one, but that turned out to be the best school,” she explains. Interestingly, Hanna had no prior experience with express logistics before joining, making her success story even more impressive.

1,900 km with the Wrong Cargo

In freight forwarding, things can go wrong, but solving crises is exactly what pushes people forward.

“We had a situation where the wrong goods were loaded, and we transported them about 1,900 km before anyone noticed. We had to send the goods back with another truck and simultaneously find a third vehicle to deliver the correct cargo. Fortunately, the mistake wasn’t on our side – and in the end, we made the most of the inconvenience and actually secured two additional transports.”

Healthy Competition in the Office

What makes a dispatcher’s job meaningful? Besides results, it’s the people.

“We have a performance leaderboard, and we are all naturally motivated to rank as high as possible. It’s our little internal competition,” she explains. But she adds that the atmosphere is paramount: “I have great colleagues who have become friends. Thanks to them, work isn’t just a ‘necessity.’ I consider any day a good day if we can laugh together despite the pressure we face.”

How Does Hanna Recharge?

The job of a dispatcher is demanding. After the stress of managing critical transports, it’s important to recharge. January is the ideal time for Hanna’s biggest passion.

“Few people might know this about me, but I’ve been actively snowboarding for 12 years. The slopes are where I can completely switch off,” reveals the Dispatcher of the Year. While she loves logistic challenges, there is one thing she absolutely cannot stand: “I absolutely lose it if someone takes food off my plate!”
– Hanna concludes.