Working “9 to 5”

Working auto transport from “9 to 5” is what I do full time. It not only fills my day, it can consume it.

My husband, Rich and I own and operate Bullseye Auto Transport. It is one division of Carla’s Transport Services. We opened for business on January 31, 2005. I work six days a week, “9 to 5” out of a small home office.

No, I don’t drive a semi-truck. But, I am an auto transport broker. I help clients who are looking for trucks to move their cars.

I’ve shipped everything from riding lawn mowers to a Zamboni (that is an ice rink grooming machine). Our clients have shipped their vehicles from northern Maine to southern California and all points in between. We have several clients who are exporters and ship to Australia, Europe and Russia.

Think on your feet or die a slow death…

When Hurricane Katrina hit the state of Louisiana we saw a dramatic shift in the market. No one had told or taught me that you have watch the market. You must change your rates to reflect what the market will bear.

I almost lost the business that quarter. It was at that moment that I learned what it meant to be a business owner and not an employee. I had to make some hard and fast decisions to keep Bullseye Auto Transport.

I had gotten very accustomed to the freedoms of working for myself. There was no way I was going back into corporate America working “9 to 5”. I was too independent to be told what to do by someone else.

Making those decisions, I was out of my comfort zone. I had to find and use my critical thinking to stay in business. That’s when the dispatch center, a division of Carla’s Transport Services was born. It is also the sister division to Bullseye Auto Transport.

To serve my customers to the best of my ability takes patience and skill. It took a while to learn the ins and outs of the industry. It is a high-stress business and can raise your blood pressure and make you fat if you aren’t careful.

It is only because I use nutritional supplements that I am able to stay healthy. Being self-employed I can’t afford to be sick, at all. If I don’t work, I don’t eat or pay the bills. In six years I’ve missed one day of work thanks to the products in our home office health cabinet. Within 5 minutes my nerves are calm, my blood pressure lowered and I’m feeling better.

To work “9 to 5” six days a week, in a high-pressure business it takes all the good nutrition and health tips I can get. Plenty of sleep, exercise, and fun keep me at the top of my game.

For all of your transport needs, Carla’s Transport Services will provide you with stress-free service, a country western song and a smile, too!

Here to Serve,

Carla J Gardiner

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