NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Jeffrey Hermann, CEO of the family-owned Hermann transportation and logistics enterprise, has established a new undergraduate initiative at Rutgers Business School designed to fast-track top students into critical freight and logistics careers. Rooted in a century-old legacy dating back to 1927, the fifth-generation executive leveraged his own background working up from entry-level customer service to executive leadership to fund and co-create the Road to Global Supply Chain Leadership program, which launched in fall 2023 with an initial cohort of 25 students.

Hermann spent 15 years moving through the ranks of his family company—serving as a terminal manager, general manager, and executive vice president across multiple divisions—before taking the helm. Rather than relying solely on inherited experience, he earned an Executive MBA from Rutgers Business School to sharpen his operational expertise and maintain active ties with academic institutions. Serving on the dean’s board of advisors, Hermann recognized a critical need to better prepare incoming talent for the complexities of modern freight movement, culminating in a four-year funding commitment to serve as the lead donor for the specialized student pipeline.

The structured curriculum goes far beyond traditional classroom theory, combining intensive academic coursework with professional certifications, targeted soft-skills training, executive mentorship connections, and direct corporate internships. Organizers designed the track to scale significantly, scaling the initial cohort of 25 participants toward a long-term goal of supporting 200 or more ambitious undergraduates. This philanthropic investment aims to directly supply the transportation sector with qualified managers capable of stabilizing volatile freight networks and navigating persistent capacity shifts.

What This Means for Drivers

Professional CDL-A drivers and owner-operators depend heavily on competent logistics personnel, facility managers, and dispatchers to keep trucks moving and turn times profitable. When supply chain corridors suffer from poor planning or inexperienced oversight, drivers absorb the financial cost through unpaid detention time, botched scheduling, and congested shipping docks. Cultivating educated, hands-on leaders through programs backed by seasoned motor carriers helps ensure that future freight planners understand the operational realities of the highway. Better managed supply chains ultimately lead to smoother freight flows, reduced dock delays, and more predictable miles for OTR truck drivers working across the network.

Industry Reaction

As major trucking companies hiring across the United States grapple with an aging workforce and a persistent talent deficit in management roles, carrier executives have increasingly looked to academic partnerships to secure the next generation of leadership. Bridging the gap between university classrooms and practical fleet operations remains a vital priority for carriers attempting to modernize technology adoption, warehouse efficiency, and intermodal coordination. By investing personal resources into educational institutions, industry leaders are attempting to solve supply chain vulnerabilities from the ground up rather than reacting to perpetual labor shortages.

Key Points

• Jeffrey Hermann serves as CEO of the historic Hermann organization, founded in 1927 by his great-grandfather Fred and grandmother Myrtle.
• The Road to Global Supply Chain Leadership program launched at Rutgers Business School in fall 2023 with an initial cohort of 25 students.
• Hermann is committing four years of financial backing as the lead donor to support the program's long-term expansion toward 200 participants.
• The curriculum integrates academic study, professional certifications, mentorship, and practical internships tailored for logistics careers.

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