Partner Heroes : Combating Traffic, Societal Notions and Stereotypes…Every Day
Not all Heroes exist only in stories
We all need that little happy feeling, the first reading material of the day that helps us believe that ‘everyday dreams’ are achievable…possible. Small drops make an ocean and hard work builds bridges on them. Not all heroes have powers! Some just work with whatever they have. This story is NOT about an extraordinary man doing extraordinary things but about an average man doing regular things, extraordinarily. His unflinching resolve, dedication and enthusiasm for what he does, makes this story special.
We have all heard the oft-repeated phrase ‘age is just a number’. Today I met Umeshji who was sheer personification of this ‘age’ old saying. Umeshji is one of Porter’s foremost partners at our Bangalore headquarters. He is ‘just 51 years old’, in his own words and one of the nicest people ever. The precedent for our meeting was set post interviewing Rajeshwari . I was expecting nothing but greatness wrapped in humility. I was not disappointed.
Umeshji got his license in 1987 and subsequently began driving from the age of 22. Life is always hard and success only follows utter determination and fierce perseverance. Umeshji had a difficult childhood riddled with poverty. He was unable to attain education. Initially he tried his hand at several jobs but was somehow never able to earn well. Only after he became a driver did his career stabilize a little. He started as a tourist car driver and has travelled across the country. Nonetheless work was hard and money a little difficult to come by. At the age of 49, when he was working with Blue Dart he heard about Porter through a colleague. This opportunity impressed him enough to leave his old job and attach his truck to the Porter platform.
Umeshji partnered with Porter on June 28th 2016 and has been with us since completing more than 1500 trips through our platform. He works tirelessly in Porter’s on-demand service and is one of our most hardworking partners. Umeshji’s business has grown manifold since. Over the past two years, he was able to expand and today he is the proud owner of three trucks, all attached with Porter. He chuckles and adds,
“I have my own fleet and have even repaid the loan in full for two out of the three trucks ! Today I own land in my native place. My two sons are pursuing Engineering in good colleges and my wife is happy and proud of me. All of this was possible only because of immense hard work and dedication combined with a noteworthy platform like Porter. I owe a lot to this company.”
Our ‘everyday hero’ now earns at least 50% more on an average in a week , than he did before. His income is a result of a combination of hard work, dedication, planning and apt use of Porter platform. He says “I push myself to my maximum ability in order to do so remarkably well. I do not sit in one place and wait for trips. I travel an extra 10–12 kms to high density areas to get more trips and stay online as long as possible. I never decline trips. I am doing so well that even the extra travelling and diesel spent, is doubly compensated.”
Deeply humbled I asked him to advice commoners like us about his business mantra and for the secret ingredient to his almost magical growth spurt. He politely replied:
“My advice to other partners and business owners is to work earnestly for Porter to gain from its many advantages. Magic does not happen on its own, it has to be created! The ingredients are good strategy, tenacity and determination which make everything possible so please work towards fulfilling your dreams. I am a successful business owner today because of extreme hard work and intensive planning. So take risks, learn about your job and most importantly remember that in business the customer is always right”.
This is a part of a continuing series called “Celebrating Real Heroes through Real Stories”. Our aim is to provide well deserved recognition to our amazing driver partners. We will be sharing our partner stories to inspire everyone, the way we are inspired by them every day.
(Porter has helped many partners like Umeshji achieve the dreams of starting their own business. Our partners are not just partners but a part of our lives, our equals, the pillars on which we stand. They are the fueling force behind our success. More than 10,000 driver partners, across 5 cities are porter’s champions in disrupting the Indian logistics market. We believe in being the change we want to see! Be a part of this change.To know more visit https://porter.in/ ).
