R&S Logistics and R&S Warehousing Solutions are used interchangeably in this blog post. They are one and the same company!
Quote from Joe, CEO at R&S Logistics
We've been talking for 2-3 years with UT to try to get a class like this going. It's a class I would have wanted when I was in college. It's been so fulfilling to watch it come together. Seeing and hearing from students, our team members, and partners how much everyone has benefitted and enjoyed the class has made it all worth it.
Starting in January 2026, R&S partnered with The University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business as a part of their Global Supply Chain Institute to launch one of the first-ever, never been done before hands-on 3PL class that combines classroom lectures and on-the-warehouse floor application. Because it was an accelerated class, the class has reached its final week. Today, we wanted to recap the results and insights gleaned from the class.
Learning In the Classroom
The class was an accelerated class offered primarily to UT juniors in the Supply Chain Management program. It was taught by Associate Professor of Practice Don Maier.
In the classroom, they covered topics ranging from sourcing a warehouse site, planning a warehouse layout for efficiency, how transportation works domestically and internationally, and how to reduce waste in a 3PL process.
They also covered topics like LEAN management, JIT production, 5S Systems and processes, waste reduction, and safety measures. For many of these sessions, we had some of our own R&S team members share their expertise and outside consultants and experts come in. These have featured experts and consultants like Evans Kariuki of Circle K Solutions and Lean 365, Tom Mann of Hollingsworth Companies, and Eric McCollom of Upscale Leadership.
In the Warehouse & On the Forklift
About two times a week, students were on an active working 3PL warehouse in Knoxville, which was our KX1 facility near UT’s campus. Over the 6 weeks, students learned how to pick and pack orders, how big and bulky items were organized for efficiency, and how to receive and inventory incoming shipments from customers.
Students also learned how to drive and operate a forklift, especially in a safe and efficient way. In fact, at the end of the class, students walked away with an active forklift license and certification that they can use in a future job or supply chain role. Not to mention, they also walk away as a Yellow Belt in Lean Six Sigma methodology.
A fun integration and application of the class included splitting the class into two teams and starting specific efficiency projects for the warehouse. They were given specific areas that the R&S team dictated needed more efficiency, reduced waste, and time and money savings. Students spent time together as teams working with the R&S team to review problems, identify root causes, and provide recommendations for improvement. They presented these findings at the end of the class. It was really neat as an R&S team to have fresh eyes on problems and have executable solutions to problems!
Local Partner Warehouse & Manufacturing Tours
R&S also partnered with several partners in the local East Tennessee area from manufacturers to distributors. Throughout the semester, we took tours of facilities like Altar’d State, Denso, Cherokee Distributing Company, Toyota Tsusho Maryville, TN, and Bush Bean’s.
It was a win-win opportunity as partners really enjoyed getting to show off their facilities, talk about their operations, and teach students what they’ve learned and gleaned in their supply chain management careers.
The Learnings & The Fun
Looking back at the class over the semester, it’s been really fulfilling and fun to partner with the University of Tennessee to do this class.
We’ve heard from students saying they’ve learned like, “Small things can really make a difference in efficiency,” and “I never thought I’d want to work in a warehouse, but now, I have learned that I love working and being in a warehouse everyday.”
At this time, we’re actively considering hosting another class like this in the future with UT, and we’re hopeful that it would continue to help our company innovate, benefit and streamline processes for our customers, and provide real life problems for students to learn from.
Want to hear more?
- We Share The R&S Story: How We Started
- Company History of R&S
- About the Team at R&S
- Follow Along on Instagram
- Email us at info@rslogistics.com for more information or future partnership inquiries!
🚚 The supply chain industry is always changing, so we always want to keep learning and stay on top of innovative trends.
This class is such a unique opportunity for us to do that for our team and our customers but also for the industry. It keeps us sharp, innovative, and creative for our customers!
“The reliability, flexibility, and professionalism of R&S make me know that I have a business partner I can rely on. It’s one less thing that I have to worry about.”
— Jeremy Smith, Primient