Many have drawn parallels between the skills required for managing a business supply chain and military operations. But Todd Skiles already knew that at the very beginning of his career.

The year was 1986. Skiles was commissioned into the U.S. Army directly out of college, where he earned a degree in pre-law government studies. But he had a couple of months before entering officer basic training, specializing in logistics. Informed by his father that “this was not vacation time,” he took a job as a rental manager with Ryder System, Inc.

Skiles ended up serving in the military for seven years, until 1993, during which time he rose to the rank of captain, and company commander in Operation Desert Storm. He remained in the Reserves and National Guard upon resuming his career with Ryder, where he took on a series of roles with increasing responsibility, ultimately becoming senior vice president of global sales and supply chain solutions.

For Skiles, transportation and logistics were “an area of interest from the start.” He says the training he received in the military ended up being directly applicable to his job at Ryder, especially when he moved into the supply chain and logistics side of the house.

The synergy worked both ways. At the time — the mid to late eighties — the activation of American soldiers into wartime service wasn’t a common occurrence. “Ryder was a good company,” Skiles says. “It was similar to what I experienced as company commander, not just as employees or soldiers but as people. My Ryder family kept me afloat in many ways.”

Professionally, the driving force of both worlds was a shared reliance on the art and science of logistics — an area that didn’t have as big a public profile in those pre-COVID-19 days. “It was an emerging field,” Skiles says, one that sought to apply military practices to the world of business to ensure the most efficient movement of product around the world. (The term “logistics” is, after all, military in origin.)

In the Persian Gulf, Skiles was responsible for supporting the 3^rd Armored Division, including its redeployment to the U.S. upon conclusion of the war. The same skillset helped him during his time in the National Guard stateside, where his team would be activated four to five times a year in response to local weather emergencies such as floods and snowstorms.

“What I learned in the military, and what I had the opportunity to demonstrate in-country, set the tone for the next 20 to 30 years of my time at Ryder,” Skiles says. His soldiering skills provided hands-on experience in managing truck fleets and warehouses — “tangible things that I could take into my civilian career.”

There were numerous intangibles as well, including a strong work ethic and lessons in leadership that apply equally well to the military and private sector.

Over the years, Skiles has worked closely with other former military officers and enlisted individuals in various roles at Ryder, which brought some 16,000 veterans into the organization between 2011 and 2024. He believes that strong hiring record demonstrates the value of drawing on ex-military for key roles in logistics and the supply chain.

Some adjustment to life in the private sector is, of course, necessary. “As a generalization,” Skiles says, “businesses have to understand what it’s like to come out of a military career, for those looking to serve in a civilian role.” To help ease the transition, he adds, companies need to consider not just the needs of the former soldier, but their family as well.

Organizations exist to smooth the path, including the Veteran Employment Advisory Council, part of a “Hiring Our Heroes” effort launched by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. There’s also the Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO), a program within the U.S. Department of Labor.

Hiring a vet is a good move for any business, but it makes particular sense in the realm of supply chain and logistics, where the skills overlap is notable. Skiles offers himself as proof.

“I love what I do,” he says. “I’ve been afforded opportunities that allowed me to grow, helped me mentor, and work with some really great people.”