From the Driver's Seat: A Look Back at Our Internship Summer

Aug 5, 2026

Every summer, Ruan's internship program provides students with valuable hands-on experience by allowing them to contribute to a variety of departments across the organization, including Managed Transportation, Marketing, IT Security, Application Development, Human Resources, Information Systems, and Logistics. Through these opportunities, interns gain exposure to different business functions, collaborate with experienced professionals, and develop both technical and professional skills in a real-world environment.

To better understand the overall internship experience at Ruan, we asked our 12 interns a variety of questions about their summer. Their responses reflect the knowledge gained, meaningful connections made, and valuable experiences that shaped their time within the program.

"Why Ruan?"

Andy A. | Serv Security Infrastructure (RTC)

“I was drawn to Ruan because of its people-first commitment and culture around continuous improvement. Those values made it feel like a place where I could learn, contribute, and grow throughout my internship.”

Simon D. | Quality Assurance Engineer

“I chose to intern at Ruan because it was a great opportunity for me to grow professionally while also being close to home. I've enjoyed being able to work on meaningful projects that involve collaboration and cohesion between multiple departments."

Clari G. | Managed Transportation

“I was attracted to the culture at Ruan. They are very connected to their roots and take pride in being a family business. The thing I've enjoyed most about working at Ruan has been my coworkers. The most meaningful thing about my internship has been that I was given the opportunity to make real impactful decision on the team.”

Sam C. | Integrated Solutions

“Ruan was my top choice this summer, not only because of its reputation of providing a great intern experience, but for its reach across America. I would always see Ruan trucks on the road, and now that I'm part of the team, I'm reminded just how many people we positively impact and how what I do each day is truly meaningful.”

Intern Project Highlights

Adelyn M. | Managed Transportation

"The biggest project I worked on during my internship was tracking shipments to ensure orders were delivered on time and to quickly identify any delays. My role involved monitoring shipment statuses, updating tracking information, communicating with carriers, and following up on issues to keep customers and team members informed. I also focused on improving carrier compliance scores by ensuring carriers updated tracking information promptly, working with them to resolve tracking issues and meet performance expectations, and helping onboard carriers to our EDI system to improve tracking visibility and data accuracy. This project was meaningful because it strengthened my attention to detail, communication, and problem-solving skills while helping improve shipment visibility and overall on time performance."

Jake N. | IT Business Analyst

"At the start of my internship, my biggest challenge was getting up to speed with the technical aspects of the Business Analyst role. There are a lot of moving pieces, and with this being my first ever internship experience it took a lot of learning and guidance to fully understand all the necessary tools. I was originally slated to begin a different project, but changes in timelines delayed that work. These two things inspired me to begin creating documentation on common business processes and work items for future IT Business Analyst interns. My day-to-day responsibilities directly feed into this project, allowing me to document what I learn in real time and create a practical resource based on authentic experience."

Reece E. | Managed Transportation

“This summer, I had the opportunity to support daily transportation routing for our dedicated customer's account in the Managed Transportation department. My role involved planning daily shipments, updating routing spreadsheets, creating transportation schedules, and communicating with the dedicated customer's team to finalize delivery plans. This experience has been meaningful because the schedules I send out directly drive weekly operations, and challenging because every location brings different variables to solve. Being trusted to run that process independently as an intern has made it especially rewarding.”

Olivia W. | Marketing & Communications

"My largest project this summer was developing and implementing a multi-channel recruitment marketing strategy designed to increase driver applications. This involved creating targeted email campaigns for thousands of prospective candidates, managing Craigslist advertisements to reconnect with interested applicants, and launching Facebook retargeting campaigns to reach a broader audience. I also created social media content and blog posts to increase engagement and promote career opportunities. Through these efforts, I helped strengthen driver recruitment initiatives and expand candidate outreach. This project allowed me to gain hands-on experience with digital marketing, audience targeting, and campaign management while contributing to key hiring objectives. I also developed a stronger understanding of how data-driven recruitment strategies can support overall business growth."

As summer comes to a close, we asked our interns to reflect on their experience at Ruan. From impactful projects to lessons learned and advice for future interns, hear how this internship helped shape their professional journey.

Pit-Stops Along The Way

Des Moines Corporate Games

Ankeny Operating Center Visit

Truck Driving Championships

Ruan Intern Trivia

Warehouse Visit

Intern Showcase

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