From Puerto Rico to Los Angeles - and everywhere in between - Trailer Bridge brought the team together to raise a glass to another year of making it happen. Jacksonville and Puerto Rico held their annual Christmas parties and branches across the country celebrated with festive feasts, a golf outing, a theme park adventure, and even a party bus. Thank you to all of TB Nation who made 2022 a success!
Atlanta
Jacksonville Port Jacksonville
Kansas City
Los Angeles
Nashville
Raleigh Denver
The overwhelming theme in 2022 was the pursuit of growth, to become a leader in the logistics industry and a billion-dollar company by 2027, all to better serve our customers, partners, and employees.
Did our team rise to the challenge? You bet we did! In 2022, there were more people added to the team, more communities and families served, and more customers reached - giving us MORE reasons to celebrate than ever before.
“2022
Eric Masotti, President of Logistics
Trailer Bridge proudly accepted several accolades this year, which we couldn’t have done without all of you!
• Fast 50 Awards by The Jacksonville Business Journal
• Best Places to Work by the Jacksonville Business Journal
• Healthiest Company on the First Coast by First Coast Worksite Wellness Council
• Healthiest Employers of Tennessee
• Healthiest Employers of Illinois
Not only did we hire more than 125 new team members, we also celebrated reaching 300+ employees nationwide.
Our strategic growth initiatives also included promoting executives that have been instrumental to company advancement. This year, Indie B. Bollman was named Chief People Officer; Eric Masotti was named President of Logistics; Scott Douthitt was named Vice President of Logistics and Kyle Jones was named Vice President of Sales.
The new year brought new locations, new teams, and new partnerships for Trailer Bridge.
We continued to plant our roots across the country with three logistics branches opening in Kansas City, Denver, and Dallas.
In partnership with Mastery Logistics Systems, Trailer Bridge also celebrated the launch of MasterMind™, a cloud-based TMS created by industry pioneer Jeff Silver.
We also introduced the Training and Development Team, aligning with the TB12 value “Pursue Growth and Learning” by providing employees support to succeed in their career, now and in the future.
At the core of our culture is a commitment to service – to our customers and employees but also the communities where we live and work. In 2022, we partnered with multiple organizations close to our hearts that share a passion for improving lives of local families, including:
• Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• Dreams Come True of Jacksonville
• Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare, Inc.
• Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation
• Three Grains of Rice Missions
With such an eventful year, the expectations are high moving forward. But we have the utmost confidence in our incredible team because the logistics experience we offer is different. We can’t wait to see where we GROW in 2023!
Read the full blog on Trailer Bridge’s incredible year here
As is tradition, President of Logistics Eric Masotti put his fortune telling skills to the test in his year-end blog, sharing transportation industry predictions for 2023 and reflecting on the accuracy of his forecast for 2022.
Here’s what Eric got right for 2022:
Prediction: Container pricing will drop below $15k in the second half of 2022 Outcome: At the end of the year, container costs are as low as $5,000, making rates much lower than $15k.
Prediction: Dry van spot rates will peak at $3.17 per mile
Outcome: The peak spot rates occurred in January at $3.10 per mile. Although this would have been a loss in “Price is Right,” Eric’s original prediction was only 2% off.
Prediction: Golden State Warriors will get their fourth title since 2015 and Stephen Curry will receive MVPs for the regular season and finals.
Outcome: For the second year in a row, Eric’s sports predictions were a success. The Golden State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Championship and Stephen Curry received an MVP trophy in the finals.
Eric’s Predictions for 2023:
Ocean Freight: Import TEU capacity to be lower, with a peak at 2.3 million
Dry Van Spot Rates: Spot rates will drop, peaking at $2.62 per mile
Class 8 Truck Orders: Peak order volume to drop to 38,000
Fuel Pricing: Diesel fuel costs will peak at $3.91
Football: San Francisco 49ers will win their 6th Super Bowl championship on February 12, 2023, with rookie Brock Purdy leading the team
Read the full blog by Eric Masotti here
December marked the second in-person New Employee Onboarding of 2022. Our new hires in Jacksonville gathered at the corporate office and team members across the country tuned in online.
This fun and informative two-day event is organized by Trailer Bridge’s Training and Development team to give employees an introduction to logistics and the company culture that makes what we do so special.
Attendees enjoyed the chance to meet with company leadership in a small setting, including Trailer Bridge CEO Mitch Luciano. Many agreed that the high energy of the presenters and interactive elements like the JAXPORT tour made it different than any onboarding experience they’ve had.
Moving into 2023, there are exciting plans for New Employee Onboarding, including transitioning to a fully in-person event and integrating training for our new TMS, MasterMind, into the schedule.
“Port tour at JAXPORT”
Tom Skinner Marketing Coordinator
Jasmine James Talent Acquisition Specialist
“Mitch Luciano speaking about the company and vision for its future “
Dawson Smith Logistics Sales and Ops.
What was your favorite part of onboarding?
TB celebrated the season and got creative with their ugliest holiday apparel, complete with a tree skirt poncho, reindeer antlers, and a sweatshirt adorned with real pine branches.
Customer Experience Director Ann Phelps visited Trailer Bridge’s community partner Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare, a nonprofit in Puerto Rico committed to providing a safe retirement for racehorses on the island.
In 2022 alone, 43 horses were accepted into the program and 43 more were adopted or transferred to other organizations. As a small organization, they rely entirely on company and community donations for the horses’ care. As part of our continued support of our neighbors in Puerto Rico, Trailer Bridge donated two containers to transport much-needed supplies for the organization after other carriers had turned them away.
“To see it all in action was amazing,” said Ann. “It’s impressive what they’ve done for these horses that have nowhere else to go.”
Trailer Bridge is growing and so are our efforts to give back! Going into the new year, TB Gives is bringing more ways to serve our community than ever before.
Meet the TB Gives team, a group dedicated to carrying out Trailer Bridge’s mission of service to improve the neighborhoods where we work and live by providing assistance, encouragement, and hope to those in need.
While the TB Gives team coordinates our community efforts, we encourage ALL Trailer Bridge employees to participate! It is a great way to get to know people across TB nation, make a difference close to home and have fun along the way.
Contact Cici Sanchez (cisanchez@gmail.com) or Ashley Waugh (awaugh@trailerbridge.com) for exciting opportunities to help!
Keep an eye out for these opportunities (and more!) in 2023:
• Dreams Come True partnership events
• Food drives
• Nursing home blanket drives
• Habitat for Humanity home construction projects
• Multiple sclerosis cycling event
• Donation drive and volunteer events with Rethreaded
• VFW volunteer opportunities
• Special needs school tour at Trailer Bridge
TB Gives has a new logo, but the purpose remains the same: to serve local communities with our time and funding alongside organizations that are most special to the employees of Trailer Bridge.
Trailer Bridge, Inc. and ATS International recently partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico to begin a rehabilitation project in the municipality of Guayama, Puerto Rico.
Trailer Bridge volunteers Jacob Wegzryn, Whitney Croxton, and Reynaldo Ortega spent the day working alongside Habitat Puerto Rico staff and three families to complete tasks including cleaning the interior of the home, exterior landscape work, and demolition of a cement structure. The home, purchased by Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico in 2022, will be fully transformed throughout the next months and presented to a selected family.
“We are incredibly grateful to serve alongside these families to begin the work to transform a house into a home,” said Jacob Wegzryn, Vice President of Caribbean at Trailer Bridge. “Trailer Bridge was founded on serving the people of Puerto Rico and giving back to the community in this way is just an extension of that commitment and our company’s culture of service.”
Read more about the project and Trailer Bridge’s contributions to Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico here
The President’s Award is a distinction first introduced in 2015 by Trailer Bridge CEO Mitch Luciano when he stepped into his new leadership role. Although the company had a 24year history at that point, he felt the award was an important addition to moving both our people and our business forward.
Each year, Mitch hand-selects Trailer Bridge team members who are exceptional examples of kindness, respect, and trustworthiness to receive the award. Candidates are considered based on suggestions from previous winners and from Mitch’s observations and interactions throughout the year.
“So many companies give this type of award for the top performer, but I knew the only way we would succeed as an organization was through love and kindness – to each other and our customers,” he said. “This award honors those who live out those characteristics.”
The President’s award has become a badge of honor throughout the company, as it symbolizes the culture of service we all work hard to cultivate at Trailer Bridge. Read the full blog about our exceptional winners here.
“Receiving this award truly is an honor. As someone who gets to sit here day in and day out creating art, it came as a bit of a surprise. I hold a unique role in the company that not many other people get the opportunity to do. And being recognized not only for the work I put together but for the way I go about doing it is so special to me.”
Michael Leary, Sr. Creative Services Specialist“It is a tremendous honor. The proudest moment of my professional career thus far.”
Ryan Smith, Logistic Sales & Ops. - Los Angeles“The President’s Award is my most important professional achievement to this day. It means that if you truly love what you do and you do it with passion, sooner rather than later you will achieve whatever goal you set in your life.”
Artemio Agosto Perez, Financial & Compliance Analyst
As we enter the New Year, physical health is top of mind for many. According to Statista, the top three New Year’s resolutions are to exercise more, eat healthier, and lose weight. Unfortunately, 64% of people give up within the first month. But never fear, The TB Wellness Committee is here with a whole quarter of physical wellness initiatives to keep you going!
Here are 5 tips to keep you motivated in your health journey:
Understand your why: Why are you going after this resolution? When you are feeling discouraged, remind yourself of the reason you started in the first place.
Focus on one thing at a time: Instead of a drastic lifestyle shift, make one change at a time. This way, you will be much less likely to become overwhelmed.
Start with something easy: You don’t have to tackle the entire goal at once. Start easy to boost your confidence, then go for more challenging goals.
Grab a buddy: Find someone with the same resolution and team up! You will both be more likely to succeed if you hold each other accountable and provide support.
Create visual reminders: Have a visual of your goal to serve as a reminder throughout the day. This could be a vision board or something as simple as a calendar where you check off the days you complete a goal related task.
Attention all parents! Trailer Bridge now offers discounted childcare nationwide at The Learning Experience through their Work and Family Experience program. Here is a quick rundown of what is included with this BRAND NEW benefit:
Discount and Eligibility: All Trailer Bridge employees can now receive 10% off tuition at The Learning Experience centers, for children 6 months to 6 years old. To receive this discount, all you need to do is provide proof of employment, such as a pay stub. The discount can be applied to families new to The Learning Experience and families with children already enrolled. New employees are eligible for this benefit immediately upon starting at Trailer Bridge, no waiting period.
The Puerto Rico team spread Christmas cheer to children living in San Juan’s Las Dalias public housing with bags full of gifts they collected. Dressed as Christmas Elves and Captain America, they delivered the toys along with tasty treats to sweeten the holiday celebration.
Congratulations to Osvaldo Martinez and his beautiful bride Jocelyn Candelario, who celebrated their wedding November 26, 2022. Best wishes to you both from your Trailer Bridge family!
Jake Langlois and Phil Cros from Trailer Bridge’s Raleigh branch took a trip to Chicago to meet with some clients and stopped by to say to the Chicago branch along the way!
The marketing team joined local sales and marketing professionals for a Transportation Marketing and Sales Association (TMSA) networking event, including a tour of the JAXPORT Blount Island Terminal. During the tour, Marketing Director Whitney Croxton proudly guided the group through the Trailer Bridge terminal, outlining our company’s history and successes in both ocean and domestic transportation. Port Manager Cesar Arevalo and Port Operations Director Edgar Perez were also there to represent Trailer Bridge, sharing their expertise on our Puerto Rico operations.
A little friendly competition never hurt anybody! Members from the Corporate office and Jacksonville Brokerage got together for their annual soccer showdown to see who could claim bragging rights and the unofficial title of TB soccer champions.
Trailer Bridge is growing and with that comes opportunities to grow YOUR career here at TB Nation! There are currently several opportunities available for you to make a move within the company or for you to refer a connection to TB.
Here are a few open positions:
• Coordinator, Accounts Receivable
• Specialist, LTL
• Coordinator, HR & Payroll
Find all our open opportunities at wwwTrailerBridge.com/Careers/. Reminder! Any nonleadership or non-director Trailer Bridge employee that refers a new hire will receive a $500 referral bonus!
Please remember to always notify your current supervisor prior to your referral’s application and the new hire must be employed for a minimum of 120 days to qualify for the bonus.
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Miguel Rodriguez 26 Years
Ann Phelps 23 Years
Reynaldo Ortega 22 Years
Terry Mickey 22 Years
Edgar Torres 22 Years
William Jinkner 15 Years
Eddie Jay Jr. 10 Years
Cheryl Gurliaccio 8 Years
Jose Corrada 8 Years
Crystal Rios 6 Years
Scott Douthitt 4 Years
Brian Jones 4 Years
Eric Masotti 4 Years
3 10 25
17 Extreme Leadership: Group 9 S3
Smart Meeting: Fraud Prevention
Gabe Mbomeh 2 Years
Julia Geiger 2 Years
Gerardo Martinez 2 Years
Jake Langlois 2 Years
Bryan Mathews 1 Year
Steven Brice 1 Year
Nate Ntumaba 1 Year
Logan Stoldt 1 Year
Melanee Taylor 1 Year
Sebastian Auerbach 1 Year
Travis Chaires 1 Year Chris Nelson 1 Year Kevin Kata 1 Year
18 Extreme Leadership: Group 9 S3
Jax Brokerage Open House
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Director’s Dinner Sales Basics: Session 5 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Smart Meeting: 401(k) Planning 11 26
20 19 Sales Conference
5 Sales Basics: Session 4 27 National Fun at Work Day
6 13 Micro Meeting: Health Joy & Class Pass 21 28
7 14 29 30 31
1 Catherine Boyer-Porter Nichole Smith Jeanine Mader 4 Gerardo Martinez 5 Reynaldo Ortega 6 Reginald Batiste 7 Chris Goss 8 Zachary Alexander 9 Alivia Brown 12 Jason Angell Michael Preamble 14 Coulson Vaughn 15 Davonte Young 16 Justin Reynolds
18 Mark Ryan
Jessica Fields
Carlos Hernandez 19 Giovanni Nieves 20 Nathan Schwartz 21 Willie Williams 22 Cesar Arevalo Daniel Daragjati 23 Jenny Lewis 25 Anthony Sanchez 27 Alana Lucas 28 Jorge Martinez 30 Indie Bollman 31 Alicia Sanjurjo
Phillip Thornton is a one-of-a-kind driver. He demonstrates kindness and integrity with every interaction. He is a sweet and generous man and takes pride in everything that he does. He goes the extra mile for TB as often as he can. He has a phenomenal personality, goes with the flow of each day and is happy to help any driver that can use a hand. We are extremely lucky to have Phillip Thornton driving for TB.
