The Bridge Newsletter - January 2024

THE B R IDGE

Let’s give it up for the Extreme Leadership Group X grads!

Sebastian Auerbach

Ike Forrester

Jennifer Gutierrez

Jonathan Lantroop

Chad Henson

Tim Stegink

James Cox

Kari Gomez

Jake Willis

Michael Leary

Corey Richards

Dan Sheridan

Chris Goss

Jake Langlois

Curtis Martin

Ann Phelps

Andrew Stivers

Paul Sinchuk

This occasion marks their completion of Trailer Bridge’s in-house leadership program, led by CEO Mitch Luciano and VP of Marketing and Communications, Whitney Croxton. Over the past several months, the group met for four, 2-day sessions where they took a deep dive into their individual strengths, company culture, and what it means to be a leader at Trailer Bridge. This curriculum equips them with the knowledge and skills to guide the next generation of TB employees as the company grows.

INTRODUCING EXTREME LEADERSHIP GROUP 11

Zach Smith

Melissa Morrison

Laura Pederson

Alec Noble

Seleatha Carter

Brooke Cockrell

Aaron Green

Chris Nelson

Trey Oliver

Brandon Riggan

Leah Novak

Ramon Rivas

Nate Alexander

Ruben Montero

Coulson Vaughn

Philip Cros

Denigh Elizabeth

Garrett Higginbotham

Tony Sanchez

Connor Leach

MAINTAINING

FORWARD MOMENTUM

Despite a challenging year for both the transportation industry and the economy as a whole, Trailer Bridge doubled down on its efforts to be the leading logistics provider in North America, the Caribbean, and beyond.

For the full blog with all of Trailer Bridge’s top moments in 2023, click here.

These are just some of the successes that we have to celebrate this year:

27% year-over-year INCREASE IN LOAD VOLUMES.

Despite a down market, the logistics division landed an average of

1 NEW CUSTOMER PER BUSINESS DAY

CELEBRATING OUR PEOPLE

ANN PHELPS was promoted to Vice President of Customer Experience, Ocean Division

CEO MITCH LUCIANO and CCO JEFF VAUGHN were named 2023 Pros to Know by Supply & Demand Chain Executive

WHITNEY CROXTON was named to 40 Under 40 and Women of Influence lists by Jacksonville Business Journal

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

Trailer Bridge partnered with DREAMS COME TRUE OF JACKSONVILLE to make dreams happen for 3 lucky kids.

Rally Por Puerto Rico Charity Golf Tournament raised a record- breaking $104,000 FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY of Puerto Rico

THRIVING COMPANY CULTURE

TB IS AWARD WINNING

THE SHUGART BRIDGE was christened in memory of Kerry Shugart

New Employee Onboarding resumes IN-PERSON

IT’S TIME TO PARTY!

The Jacksonville Holiday Party was the event of the year , hosting more than 300 TB team members to celebrate and spend time with friends and loved ones. This year was especially joyful, as the team from Puerto Rico came to Jacksonville to join the festivities. Drinks, dancing, and music flowed throughout the evening, as guests soaked up the theme of Tropical Glam .

PRESIDENT’S AWARD WINNERS

Each year, the President’s Award is presented to three exceptional individuals in TB Nation who embody the company’s culture of love and kindness in all their interactions. This tradition was started by Trailer Bridge CEO Mitch Luciano who hand-picks the winners based on his interactions throughout the year and recommendations from others. One winner is chosen from the Ocean, Logistics, and Puerto Rico teams.

A big congratulations to this year’s President’s Award honorees! Click here to read more!

THIS IS WHAT THE RECOGNITION MEANS TO THEM

“Receiving the President’s Award signified to me that hard work is noticed and appreciated. I feel very honored and grateful for what Trailer Bridge has helped me achieve in my career. I will continue to help others and show this company how thankful I am to have the opportunity to be here and grow.”

RUBEN MONTERO | Truck Operations Team Lead

“It’s an honor to be recognized for an award that highlights honesty, integrity, and respect; those are some of the most important qualities you can find in a person. Receiving the President’s Award also makes me reflect on the amazing people I’ve worked with and the individuals that helped me along the way. I’ve had an incredible journey at TB so far and this is probably the most important thing I have been recognized for at this company.”

JASON ANGELL | Strategic Accounts Manager

“Receiving this award is an incredible honor. When you do what you are passionate about, you energize your surroundings, and I am grateful that others around me can see that and be a part of it. I love my work, Trailer Bridge, my team, and what our culture represents. Not in my wildest dreams did I think I would be recognized not only for my work, but for who I am as a person.”

KARI GOMEZ | Logistics Administrator, NVOCC and Compliance, TBI

JASON ANGELL

KARI GOMEZ

BAD ASS AWARD

VINCENT ADDISON

At Trailer Bridge, being a bad ass means going above and beyond what is asked and embracing the determination to succeed. This comes as second nature to Vincent Addison, who performs Logistics Sales and Ops for the Chicago branch. Not only does he book nearly 400 loads a month, but he’s also always there for his carriers and attentively working loads.

“It means a lot to be recognized for such an award. It means that you don’t take anything for granted that life gives you and that if you are a bad ass then you will take every opportunity given and make the most of it. The best ability is availability. Never give up.”

- Vincent Addison

SHUGART AWARD

JENNIFER GUTIERREZ

This was the inaugural year for the Kerry Shugart award, presented in honor of its namesake who left a lasting impression on Trailer Bridge after more than 18 years of service. HR & Payroll Specialist Jennifer Gutierrez was presented with this award for letting her personality shine and showing a genuine love for Trailer Bridge, much like Kerry did.

“

I’m so grateful and honored to have received the first ever Kerry Shugart Award! I truly believe that your life and the decisions you make are defined by the people you leave behind. Kerry left a lasting and beautiful impression on Trailer Bridge and most of us have never met him. It means the world to me to be put in a category with someone who loves their job, loves their people, spreads love, fun and happiness but also has a “wild side.” If my life is defined by these moments, these interactions, and the love I give then that is all I could ever hope for.”

- Jennifer Gutierrez

SALES TIP OF THE MONTH:

CREATE CONNECTIONS WITH IN-PERSON SALES CALLS

These days, shippers’ inboxes and phones are inundated with pitches to move their freight. Step away from the screen and make a genuine connection with your prospects by delivering your introduction in person.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS FROM CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER JEFF VAUGHN FOR A SUCCESSFUL IN-PERSON COLD-CALL:

GET TO KNOW THE GATEKEEPER.

When entering the business, there is usually a person you will need to interact with before meeting with the person you want to speak with. Make sure to take note of who they are so you can greet them by name next time you visit.

FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.

While you aren’t likely to make a sale on the first visit, it is a great opportunity to build trust and rapport. Use the interaction to gather information and don’t push the sale too hard.

VISIT THE NEIGHBORS.

Make a quick introduction to other businesses in the area to see if they would be good leads. If they are a good fit, ask for the contact information of the person who handles logistics and plan to return later for a meeting.

TRAILER BRIDGE

DELIVERS 300+ BIKES TO KIDS IN NEED

Trailer Bridge recently partnered with CoAqua and local non-profit Bikes for Kids Foundation to deliver more than 300 bikes to children in need in Jacksonville, FL.

The Bikes for Kids Foundation serves Title 1 children, starting in 3rd grade, through educational programs that teach “nothing is given, everything in life is earned.” Part of the program involved participants completing a reading assignment and writing an essay to earn a bike.

Trailer Bridge helped ‘Make It Happen’ by donating a truck and driver to transport the boxed bikes to the assembly location and then deliver the completed bikes to local schools where they would be presented.

In addition to logistics support, Trailer Bridge also participated in the Foundation’s bike building event, where more than 40 volunteers from the community came together to build all the bikes in a single afternoon.

Click Here to view the full story.

“We are proud to support the Bikes for Kids initiative here in Jacksonville. Pairing our services with a project to support young people in our community is in line with our culture of service and commitment to loving our people, our customers, and the communities we serve across the nation.”

JEFF VAUGHN Chief Commercial Officer

The holiday spirit traveled far and wide, as teams across Trailer Bridge Nation celebrated the season in style!

KANSAS CITY

KANSAS CITY

CHICAGO

RALEIGH

REMEMBERING OUR HEROES WITH WREATHES ACROSS AMERICA

Gone but not forgotten. Trailer Bridge volunteers honored the memories of fallen soldiers by laying wreaths at the Jacksonville National Cemetery. TB truck driver Kenneth Fooshee and his wife Yvette transported wreaths for the occasion, driving them from Columbia Falls, Maine to Jacksonville, FL.

TB freight crate is a Hit with Customers!

The Documentation Team sent a TB Swag box as a token of their appreciation to customers who always send perfect paperwork. The boxes were a hit, and their customers shared a picture of them enjoying their new goodies!

Account Management Hosts Flexitank for Port Tour

Christy Mull and Adela Hysaj from the Account Management team took customers from Flexitank for a tour of Trailer Bridge’s Blount Island port terminal. During their visit, they got to see the full process that their tanks go through for sailing, from getting booked to being loaded on the LoLo.

Promotions & Changes

GLOSSARY TERM OF THE MONTH

TB12 OF THE MONTH

The Jones Act:

A federal law that requires all goods traveling between United States ports to be carried on ships that are built, owned, and operated within the U.S.

Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.

– Mother Theresa

ACM AR Coordinator Jacksonville Operations Manager Chicago

MACKENZIE LAVECK DAVID VASQUEZ

Logistics Accounting Coordinator Jacksonville

DEMETRIUS WILSON Logistics Sales & Operations Jacksonville

DAVID DAYTON

Dispatcher-Bilingual Jacksonville

NAELIS ORTIZ Logistics Accounting Coordinator Jacksonville

PEYTON CARNLEY

DAHLIA SARMIENTO ACM Coordinator Jacksonville

MONICA GUTIERREZ Customer Experience Manager Jacksonville Carrier Relationship Analyst Jacksonville

DEVIN JENNESS Logistics Sales & Operations Jacksonville

NICK RIEMER Logistics Sales & Operations Kansas City

BROCK WEINFURTER Logistics Accounting Coordinator Jacksonville

TRISTA MERCHANT

MICHAEL MARRERO Vessel Operations Team Lead Jacksonville

NATANIEL ORTIZ-TODD Assistant Controller Jacksonville

STRESS LESS

IN THE NEW YEAR

A new year means the chance to grow and go after new professional goals. Give yourself the best chance of success with these 4 tips from healthline on handling stress at work.

Take Time to Recharge: If you begin to feel burnt out, take a few minutes to step away from what you are doing and listen to a song, take a walk, or simply stand up from your desk and stretch.

Organize Your Workday: Avoid getting overwhelmed by taking a few minutes at the beginning of each day to review your priorities and plan your time accordingly.

Take Care of Yourself: Things like diet, exercise, and sleep can play a huge part in how well you are able to handle stress. Prioritize meeting these needs to better handle everyday work demands. 1 2 3 4

Balance Your Work and Personal Life: To function to the best of your ability at work, it’s important to give yourself a break during your personal time. This could mean limiting how often you check your work email at home or making use of PTO.

Use Your ClassPass Benefits!

Looking to start a new exercise routine or try a new activity in 2024? Take advantage of your ClassPass benefits! Trailer Bridge provides 12 credits per month at no cost to you. In addition to fitness classes, ClassPass offers wellness services, FREE on-demand workout videos, and more!

NEW TO CLASSPASS?

Download the app to sign up and enter our company code to claim your free credits.

Company Code: TrailerB

DRIVER OF THE MONTH

KEVIN SLEETH

Here is what the Truck Ops and Safety team had to say about TB’s Driver of the Month:

“Although November’s driver of the month hasn’t been with the Trailer Bridge family for very long, he has proven to be dedicated to getting the job done in his short time here. Whenever asked, he is willing to help the truck operations department where they need assistance and does so with a smile. Whether it’s picking up an unexpected load that a fellow driver may have fallen off of or doing a layover to help with yard checks or trailer wash outs, we can always rely on him to do his best. Please help us thank Kevin “Boudreaux “ Sleeth for his continued help in “Making it Happen “ and providing excellent service to our Trailer Bridge customers.

DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW TRAILER BRIDGE!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

The Marketing Team wants your feedback, suggestions or stories for next month’s Bridge Please send to @Group–Marketing

PIC OF THE MONTH

There is a lot of visual talent at TB, and we want to showcase your skills! We would like to feature a TB “Pic of the Month” submitted by a TB rockstar. Please send to @Group–Marketing