THE BRIDGE
Honoring our Truck Drivers during Driver Appreciation Week
Every September, we hold a week-long celebration honoring the truck drivers who ‘Make it Happen’ coast to coast! These men and women spend their days and nights behind the wheel of a big rig dedicated to delivering the goods we use in our everyday lives.
Did you know? According to the American Trucking Associations, more than 3.5 million American truckers drive over 330 billion miles each year. That is the equivalent of more than 13 million trips around the globe or nearly 1,800 round trips to the sun.
Here are a few photos from the 2024 celebration!
Building a Family Legacy on the Road
Check out our latest TB Video highlighting the father-son duo who are a part of our Owner-Operator fleet of drivers. In this short video, the two share what it means to drive alongside each other.
Watch it here
Trailer Bridge Wins First Single-Source Government Contract
United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) recently awarded Trailer Bridge the Stevedoring and Terminal Services, All Ports Denmark contract.
The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a total ceiling value of more than $60 million dollars and goes into effect October 1.
Under the five-year single-source contract, Trailer Bridge will be responsible for providing all stevedoring and related terminal services associated with the import and export of Defense Transportation System sponsored and non-sponsored cargo throughout Denmark.
“This is the first single-source contract win for Trailer Bridge. It solidifies the growth of our Government Division and our newfound presence in Europe,” said Mitch Luciano, Trailer Bridge CEO.
“This win shows we have the experience, know-how and partnerships to be a strong ally to our military partners to manage global cargo movements,” said Chris Goss, VP, Government and Projects.
Read the full press release here.
Engaging New Partners & Customers in Europe
Last month, Trailer Bridge Europe hosted two engagement sessions to build relationships with new and existing partners. The events were held in Frankfurt, Germany, and Copenhagen, Denmark,offering attendees an overview of the organization while sharing the growth goals of TBE. Each session left the team with new partnership opportunities and strengthened relationships with existing partners.
While in the region, the TB team visited DSV Global Headquarters as well as the global HQ for our current partner Scan Global Logistics to discuss opportunities to grow the relationship and support each other moving forward.
Trailer Bridge International’s
Zach
Monger
Weighs in on Shipping Issues
Trailer Bridge International’s Director of NVOCC and Compliance Zach Monger recently sat down with Freight Business Journal Editor Chris Lewis to discuss current shipping issues and their impacts on U.S. East Coast ports. In the article, Zach highlights a few of the challenges he sees with current customers and how they are impacting the ongoing push for nearshoring.
Read the article here.
2024 Women in Supply Chain Winners Announced
Trailer Bridge is thrilled to announce that three of our very own have been honored with the Women in Supply Chain Award this year!
Whitney Ennis, VP of Marketing & Communications, has been recognized as an Outstanding Acknowledgement winner in the Rising Star category, celebrating young professionals (39 and under) who are shaping today’s supply chain industry.
Kacy Swanson, VP of Employee Services, has earned a spot on the Workforce Innovators list for her efforts in workforce development and creating a better future for our industry.
Ann Phelps, VP of Customer Experience, has been named to the Trailblazers list, honoring women with over 10 years of exceptional experience in supply chain and logistics.
This marks the fifth year Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive have celebrated these trailblazing women. Editor Marina Mayer shared this about the 2024 list of honorees: “These women are doing remarkable things for their communities, organizations, and teams, paving the way for future female leaders in an industry making a real difference.”
Overcoming Barriers to Success
Our Skill Enhancement & Employee Development (S.E.E.D.) program delivers microlearning content straight from your Paycor Learning Management System each month to support a culture of learning.
This month’s S.E.E.D. focus is all about overcoming barriers to success. This is a great time to sharpen your skill set and reset to achieve the goals you laid out for the year.
September Courses:
• Customer Service Excellence 1.0
• Let Go of Control
• Decision-Making Excellence
Find these classes and more in your Paycor portal under the People tab on your left-hand search bar. In this section, you’ll see ‘Learning Management System’ which unlocks these benefits for you.
In addition, make plans to join us on Thursday, October 3rd, from 2-2:45pm for our Smart Meeting where we will be discussing our current phone system and diving into the various capabilities of Microsoft Teams. Both tools are critical to our day-to-day operations, so understanding how to use them more effectively can improve communication and collaboration across the organization.
If you have trouble accessing your learning, send an email to communications@ trailerbridge.com for assistance.
Congratulations to Tommy Fencel, Logistics Sales & Ops - Jacksonville, and his fiancé Lani on saying ‘I Do’ on September 21. The smiles on their faces show the joy that was shared on their special day!
Join us in congratulating Destiny Ford, EEI Filing Coordinator, and her family on the birth of their daughter Celeste Rose Ford. She was born on September 15 weighing 9lbs, 13oz and measuring 20.25” long. Mom and baby are healthy and happy!
Trey Oliver, Lead Logistics Analyst, recently popped the question on the beach in Amelia Island making his girlfriend Amanda his fiancé! The two enjoyed a quick photoshoot after to capture the surprise and joy of the moment. Join us in congratulating Trey and Amanda on this exciting new chapter!
Members of the Ocean team recently took time to visit customers and partners in Puerto Rico to strengthen relationships and discuss operational efficiencies. The group welcomed our customer, Georgia Pacific, for a port tour of our Army Terminal. Rosa Hernandez and Artemio Agosto Perez made a trip to visit our partner, Priority RORO, to strengthen the relationship.
Kacy Swanson and Whitney Ennis recently attended the First Coast Manufacturer Association’s Women Leaders in Manufacturing inaugural event. The event featured a keynote speaker who shared research and insights about understanding your stress personality and how it can support your success. There was also a panel discussion of female leaders from manufacturers based in Jacksonville who shared their personal stories and tips for succeeding in the industry.
President of Logistics Eric Masotti was recently in Chicago for KeHE’s annual charity golf tournament where Trailer Bridge was a sponsor. He and Mike Davis, Manager of Carrier Relationships, attended the event as well as a carrier appreciation event prior to the tournament. Although the tournament was a little soggy due to the rain, the duo had a great time connecting with one of our customers and others in the industry.
TB Gives
Helping to Make Dreams Come True
TB Gives was out in force at the 7th Annual Dreams Come True 5k Walk, Run, or Roll event held at the University of North Florida this past month. The crew was so busy manning the Dreamer Tent – hanging out with Dreamers and passing out water and snacks - they didn’t get too many photos.
So, in honor of their work and TB’s unwavering support of Dreams Come True Jacksonville, let’s take a trip down memory lane with a look at a few of our recent Dreamers.
We celebrated Evelyn this past June and sent her on a Road Trip to a special conference among other exciting activities.
In December 2023, we held a hoedown at our Jax Brokerage office to celebrate Michael and fulfil his dream of heading West.
In September 2023, Dreamer Bentley stole our hearts during his reveal party where he passed out free hugs, played video games with us and led a dance party.
July’s Dreamer Reveal was extra-special for our TB family, as we celebrated our colleague Jaime and his dream to try his hand at videography.
Savannah joined us in May 2023 for a princess-inspired dance party to kick off her dream of visiting Orlando for a magical experience.
Hopefully this trip down memory lane inspires you all as we finish our 2024 and think about how we can make an impact in our communities in 2025.
Bentley
Michael
Savannah
Evelyn
Jaime
Supporting Your Mental Health
With the Calm Health App
As we head into what can be a stressful season for many –we want to remind you about a free tool available to help support your mental health and well-being. As a United Healthcare member, Calm Health is included in your health plan and available at no cost.
The Calm Health app brings you a library of support — including mindfulness content and programs created by psychologists — for a variety of health experiences and life stages. This information is designed to help you:
• Learn techniques to improve well-being
• Work toward goals
• Support your mind and body
Scan the code below to get started!
If you need additional details or support with your personal benefits, contact Becca Sutton, Benefits Specialist, at bsutton@trailerbridge.com.
Get Moving with the TB Running Club
Don’t forget! TB Well will sponsor one 5k entry fee a quarter for employees in locations outside of Jacksonville. Just send the info for the 5k of your choice to wellnesscommittee@trailerbridge.com and the committee will get you signed up. For employees in Jacksonville, TB Well will host one 5k per quarter for employees to participate in.
Next up
Light Up the House 5K and Block Party
Friday, December 6, 2024
Trailer Bridge will pay for the employee’s run registration only.
Driver of the Year Mr. John Hathcock
As part of our annual Driver Appreciation Week celebration, we honor our Driver of the Year! This year, the Truck Ops team selected Mr. John Hathcock. Here’s what they had to say about him:
John is truly the easiest driver to work with! He embraces any lane offered by dispatch, demonstrating an incredible team spirit by taking on the more challenging or less popular loads. Before he picks a load, he always checks in with dispatch to see where he can help the most.
His easygoing nature shines through, and he always come to work with the biggest smile! Outside of work, John is a dedicated preacher and actively gives back to his community whenever he is in town.
Trailer Bridge is incredibly fortunate to have such an exceptional driver. John is not only safe and responsible, but he is also deeply committed to being the best representative of our company,
Thank you, John, for everything you do!
TB12 of the
Month: Be Flexible & Embrace Change
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
– John Maxwell
Glossary Term of the Month: Drayage:
Definition: The transportation of goods over a short distance, typically within the same metropolitan area. It often involves moving containers from ports to nearby warehouses or distribution centers, and vice versa.
TB Bucks: Pass Along the Gratitude
Has a coworker made a difference in your day? Take a moment to recognize their commitment to service with a TB Buck! Each month, you can send one TB Buck to someone whose efforts have made your day brighter, your job easier, or the workplace better.
Click here to submit a TB Buck today.
Here are a few of the shout outs from this past month:
“Hannah Davis is always going out of her way to make things easier for the different teams of TB, she provides the best support to teams, drivers, and vendors.”
“Conner Leach is one of the most dedicated, hardworking lads in the branch (Kansas). First to the office, sets up everything, keeps the energy up throughout the day and adopted the recent regionality changes with open arms.”
“Ruben Montero is always so willing to get the work I throw at him daily done as quickly as I send them over. He always responds back with such a great attitude and is always so helpful. He has been such a huge help daily which makes my life easier.”
“Randy Womack is relatively new to Trailer Bridge but has been a contributor from the start. He brings real thought to the accounts payable area and is someone who will help us improve what we do.”
“Brock Weinfurter has been exceptional at the little details in not only booking freight but being an ACM. It has made the transition to regions much easier in our office (Kansas).”
Sales Spotlight
The following individuals have done a great job building relationships and securing large customers – setting the stage for a strong finish to 2024!
Country Manager, continues to grow the DR
potential yearly
Roberto Treviño
Growing our business isn’t always about landing new clients but working to grow or improve the relationship with existing ones. Roberto Trevino, Director, Mexico Sales, did just that with the BASF account. From January to June 2024, this account delivered 264 loads with $36k in margin. From July to August, the same account delivered 187 loads with $92k in margin!
Congratulations to Roberto and Leonardo Chaboudy, BASF Account Manager, for this incredible growth as well as the Houston team for supporting this customer.
In the Chicken Lights’ is a monthly feature that profiles standout performers in carrier sales and management.
We are excited to spotlight the efforts of Aren Sassounian from our Los Angeles logistics office who has affectionally been named the ‘King of Open Booking!’ Here’s a look at a few of his stats from August:
• He finished in 1st place with the percent of open books; 75% of his loads being from other offices.
• He booked 160 routes which puts him in 2nd place of all reps.
• He put in 302 offers which is also 2nd place of all reps.
• He had 105 pre-booked routes which put him in 4th place of all reps.
• He was in 6th place in terms of total margin with $40,900
• In the first month of regions, Aren almost tripled the number of routes he booked!
For these reasons and more, this is why Aren was chosen to enjoy some time in the glow of the ‘Chicken Lights!’
Keep up the great work, Aren!
Blake Brown
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Nixon Chacin
EEI FILING COORDINATOR
New Hires
Lane Martin
LOGISTICS SALES AND OPERATIONS, NASHVILLE
Kiet Chau
LOGISTICS SALES AND OPERATIONS, JACKSONVILLE
Will Harrison
LOGISTICS SALES AND OPERATIONS, NASHVILLE
Paul Ladd
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Brendan Fuller
LOGISTICS SALES AND OPERATIONS, JACKSONVILLE
Sean Sziklas
LOGISTICS SALES AND OPERATIONS, KANSAS CITY
October 2024 Upcoming Birthdays
OCT 2
Dency Montalvo
Heather Hensley
John Burnash
Nathan Alexander
OCT 3
October 3rd
SMART MEETING: USING TEAMS & OUR PHONE SYSTEM 2PM - 2:45PM
October 18th
PUERTO RICO’S DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY 4PM - 8PM
Erni Ostolaza
OCT 4
Ricky Cruzado
OCT 5
William Jinkner
Trista Merchant
OCT 6
Kyle Edwards
OCT 8
Alejandra Gracia
OCT 9
Juan Díaz
OCT 10
Anthony Hardy
OCT 12
Tyler Foster
Morgan Mashburn
OCT 13
Manuel Escalante
OCT 14
Eddie Jay Jr.
OCT 15
Alicia Gámez
Catfish Simmons
OCT 19
Brock Weinfurter
OCT 20
Kimberly Osullivan
Jason Trubenbach
Work Anniversaries
Aimee Taule 21 Years
Willie Williams 12 Years
Robert Hill 9 Years
Alex Damske 6 Years
Amybeth Rodríguez 6 Years
Becca Sutton 6 Years
Karina Gómez 3 Years
Brent Neary 3 Years
Caroline Bray 2 Years
Chris Goss 2 Years
Jasmine James 2 Years
OCT 22
Manuel Sainz
OCT 23
Jonathan Lantroop
Eduardo Cabrera
Alejandro Cabreja
OCT 25
Curtis Martin
OCT 27
Jakob Fuelling
Garrett Higginbotham
OCT 29
Michael Davis
Caroline Gonsalves
Bailey Ellington
OCT 30
Aimee Taule
Yazmin Ceja