October 2023 Newsletter

THE B R IDGE

IN THIS ISSUE: Driver Appreciation Week | Team Spotlight: Information Technology TB Making Dreams Come True | TB Recieves Awards

DRIVER APPRECIATION WEEK

2023

Trailer Bridge couldn’t make it happen without our incredible owner-operators whose dedicated service keeps our customers’ freight moving to the people who need it most.

While we appreciate the work they do every single day, Truck Driver Appreciation Week is a special opportunity for us to say THANK YOU and recognize their hard work and sacrifice. In addition to every driver receiving a bag of gifts, we made sure they felt appreciated all week long.

Each morning, drivers at Corporate were greeted with a fresh breakfast so they could start their day off with a smile. At our Blount Island terminal at JAXPORT, the port team helped to fuel our drivers’ day by handing out coffee and donuts.

To wrap up our Driver Appreciation Week festivities, we held our annual luncheon at the corporate office where team members had the chance to spend time with our owner-operators and thank them for all their hard work. We even had a few pups join in on the fun!

During the luncheon, we recognized some exceptional TB drivers with awards for their service in the past year:

AWARDS

Driver of the Year: Floyd Key

Safe Driver Award: Ken Fooshee

Customer Service Award: Kirk Nelson

Dispatcher’s Choice Award (City): Drago Josic

Dispatcher’s Choice Award (OTR): Ken Fooshee

TB12 Spirit Award: John Hathcock

TEAM SPOTLIGHT: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

From setting up laptops for every new employee to helping prep equipment for presentations, they help everyone’s job run more smoothly.

Most of us know IT as the people we go to for help when something goes wrong, but they do so much more! This team is constantly working behind the scenes to improve the technology that keeps our business running.

In fact, there have been several enhancements to Trailer Bridge’s tech systems since Senior IT Manager, Paul Sinchuk, joined the company in April of this year. Most recently, they led the migration of our phone systems in all TB locations across the country.

Here are some important highlights about the new phone configuration:

PHONE CALLS are now routed through both your desk phone and Microsoft Teams at the same time.

TEXTING is done through the myHUD application that was installed on your computer.

EFAX is also available through the myHUD application, where you can send and receive faxes. Once your licensing has been assigned, you will receive an email with your fax number and a link to set up your account.

NEED IT ASSISTANCE?

The fastest way to get help is by email at help@trailerbridge.com or by phone using extension 7100.

We had a conversation with Paul where he shared a little bit about what it’s like to be on the IT team:

Q: What is unique about the IT team?

A: We are involved in and work with every department at Trailer Bridge.

Q: What is the most rewarding part of your work?

A: Being able to help so many people.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

A: Having to keep track of so many systems and processes, and keeping people happy during stressful situations.

Q: If you had to describe the IT team in 3-5 words, what would they be?

A: Serving, Thrilling, Unknown, and Amazing

No matter how long you have worked here, every TB employee has been impacted by the work of our IT team.

BENTLEY’S

COME TRUE!

There was barely a dry eye in the house when Trailer Bridge’s Corporate team hosted Bentley’s Dreamer Party in partnership with Dreams Come True Jacksonville. Bentley is a 10-year-old boy who loves video games and has a dream to go to Disney World. So of course, TBGives threw him a video game themed party, filled with decorations from his favorite games like Minecraft and Mario Kart, and fulfilled his wish. The party attendees also joined in on the fun by wearing masks of his favorite characters like Yoshi and Princess Peach.

From the minute he walked into the room, Bentley was full of excitement and awe, and didn’t hesitate to go around and hug nearly everyone that was there. When the moment came to present his dream trip to Disney World, Bentley and his brother Connor were buzzing with energy and couldn’t help but point out all their favorite characters.

Afterwards, we celebrated with snacks, Mario Kart, and a dance party led by Bentley. All that attended were honored to be there celebrating Bentley and experience his pure gratitude and joyous spirit.

TRAILER BRIDGE RECIEVES

FAST 50 AWARD

FOR EXCEPTIONAL GROWTH

Trailer Bridge was honored to be a recipient of Jacksonville Business Journal’s Fast 50 Award, which recognizes the 50 fastest growing companies in Jacksonville based on revenue over the past 3 years.

Members of our team attended the Fast 50 Luncheon this past month, where Tr ailer Bridge was announced as number 30 on the list, with 34.92% revenue growth. This award is a huge accomplishment and a

reflection of the hard work and dedication of the entire TB team over the past 3 years. Trailer Bridge CEO Mitch Luciano shared his insights about Trailer Bridge’s growth in an interview with JBJ:

Q: What’s the ‘secret sauce’ that’s helped propel your growth?

A: We care, and we serve. When you approach your work with a heart of service – whether that is service to your colleague or your customer – it just looks and feels a bit different. I tell my employees at the end of each monthly town hall I love them, and I genuinely do. Some get a little uncomfortable with using that word in the workplace but not at Trailer Bridge; we believe caring is how we differentiate ourselves.

Q: What have you done to keep your company culture strong as you grow?

A: Company culture is not something that is built or maintained by a CEO or leadership team... I give our people all the credit here. They have fiercely protected our culture by living out our core values day-in and dayout, holding each other accountable and really showing up every day.

As a leadership team, we have kept our word and remained transparent about where the company is going, and most importantly, always kept an open-door policy. If an employee has a concern or idea, we are all ready to hear them out. If we need to fix something we do it – if we need to try something new, my mantra is ‘Go for it’

Q: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve overcome as you’ve grown?

A: The last few years have been quite interesting for all of us as humans but for our industry, we’ve seen the highest of

highs in terms of freight and are in a very interesting ‘righting of the ship’ so to speak.

I’m proud of how our team has navigated the past three years – extreme growth, while very exciting, is not always easy or comfortable but they have embraced it and continue to make it happen. Specifically, our logistics division has embraced a completely new technology platform, we’ve added new divisions, and made significant changes in our leadership team to help us reach that $1 billion mark by 2027.

Q: What challenges or opportunities do you see on the horizon and how are you preparing for them?

A: We are anticipating the freight market to improve in Q2 of 2024. Our teams across the nation are growing, we are focused on creating efficiencies in our business and keeping a strong focus on training our employees. This industry is always evolving so we stay plugged into our customers’ needs and stand ready to grow or shift to be their service partner of choice.

WOMEN IN SUPPLY CHAIN

Trailer Bridge is proud to have two recipients of the 2023 Women in Supply Chain Award: Becky Simon, Employee Engagement and Training Specialist and Amanda Richterkraft, Logistics Sales and Operations Team Lead.

The award, presented by Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive, recognizes women leaders in the supply chain industry whose talent and contributions are paving the way for other women to succeed in the industry.

Becky and Amanda will both be recognized at the Women in Supply Chain Forum in November. Please join us in congratulating them on this incredible accomplishment!

AMANDA RICHTERKRAFT

Trailer Bridge Sponsors KeHE Shaw Cup

Trailer Bridge was proud to sponsor the Shaw Cup, a charity golf tournament hosted by our customer KeHE to raise funds for the KeHE Cares Foundation. President of Logistics Eric Masotti and Chicago Branch Manager George Mangan joined members of the KeHE team on the green during the tournament.

Ocean Team Receives Honda Performance Excellence Award

Trailer Bridge was honored to be presented the Ocean Carrier Performance Excellence Award by our customer, Honda. Vice President of Sales Kyle Jones accepted the award. A big congratulations to TB’s Ocean team for receiving this recognition!

Go Jaguars!

TB team members recently got together in teal and gold to cheer on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even though the home team lost, the time spent together was considered a big win by all!

Industry Networking at the Propeller Club Social

A group from TB attended the Propeller Club – Port of Jacksonville Corporate Membership Social and took advantage of the opportunity to network with other members of Jacksonville’s logistics community. One of the evening’s highlights was when VP of Customer Experience for TB’s Ocean Division, Anne Phelps, got pinned as an official member!

SPREADING JOY WITH KATE’S KINDNESS PROJECT

Trailer Bridge team members recently visited Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, FL to participate in the Kate’s Kindness Project, hosted by the Kate Amato Foundation . Trailer Bridge donated several gaming consoles to the hospital to be enjoyed by patients and their families during their stay.

In early 2024, Trailer Bridge will host a special charity golf tournament benefiting the Kate Amato Foundation to raise funds for childhood cancer research in Ponte Vedra. VP of Marketing & Communications, Whitney Croxton said this about the visit, “each of us on the team has a new appreciation for the importance of the work we will do with the event {Rally for Kate) and a new connection to the WHY behind it.”

RUNNING TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE

Trailer Bridge brought the friendly competition and our best hosting skills to this year’s Dreams Come True 5k, hosted by Dreams Come True Jacksonville. Some TBGives volunteers broke a sweat and ran the 5k. Others spent time in the “I’m a Dreamer” tent, where we had food, goodies, and games for dreamers and their families.

Trailer Bridge is a proud sponsor of this event, which raises money to help grant the dreams of children in Jacksonville, FL with life threatening illnesses.

SEPTEMBER ONBOARDING:

WELCOME TO TB NATION

THIS SESSION WAS OUR LARGEST YET, WITH 24 TEAM MEMBERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY!

We extended a warm welcome to our newest colleagues in September’s New Employee Onboarding. Over two and a half days, they were shown the TB experience, from learning about the industry to sharing a pizza with new friends at Mellow Mushroom.

The training team tried something new this go around, giving our logistics team members the opportunity for a hands-on learning environment to focus on the new Mastery technology.

OUTBREAK CHALLENGE BEGINS!

October is underway, so you know what that means: It’s time for another spooktacular step competition!

This year, skeletons are on the loose and coming after your prized candy collection. Can your team do enough steps to defeat the creepy candy thieves and make it to the finish line?

We hope you’re ready for some friendly competition because the team that gets to the end first wins! Also keep an eye out for other participation prizes that will be awarded throughout the month.

MEET THE COMPETITORS!

TEAM 1: Caitlyn Hardy, Savanna Marshall, Jess Johnson, Torri McKinnies, Clay Poole, Brooke Cockrell, Kyle Jones, Wesley Purcell

TEAM 2: Vincent Addison, Artemio

Agosto, Giovanna Nieves, Inga Hysaj, Jenny Lewis, Wyatt Mitchem, Michael Leary, Madi Coulter

TEAM 3: Rosanna Amaranta, Kelly Muhlhan, Maya King, Carolina Cardona, Becky Simon, Alfonso Camacho, Launa Streets

TEAM 4: Kari Gomez, Catherine BoyerPorter, Dimi Montalvo, Steve Lee, Adela Hysaj, Katie Nasby, Emma Wagner, Pablo Londono

TEAM 5: Kacy Swanson, Lorraine Morrow, Tracy Rigney, Mike Davis, Kim O’Sullivan, Wilniady Sepuleda, Laura Pedersen, Greg Walker

TEAM 6: Whitney Croxton, Denigh Elizabeth, Audrey Rigney, Christy Mull, Alejandria Gracia, Jennifer Gutierrez, James Cox, Caroline Gonsalves

TEAM 7: Charlie Sanchez, Coulson Vaughn, Brandon Silva, Amanda Richterkraft, Kiersten Dunlap, Vincent Picard, Becca Sutton, Brad Young

FLU SHOT CLINIC

Flu season is almost here! To help you prepare, Trailer Bridge Corporate is hosting a Flu Shot Clinic. If you would like to sign up, please email our Benefits Specialist Becca Sutton at rsutton@trailerbridge.com to reserve your spot.

Here are the details:

DATE: Friday, October 6th TIME: 9:30 a.m.

LOCATION: Corporate Training Room COST: Free

For those not located in Jacksonville, you can get a FREE flu shot through your health insurance at your primary care doctor or nearest participating pharmacy. If you need help finding a provider, please reach out to Becca Sutton for assistance.

TAX EXTENSION DEADLINE APPROACHING

REMINDER:

If you filed for a tax extension, the due date is approaching! All taxes must be submitted by Monday, October 16th. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Employee Services team at employeeservices@trailerbridge.com

Sales Tip of the Month: Persistence is Key to Success

Did you know that only 2% of sales are made after only one contact? But the success rate jumps to 80% after 5-12 touch points. (source)

Converting a prospect to a customer takes time, patience, and persistence. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t gain traction after your first few attempts.

Congratulations to Nashville Branch Manager Justin Myatt whose persistence recently paid off when he won a mutli-million-dollar bid with a prospect he had been pursuing for more than a year!

New Employees

BAYLOR SULLIVAN Staff Accountant Jacksonville

KAELYN BELLAMY Support Services Coordinator Jacksonville

ANGELA HOBBS Equipment Control Coordinator Jacksonville

NAELIS ORTIZ Trailer Mechanic II Jacksonville

ANTHONY HILL Truck Operations Team Lead Jacksonville

Logistics Sales & Operations Atlanta

GIBBS

PROMOTIONS & CHANGES

MARILYN ARDON

Logistics Sales and Operations II

Los Angeles

“To be accountable is to care for the well-being of the whole and act as if this well-being is in our hands and hearts to create.”

– Peter Block

Spot Rate:

The type of rate provided when a shipper has a load that needs to be moved over a single lane and requests a one-time quote from a transportation company for their services.

DRIVER OF THE YEAR

FLOYD KEY

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

Floyd is a true gentleman in every sense of the word! The way he communicates with the team and helps with any load that needs to be covered is top notch. He always delivers on time and keeps TB loads rolling all week long, including weekends.

He also makes himself available to his fellow drivers and is willing to help in any way. His commitment to others reflects his ethics of hard work and dedication to all.

Not only is he a nice guy, but he is also the best darn driver for 2023! It is a pleasure to have him represent Trailer Bridge to our customers and everywhere he goes. Congratulations Floyd Key!

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