Trinity Logistics, a leading nationwide logistics provider, is pleased to announce the recent promotions of two key Team Members, Jake Lafferty and Dylan Banning, to Vice Presidents of their respective Regional Service Centers (RSCs). 

Jake Lafferty, who joined Trinity Logistics in June of 2019, has been promoted to the Vice President of the Texas RSC. In his previous four years of dedicated service as the Director of Sales in Texas, Jake played a pivotal role in driving growth within that Team. His wealth of experience, strategic mindset, and deep understanding of the logistics industry makes him an excellent fit for this elevated leadership position. 

“It’s been an exciting journey over the last four years leading the Texas Sales Team,” said Lafferty. “As I move into my new role, I’m excited to positively impact more people within the company. Trinity has given me and my family so much since I’ve joined. I view this new opportunity as a way to help preserve the culture and opportunities for other Team Members at Trinity, so they may have a similar experience as I did.”

Dylan Banning, a familiar face within the company, is taking on the role of Vice President at Trinity’s Minnesota RSC. Dylan’s journey with Trinity began in 2013 when he joined as an intern. Dylan’s strong dedication and impressive work ethic helped him climb the ranks, serving in various capacities, most recently as Director of Sales at the Delaware RSC, Trinity’s corporate location. Dylan’s proven leadership and commitment to Trinity, along with his familial ties to the Bannings, the original creators and owners of the company prior to 2019, showcases the legacy that still resides within Trinity’s culture today. 

“I feel extremely honored and excited for the opportunity to work with and lead the Minnesota Regional Service Center,” said Banning. “I’m grateful for the five-plus years spent in the Delaware office, where I was surrounded by amazing Team Members and leaders who continuously promoted growth and opened doors to opportunities across the company. I look forward to getting started in Minnesota and can’t wait to see what the Team will accomplish in the future!” 

“Jake has been a standout since his arrival to Trinity Logistics,” said Hayley Dobson, Senior Vice President of Trinity’s Regional Service Centers. “He’s been a major contributor in the development of our sales onboarding and training program, in addition to taking the Texas Team to benchmark performances. As for Dylan, he’s consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovative thinking, and a strong work ethic. He has a proven track record in both operations and sales, as well as a passion for the industry and developing the Team around him. I believe both internal moves will make a positive impact on their respective Teams and the company as a whole.”

Trinity Logistics congratulates Jake and Dylan on their recent promotions. The company looks forward to the growth and success their new roles will bring.  

Interested in working with an organization that is committed to you and your career growth?

About Trinity Logistics

Trinity Logistics is a Burris Logistics Company, offering People-Centric Freight Solutions®. Our mission is to deliver creative logistics solutions through a mix of human ingenuity and innovative technology, enriching the lives of those we serve. 

For the past 40 years, we’ve been arranging freight for businesses of all sizes in truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), warehousing, intermodal, drayage, expedited, international, and technology solutions.

We are currently recognized on Transport Topics’ Top 100 Freight Brokerage List, as a Top 100 3PL by Inbound Logistics, and as a Top Company for Women to Work for in Transportation by Women in Trucking.

Learn how to get the job you want post-graduating by elevating yourself as a candidate and effectively selecting the right opportunity.

Today’s market is complex, both for the employer and the employee. The average skilled candidate has a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to finding a new career. In the face of heightened competition for top talent, many employers have placed a greater focus on partnering with colleges and setting their sights on the recent college graduate.

As a recent college graduate, many might be telling you to consider yourself lucky to be coming into the job market at such a candidate-driven time. Yet, this sense of limitless opportunities can feel overwhelming and stressful.

But I’m here to help you. First, we’ll take a dive into how to best position yourself as a top candidate for your dream job.

Then, once we’ve established those ground rules and you’ve successfully landed some offers, we’ll talk through how to select the best employment fit for you and your future goals. No pressure at all; this is only one of the more important decisions you’ll make. It’ll be fun! Let’s jump in.

HOW TO GET THE JOB YOU WANT PART 1: POSITIONING YOURSELF AS A TOP CANDIDATE

Positioning yourself as a top candidate comes down to a few simple things. I’ll categorize it into three parts: Before, During, and After.

Prep

Many take the “apply to every position you come across with little to no prior research” approach. Law of numbers, and eventually, one of them will bite.

Personally, I advise against this method. Instead, sit down and write out what things you enjoy in life to pinpoint the type of role you would thrive in. Next, do a Google search of “best places to work” in your desired work location. Then put those two things together to find jobs you would actually enjoy with a company that aligns with your goals and values.

This will take a little extra time at first, but it’s worth it. In the law of numbers approach, you end up interviewing with any company that replies. Whereas here, you’ll spend more time dedicated to companies you are truly interested in.

Apply

Take a moment to tweak your resume to the job in question. Look for keywords in the job posting and find ways to add relevant ones to your skillsets and prior responsibilities.

I can’t stress this one enough, update any cover letter or objective so it aligns with the job you’re applying for! There’s nothing a recruiter dislikes more than opening a resume for a logistics sales position and reading that your goal is to land a medical billing job.

Ask for details

Ask for the details of your interview from whoever you initially speak with. Make sure you know who you’ll be meeting with, their title(s), the structure of the interview, and if there is anything you should bring with you.

Arrive early

Get there 5-10 minutes before the interview…not after.

Eye contact

Make lots of eye contact during the interview. Make it weird…but not too weird.

Be engaged

Show passion and excitement to be there and be considered for this position!

Follow-Up

Make sure to get emails from those who interview you. Shoot them a follow-up email later that day or the following to thank them for their time and consideration.

If you haven’t heard anything several days later, reach out once more to the most relevant point of contact, expressing your excitement about the opportunity and asking if there’s anything else they need from you.

If you receive a declination from a company, always handle it with grace. Thank them for the opportunity and express interest in being considered for future roles. This will leave the door open for something down the road versus burning any bridges by handling it poorly.

HOW TO GET THE JOB YOU WANT PART 2: SELECTING THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY

You’ve done it. The offers are rolling in, and now the ball is in your court. You have a couple of days to a week or two to make your decision. Here are some key factors you should use to select the best employment fit for you and your future goals.

Research

Look up company reviews through Indeed and Glassdoor. Any company will preach a positive culture but current and past employee reviews will give you a window into the real-life practice at that company. Most importantly, look for patterns. You’ll always have one or two who have a bone to pick but the patterns can show you if there is a real issue.

Stability

Now more than ever, people want stability in their careers. Research the company on current or past layoffs. This can provide insight. If a company has had some layoffs over the last several years, chances are they are quicker to go that route when the future is uncertain.

Culture

Take a look at the company’s mission statement and overall values. Ask questions during the interview process about promotion opportunities and ask those you interview with for their story.

This can provide insight into how the company views offering internal advancement opportunities. As someone going on 10 years with Trinity, having many lateral and vertical opportunities to promote to different positions and find my true passion in recruiting, it’s very easy to provide candidates with my stories and explain how attainable it can be for them as well.

Once you’ve gathered those stories and that information, use it in your decision-making process. Yes, the initial job and pay matter, but if your goal is long-term career growth, setting yourself up with a company that encourages and supports you will ensure you only have to read this blog once for a job hunt.

Benefits

Money matters, but make sure you find out about the full benefits package and take it all into consideration. For example, a higher base pay with significant out-of-pocket cost in benefits might come in under the slightly lower base offer of another company.

Ask to see the benefits package and ask about their 401K offering and company match. Ask about the company’s paid time off policy. These things might seem insignificant during the interview process, but trust me, they will become very important, very fast, once you start using them.

NOW YOU KNOW HOW TO GET THE JOB YOU WANT – GO GET IT!

Now that I’ve overwhelmed you with details let’s have a quick recap. Whenever this career search starts to feel like it’s too complicated, make it simpler. Go back to the basics.

It’s all about you thinking of the things you enjoy (and also the things you don’t enjoy) and coming up with jobs that would allow you to do those things. It’s about researching each company and remembering it’s the little things that will set you apart from your competition. People want communication. They want intentional action and passion for not only the job in question but your own personal goals and how you plan to achieve them.

At the end of the day, everyone involved in your interviewing process will be just that, people. So, shake off the nerves, update your resume objective, and go find your dream job. And, since you asked, yes, Trinity is hiring. 😊

“Sense of urgency” is a term that is thrown around a lot in the business world today. And for good reason – the world around us is constantly changing, and we need to react right now!  Trinity Logistics has made a sense of urgency a priority, and from what I’ve learned, most companies probably should.

In A Sense of Urgency, by John P. Kotter, the author very clearly defines the three stages of urgency and explains the importance of a true sense of urgency. We thought we would share his key points in the hopes that you are encouraged to put these ideas into place within your own organization.

The first stage of urgency is one of complacency.

Defined as “a feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger or trouble.” 

When a person, department, or company is in a state of complacency, the general feeling is complete contentedness with the status quo. People tend to think: “I know what to do and I do it. If there is a problem, it’s not mine.” Their behavior is unchanging, opportunities and hazards are equally ignored, and their focus is purely internal. 

The consequences? The world around you moves on while you stay the same. Competitors will change and innovate to meet your customer’s demands because for the complacent, change either doesn’t happen fast enough or it doesn’t happen at all.

The second stage of urgency is a false sense of urgency. 

This is a flurry of energy and activity built out of failures. 

Often, the failures are the result of complacency, leading management to put intense pressure on their team to perform exceedingly well and unrealistically fast. Someone in this stage is frantic, stressed, anxious, frustrated, and exhausted. There is a very high activity with very low productivity. 

For these people, the problems still lie somewhere else, but now they will experience very defensive reactions. They will hold fast to what is being done right and will partake in finger-pointing attacks on others. The consequences of this are equally destructive to complacency. The unproductive activity and pressure are fueled by a team full of anxiety and anger. There are many wasted hours and lost opportunities.

The ideal stage is a true sense of urgency.

This is driven by a belief that “the world contains great opportunities and hazards” and “a gut-level determination to move, and win, now!” 

There are four tactics laid out in the book that you can use to obtain a true sense of urgency in your organization, but I’m just going to touch on the one that I think is the easiest to implement right now.

We hear it all the time – your attitudes, feelings, and actions are contagious. The one thing you can do that will start a ripple effect of urgency is to behave with urgency every day.

In order to have a true sense of urgency and not slip into complacency, it’s important to remember that past successes tell us nothing about the future.  Often, sports imitate life, and you don’t have to look too far to see prior success not resulting in success the following year… just look at the Super Bowl winners from 2008-2012.

Two didn’t qualify for the playoffs at all, and the three that did have a combined 0-3 record. I’m sure that complacency and the thought of “we did it this way last year, it’ll work again this year!” contributed to why these teams saw the results they did.

Winning today does not guarantee success tomorrow.  We all have to work at it; we have to be better today than yesterday.  Every day is an opportunity for you to win,  so we must choose to do so and then make sure victory happens.

So where is your sense of urgency?  Where is your department or your company?  Where are your competitors, your customers, and your stakeholders? 

We hope you will notice a difference when you call Trinity. Please do not hesitate to contact our team, as we want to show off our improved sense of urgency with your logistics!

Trinity Logistics is excited to announce that the company has been recognized as a Top 100 3PL by Inbound Logistics in 2022.  

Every year, hundreds of third-party providers submit their credentials to Inbound Logistics to be considered for their Top 100 list. Among the applicants considered, Trinity’s recognition further highlights the company’s growing brand of People-Centric Freight Solutions® among shippers and carriers. 

“This year’s theme for our annual 3PL edition: pizza. But think about it. Whether companies need to outsource just a slice or the full pie, there’s a 3PL to meet their needs. And outsourcing supply chain, logistics and transportation solutions to a trusted partner was never more important than during the disruptions of the past few years” said Felecia Stratton of Inbound Logistics. 

“We are honored to be named as one of the top 3PLs in the industry,” said Sarah Ruffcorn, President of Trinity Logistics. “Our focus on People-Centric Freight Solutions ® continues to make us a trusted partner for both shippers and carriers. I am proud of our team and how they continue to serve those around them with excellence.” 

Trinity consistently strives to be the best by offering its audiences customized logistics solutions through its People-Centric approach.  Trinity is honored to receive this recognition as it continues positively representing the company’s legacy by providing excellent service to the logistics industry. 

About Trinity Logistics 
 
Trinity Logistics is a Burris Logistics Company, offering People-Centric Freight Solutions®. Our mission is to deliver creative logistics solutions through a mix of human ingenuity and innovative technology, enriching the lives of those we serve.  

For the past 40 years, we’ve been arranging freight for businesses of all sizes in truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), warehousing, intermodal, drayage, expedited, international, and technology solutions. 

We are currently recognized on Transport Topics’ Top 100 Freight Brokerage List, a Top 3PL and Cold Storage Provider by Food Logistics, and a Top Company for Women to Work for in Transportation by Women in Trucking. 

Trinity Logistics is proud to share that it has received Comparably’s 2022 Best CEOs for Women Award. 

“I wouldn’t be receiving this recognition if it weren’t for the great effort and feedback of the Team Members at Trinity,” said Donnie Burris, CEO of Burris Logistics, the parent company of Trinity Logistics. “At any of the Burris Logistics companies, every Team Member is empowered to pursue excellence within their careers here. I’m very happy to hear that the Team Members at Trinity feel that empowerment and I look forward to continuing that great company culture they have for years to come.”

“To date, 54 percent of Trinity’s Team Members are women and 23 percent of those women, hold a management or leadership role, including Trinity’s President, Sarah Ruffcorn. 

“We are blessed to have Donnie Burris as the leader of our organization,” said Sarah Ruffcorn, Trinity Logistics President. “He listens, supports, and encourages all Team Members in our organization to be their best each day. He doesn’t just believe in our purpose of ‘Improving people’s lives by constantly striving to be our best’; he lives it.”

Comparably Awards are based solely on sentiment feedback provided by employees who anonymously rate their employer throughout the year. Comparably Awards showcases the leaders and leadership teams who are driving positive culture change across companies large and small. The Best CEOs for Women for 2022 represents the top-ranked CEOs as rated by female employees on Comparably.com throughout the previous 12 months. Every CEO on the list is in the Top five percent of all CEOs rated by female employees. 

“The top-rated leaders on our annual Best CEOs for Women list have fostered inclusive company cultures that make everyone feel supported and heard,” said Comparably CEO Jason Nazar. “Donnie Burris’ high ratings from Trinity’s female employees is a testament to his commitment in this arena.”

Interested in working with an organization that is committed to you and your career growth?

About Trinity Logistics

Trinity Logistics is a Burris Logistics Company, offering People-Centric Freight Solutions®. Our mission is to deliver creative logistics solutions through a mix of human ingenuity and innovative technology, enriching the lives of those we serve. 

For the past 40 years, we’ve been arranging freight for businesses of all sizes in truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), warehousing, intermodal, drayage, expedited, international, and technology solutions.

We are currently recognized on Transport Topics’ Top 100 Freight Brokerage List, a Top 3PL and Cold Storage Provider by Food Logistics, and a Top Company for Women to Work for in Transportation by Women in Trucking.

About Comparably                                 

Comparably is a leading workplace culture and corporate brand reputation platform with over 15 million anonymous employee ratings on 70,000 companies. With the most comprehensive data on large and SMB organizations in nearly 20 different workplace categories – based on gender, ethnicity, age, experience, industry, location, education – it is one of the most used SaaS platforms for employer branding and a trusted third-party site for workplace culture and compensation. For more information on Comparably’s studies and annual Best Places to Work Awards, visit Comparably News.  

Inbound Logistics has named Trinity Logistics as a Green Supply Chain Partner of 2022.  

Inbound Logistics selected 75 honorees that “walk the walk” when it comes to commitment to supply chain sustainability and given the global environment this year, Trinity Logistics is very honored to have been selected.

Sustainability is something Trinity has always taken very seriously. Since 2008, Trinity Logistics has participated in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution that is caused by freight transportation. Trinity has also been partners with American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care since 2009, which involves staying committed to improving company performance through community awareness, security, distribution, and pollution prevention. 

With one of Trinity’s Guiding Values being Continuous Improvement, the company knows there is always room for improvement, even in sustainability efforts. That’s why Trinity recently become a Carbonfree Partner with Carbon Fund. 

The Carbonfund.org Foundation is a non-profit that works with its partners to help them become “carbon-neutral” by donating funds to offset their emissions. Donated funds go toward third-party validated projects that comply with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. With the help of Carbonfund.org, Trinity was able to calculate electricity usage in its corporate Delaware location and donate funds to the Carbonfund.org Foundation to offset the company’s own emissions by planting trees and funds sent to the Texas Capricorn Ridge Wind Project. Thanks to the Carbonfund.org Foundation, Trinity was able to offset 143 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Additionally, Trinity is working with the EPA and Carbonfund.org Foundation to create a calculated way that our shipper customers can donate to offset their shipment’s emissions and make a difference as well. 

“As many companies shift focus to clean energy and reducing carbon footprints, Trinity is excited for our new partnership with the Carbonfund.org Foundation and our continued partnerships with American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Management System and EPA’s SmartWay Program to support our customer efforts in going green,” says Kristin Deno, Director of Operational Risk at Trinity.

Trinity is grateful to be recognized for its continued sustainability efforts. Trinity stays determined to find and implement impactful ways to help combat climate change and hopefully soon, can offer more ways for shipper customers to make a direct impact too. 

About Trinity Logistics

Trinity Logistics is a Burris Logistics Company, offering People-Centric Freight Solutions®. Our mission is to deliver creative logistics solutions through a mix of human ingenuity and innovative technology, enriching the lives of those we serve. 

For the past 40 years, we’ve been arranging freight for businesses of all sizes in truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), warehousing, intermodal, drayage, expedited, international, and technology solutions.

We are currently recognized on Transport Topics’ Top 100 Freight Brokerage List, a Top 3PL and Cold Storage Provider by Food Logistics, and a Top Company for Women to Work for in Transportation by Women in Trucking.

It wasn’t that long ago that Trinity acquired Scottsdale, Arizona-based Team Eagle Logistics as our newest and only West Coast office. While we’re excited to now have an office in Arizona, we’re most excited about introducing you to some of our new Team Members! I had the greatest pleasure in meeting and interviewing these folks and I can tell you that they fit right into our Trinity culture. So, let’s dive right into introducing some of our newest Trinity Logistics experts.

“I’m Tom Szoko and I’m a Business Development Representative. I work to find new customers, bring in new business, and work with our existing customers from Team Eagle to keep that relationship going for mutual benefits.”

“I’m Sylvia Kirchner and I’m a Logistics Assistant. I work in tandem with our lead sales representative and I book freight, or more specifically, schedule the appointments.”

“I’m Eugene Jackson and I’m a Logistics Specialist. I bring options and help move freight, by having a truck ready when a customer needs it for the right price.”

“I’m Dax Hunter and I’m now a Logistics Specialist at Trinity.”

“I’m John Meyer and I’m a Logistics Specialist.”

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING IN LOGISTICS? HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR CAREER?

Tom: “I started as a truck driver with United Van Lines. My dad and brother drove, so I kind of fell into it. I drove over the road for close to 20 years. I was then able to get a position at Atlas Moving Company and worked my way up to Director of Operations over there, but I eventually wanted something different. Team Eagle came up, and it was a good transition to this side of logistics.”

Sylvia: “Almost two years. I started as a social media coordinator for a tire company. And then the pandemic happened, and I decided to quit my job. I then had the opportunity to interview at Team Eagle. Meeting the team, I instantly knew it was going to be a good fit personality and environment-wise. It’s been really cool to see how much we’ve been able to accomplish as an office in the two years since I started working here.”

Eugene: “A little over a year as I started in February 2021. Funny story about how I got into it. Michael Gentile (owner of Team Eagle) and I both go to the same barber. I graduated college, and I let Michael know I needed help finding a job. I went to school for business law, and I’ve always had an interest in logistics but by the time I figured that out it was too late to change my degree. But I still found my way here!”

Dax: “Eight years now. I had a family member that was in logistics and when I graduated high school, she got me an interview. I failed my first interview but then got called back a month later and got my first job at Global Tranz. I was there for almost five years, then at Team Eagle for three years before becoming part of Trinity.”

John: “Since May 2021. I graduated from Iowa State University, and I wanted to move somewhere warmer. I started in customer service, working at places like Target, serving drinks somewhere else, but I wanted to find something in sales, particularly in Arizona. In May, I went through a recruiting process, and then Michael offered the job to me.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT THE JOB?

Tom: “Honestly, the relationships I build with customers, along with loving what I do; helping people. It’s what keeps me driving and going every day.”

Sylvia: “My coworkers. It’s lame how much I love these guys; they are like brothers to me. We all get along and it’s a great team environment. It’s nice to have that relationship because then we have a good flow when we work together.”

Eugene: “I love all the people I work with, both in the office and over the phone.”

Dax: “I love talking to people every day. I’m very shy in person but on the phone, it’s different. I’ve been a big gamer my entire life, so I guess the online stuff is easy to me, I like talking to people online, it’s fun.”

John: “My favorite part is conversing with people and the back and forth, like between the carriers, negotiating rates. The push and pull is a fun aspect for me.”

IF YOU DIDN’T WORK IN LOGISTICS, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING?

Tom: “Life outside of logistics? That’s a great question because I don’t know. My entire career has been in logistics in some nature, it’s what I love, it’s what I do. It’s a good career, and I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.”

Sylvia: “I would probably be working in social media and hating my life. Social media was a 24/7 job, and I was getting burnt out.”

Eugene: “Maybe a mortgage loan officer because those guys can make some money! But I can’t see myself anywhere else.”

Dax: “I’d be living in Austin, gaming. I always wanted to be a streamer, online gamer, so that’s what I’d probably be attempting to do.”

John: “It would probably be anything in sales or commission-based. A big motivation for me is an incentive. I’m also big in investing so maybe I’d invest in more stocks, start a small firm, something like that.”

WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING THING YOU’VE FACED WHILE WORKING IN LOGISTICS?

Sylvia: “It’s unpredictability. There are a lot of things that can happen, so learning to be proactive. It’s taught me to lean into critical thinking and find out different ways to solve things, and it’s taught me how to be patient too. Logistics is like a bunch of puzzles and well, I like to solve them.”

Eugene: “One time there was this receiver who had a pipe burst in their ceiling and they couldn’t receive for two days. This was an unexpected situation and there was no other facility to load at. In the end, that’s freight sometimes. Sometimes it’s nobody’s fault and there’s always a level of liability and risk with moving freight.”

Dax: “When I was newer, I had a truck break down and there was a learning curve on how to handle a situation like that and make sure everyone is happy and compensated fairly.”

John: “Learning to be more assertive sometimes. When I was newer, I was more passive and would say “okay” in most situations without a second thought. For example, if the customer requests you must be on time for delivery and the carrier says they broke down and can’t be there until 2 pm the next day, I know to ask for proof for the customer to show that the carrier is abiding by their agreement for their delivery time and something unlucky happened.”

DO YOU HAVE AN INDUSTRY THAT YOU LIKE TO WORK WITH MOST?

Sylvia: “Most of my clients are in the beverage industry and it’s great when they come out with new flavors. It’s cool to see when they’re on shelves here and I can see my friends drinking them and know I was a part of that. The other cool thing about working with liquids is during natural disasters. A lot of companies will help ship water with FEMA, so that’s another enjoyment to know I’ve helped that.”

Eugene: “I enjoy flatbed freight. I’ve met a lot of flatbed carriers that I enjoy working with and the actual freight that gets loaded is interesting to me as well. Just random stuff you’re putting on a flatbed, like giant metal cogs, like, what kind of machine does that go to?! They’re huge and weigh 12,000 pounds. I love seeing pictures of the different kinds of flatbed freight loaded.

Dax: “I like to arrange shipments of everything. What’s most interesting is I don’t know what I’m going to arrange every day. I’ve even helped arrange a shipment of dinosaur bones in the past. Everything is interesting!”

John: “I kind of prefer flatbed shipments a bit because the pick-up and drop-off times are easier to coordinate. I do also want to learn more about hazmat or intermodal, all these other ways to transfer freight.”

WHAT’S A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU OR AN INTERESTING HOBBY YOU HAVE?

Tom: “I ride a motorcycle, own a Harley. I get out and ride that whenever I can. It’s a good stress reliever.”

Sylvia: “For about seven years I worked for a top photography studio in Arizona and helped photograph more than 1,000 women. I believe that style of photography was one of the best expressions of self-love and throughout that journey, it was awesome getting to see how many different women were moved by it.”

Eugene: “I like to sail boats. Not like the big boats, but beach catamarans. It’s fun and I even tried to qualify for the Olympics back in 2016, but I didn’t make it. But I could have been an Olympian!”

Dax: “I’ve never seen snow. Born and raised in Arizona. The town I grew up in never got any and I’ve never gone to play in it. I’ve seen it fall but never enough to stick or anything.”

John: “I’m obsessed with sports and sports betting. I’m a big Minnesota Vikings fan and Iowa State fan. One year when I was 14, I impressed the VP of Smithfield with my knowledge of the Minnesota Vikings that he flew me out to suite tickets in Washington DC. I got to sit with Brett Favre’s family and meet them. It was crazy.”

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF NOW BEING A PART OF TEAM TRINITY?

Tom: “I love that the core values of Trinity are almost the same as what we had a Team Eagle; very family-oriented, very customer-oriented, and driven. It’s also great because we’ve spoken with some Trinity Team Members and it’s great to hear people with tenure at Trinity still loving their job. You can tell it’s heartfelt and true.”

Sylvia: “The culture seems so awesome. I love seeing all the different things that Trinity offers, like the team-building events, the office get-togethers, and even the food. It’s amazing when I see all the anniversary emails that people have been here for 25 years. That’s mind-blowing to me. I would love to have that kind of tenure at an office. I also appreciate that there are a lot of opportunities for growth at Trinity and you don’t have to feel like you’re stuck in one position.”

Eugene: “I like how much opportunity there is at Trinity. It’s a much larger company and a lot more networking is available. I’ve had carriers reach out to loads that I never would have had available before. It’s nice being able to have that kind of capacity and career growth. “

Dax: “Having a bunch more friends and being able to expand my horizons. There is so much that Trinity does that we didn’t do before so it’s cool being able to learn and do more.”

John: “One of my favorite parts is how people-centric they are. I saw some of the recent interns were doing videoconferencing with the CEO. That’s so significant that some interns are interacting so personally with the leadership of the company. It’s cool that people higher up in the company will take the time to meet regular Team Members or newer ones starting out. That’s not something you see every day.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE TO OFFER THOSE CONSIDERING LOGISTICS AS A CAREER?

Tom: “Be flexible and patient. There are a lot of moving parts that come with logistics. Especially on our side of things. Don’t be afraid to ask tons of questions.”

Sylvia: “If a person is considering a career in logistics, 100 percent do it. It’s a great industry with tons of growth, the people are great, and find the right company. I’m pretty sure why a lot of people look to logistics is because of dependability. It’s not going anywhere. People need to move freight, we need to get goods and services to people, that’s never going to change.”

Eugene: “It can be a lot of work at times so be ready to work. But the rewards to work ratio is great. You get what you put in and it’s a great job to have”

Dax: “Don’t give up on what you want if it’s in logistics. Keep pushing. I kept trying and finally got the job. I love it now. I love logistics, it’s a fun career to get into.”

John: “You’ll learn something new every single day. You learn about people, navigation, and critical thinking. It makes you a better communicator too. Also, remember what people say to you in the industry because remembering those things will help build strong relationships.”

INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR NEWEST MEMBERS AS PART OF TEAM TRINITY?

Scottsdale, Arizona is just one of our seven office locations! If a career in logistics and the Trinity culture seems like the right fit for you, take a look at our current openings.  

LOOKING TO WORK WITH SOME OF OUR NEWEST MEMBERS FOR YOUR SHIPPING NEEDS?

If you’ve seen any of the news headlines throughout 2021, you’ve seen how supply chains continually face ongoing stress and disruption from the contiued covid-19 pandemic, labor and product shortages, port congestion, and more. However, even during stressful times such as these, many of our Independent Freight Agent offices have continued to excel. How did our Independent Freight Agent offices continue to thrive in such difficult times? At Trinity, we make sure to work together and support. In 2022, Trinity is giving out more awards, prizes, and trips than ever before. 

Celebrating Our Platinum Agents

Trinity’s Agents can achieve the distinction of being recognized as a Platinum Agent, but what does this mean? A Platinum Agent title is earned by Trinity’s Authorized Agents who are excelling in the field. It is the highest recognition an Authorized Agent with Trinity can achieve, based on revenue and load count totals. Each year we recognize these Platinum Agents, giving them the royal treatment for their hard work. 

Celebrating Agent Office Achievements

Every year our Agent Support Team sends out awards and recognition plaques to the Authorized Agents who had an amazing growth year – and they sent out more boxes than ever this year! With the support of a broker, like Trinity Logistics, Independent Freight Agents can focus on what they do best – move freight. In addition, because our elite Agent Support team takes care of the back-end support, Authorized Agent offices in our network can focus on growing their business. And in 2021, they did just that! We were even able to recognize our Agents’ contribution to a huge company milestone, with a car giveaway. Check out Kelly’s surprise when we showed up at his door to tell him he won the drawing.

Here are some of the highlights our Agents accomplished this year:

• A record number of Authorized Agents reached Platinum status – the highest level of achievement for an Independent Freight Agent at Trinity, which rewards volume and growth.
• 70 percent of Authorized Agent Offices in Trinity’s network reached $1 million, or more, in sales – with many reaching multi-million-dollar levels.

Independent Agent Awards and Perks

Trinity offers the best support possible for Independent Freight Agent Offices that are growing but also some awards and recognition as well. Our Agents are like family to us, and we love to celebrate them when they reach their goals. Listed below are some of the rewards we offer to our Authorized Agents: 

• Plaques and trophies
• Company branded apparel – who doesn’t love a good jacket or hat?
• Trips – our Platinum Agencies receive full travel accommodations, including flights and hotel accommodations for the owner and a guest to our annual Agent conference. In 2022, we’re going to New Orleans! 
• Gifts – we recently sent out a gift to every single Agency owner and their Team Members to celebrate such a fantastic year. We also send gifts every year to our Authorized Freight Agent offices.
• Appreciation – each year, Trinity sets aside a day called “Agent Appreciation Day” – with celebrations including gifts, lunches, videos, and recognition. We honor our Authorized Freight Agents every day, but we take this one special day to play it up big. 

Supporting Independent Freight Agent Offices

While all these gifts and perks are great benefits to being part of Trinity’s Authorized Freight Agent network, that’s not all we offer. Trinity has over 30 years of experience aiding the success of our Authorized Freight Agent offices, and offer many extras for our Authorized Agent network. Hear from Chris Bergman, one of Trinity’s Authorized Agents, about his success story and how Trinity has helped him get to where he is today.

We realize you have a choice in who you’d like to partner with in your business. However, if what you’re looking for is a long-term partnership that is supportive of your growth, offers you continued education to remain competitive, and most of all, is made up of a Team of people who are passionate, dedicated, and striving for excellence, then Trinity Logistics may be the Freight Agent program for you. 

If you want to learn more about our Freight Agent Program, click the button below! 

By: Jennifer Hoffman

Trinity Logistics is proud to recognize Hayley Dobson as one of the Women in Trucking Association’s (WIT) “Top Women to Watch in Transportation.” Dobson holds the title of Group Vice President at Trinity and has been with the company for 18 years. 

Each year, WIT’s editorial staff for Redefining the Road magazine recognizes these individuals for their career accomplishments over the past 12 to 18 months, and their efforts to promote gender diversity. 

“Despite the many challenges the last few years have brought, Hayley has responded with ingenuity, courage, and determination,” said Trinity’s President, Sarah Ruffcorn. “We are thrilled Hayley has been included in WIT’s 2022 Top Women to Watch.”  

Throughout her years at Trinity, Dobson has risen through the ranks, beginning as a dispatcher, and now serving as the Group Vice President, overseeing all of Trinity’s Regional Service Centers. Her strategic thinking and continuous review of processes have helped to ensure Trinity provides the best service to carriers, shippers, and Team Members.  

Additionally, Dobson uses her own experience and skillset to ensure other women have access to both leadership training and leadership opportunities within the company and industry. Trinity Logistics is proud to have Dobson as an integral part of its Team and Executive Leadership. 

About the Trinity Logistics  
  
Trinity Logistics is a Burris Logistics Company, offering People-Centric Freight Solutions®. Our mission is to deliver creative logistics solutions through a mix of human ingenuity and innovative technology, enriching the lives of those we serve.   

For the past 40 years, we’ve been arranging freight for businesses of all sizes in truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), warehousing, intermodal, drayage, expedited, international, and technology solutions.  

We are currently recognized in the Top 20 freight brokerages on Transport Topics’ Top 100 Freight Brokerage List, an Inbound Logistics top 100 3PL, and a Certified Great Place to Work ®.  

Why is creating a culture of teamwork so crucial to a third-party logistics company? Well, because our Team Members are our assets! Our Team Members are the ones representing our company every day by living our mission, purpose, and vision. We ensure that everyone who interacts with us receives excellent service as set by our Trinity standards. Additionally, our company relies on the combined knowledge and expertise of every Team Member to run our company efficiently.

We need a culture of teamwork because each of our departments leans on one another to get the job done. Whether that be Marketing, Operations, or Billing, they all play an integral role in the company’s service and performance.

Now you’re probably wondering, how are you creating a culture of teamwork? How can my business improve our own culture and service? It’s not just one thing that makes it happen. Creating a culture of teamwork takes many steps, time, and a lot of effort, but you’ll find it all worth it in the end.

Start with the Right People

Creating a thriving company culture starts in the beginning with the leadership. Our leadership at Trinity is one that wants everyone in the company to excel and grow. This encouragement is seen throughout the company but made especially clear during the recruiting process. Our Recruiting Team works hard daily to find and, attract the best talent possible. We look for people who live by our Guiding Values daily. These include integrity, teamwork, legacy, fun, continuous improvement, excellence, determination, and leaders. Since our culture revolves around these Guiding Values, we want to make sure our potential hires already relate to them.

Since we strive to create a work environment that is upbeat, fun, and competitive, our ideal Team Members are those who will maintain and enhance this environment.

Besides relating to our Guiding Values, we also look for prospects that want to help give back to the community. At Trinity, we have the Trinity Foundation. The Trinity Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization founded and run by Trinity Team Members. A common goal of the Foundation and Trinity Logistics is improving the lives of others, and that’s why we highlight different opportunities for Team Members to give back to the community.

Although recruiting is only one aspect of what makes our culture thrive, it’s an essential part of keeping it alive and well.

Team Member Appreciation

Another critical area to creating a culture of teamwork is showing your Team Members genuine appreciation for all the hard work they do. Whether this is through fun events, awards, or the benefits provided, showing your Team Members that they are appreciated and valued will often raise morale.

Fun Events

We appreciate the hard work our Team Members do day in and day out. We share our appreciation and build upon our company culture through our Guiding Value of Fun. If there’s one thing we do well, it’s offering fun events for our Team Members. Whether it’s our Annual Field Day, holiday celebrations, team-building activities, or our many potlucks, we strive to encourage every Team Member to have some fun within their comfort level.

Kudos

Another way we show and build upon our culture is through our Kudos program. Team Members have the opportunity to send Kudos to others. These are notes of appreciation for work or acts of service they have done, based on our Guiding Values. These Kudos are shared company-wide for all Team Members to see. Additionally, every month we randomly pull one to two kudos per office to announce as our monthly winners for demonstrating one of our Guiding Values. Winners receive special prizes each month.

Awards

Of course, you can’t talk about appreciation without awards. At the end of every fiscal year, we celebrate! We hold a party for a chance for our Team Members to dress up, have some fun, and most of all, celebrate excellence through our Awards Ceremony. Every department chooses someone who shined throughout the year in certain categories to be recognized. Many different factors come into play when selecting award winners such as time spent in the company, background, discipline record, and current employment with the company. These award winners are given different prizes, trophies, or even vacations as well.

Benefits

While people love the fun events and celebrations, offering benefits that are a cut above other companies show Team Members are valued.

Trinity offers a great mix of benefits, work environment, and appreciation to create a happy team. Our benefits package includes generous paid-time-off offerings, a 401(k) with 100 percent match up to six percent, a full benefits package (medical, dental, vision, and wellness), and a laid-back work attire because who doesn’t love to wear jeans to work every day! Showing appreciation is also understanding that your Team Members need a healthy work-life balance which is why we do our best to provide exceptional benefits for our Team to feel their best.

Education

Education is another critical are to creating a culture of teamwork. Through our in-house Education Team, we offer our Team Members opportunities to grow their skills and learn more about other aspects of the business. We also require our team to stay educated on proper workplace behavior. Lastly, we offer tuition reimbursement for those seeking higher education. By providing the chance for our Team Members to benefit from Continuous Improvement opportunities, we find that it allows our Team to offer the best service possible.

The Trinity Experience

Another aspect to keeping our company culture thriving was our recently launched Trinity Experience program. This educational class taught every Team Member in our company to provide the best language possible when communicating with internally with other Team Members, and externally with customers. Whether this was a reminder course for some or a new learning experience for others, our goal was to create a welcoming environment not only for the Team but for our external audiences as well.

Is Trinity the Right Place for You?

Every day at Trinity we strive for excellence. Our motto is People-Centric Freight Solutions, because our assets are our Team Members.

To do this, we need our Team to be their best and we encourage this through our culture. Because of this, we strive to create a work environment that is competitive, interactive, fun, and challenging.

While we can’t speak for everyone, our recruitment, education, and team appreciation are the driving factors in why we’ve been recognized as a Great Place to Work-Certified year after year.

If Trinity sounds like the place for you, check out what job opportunities we currently have available.

Work somewhere with a culture of Teamwork.

Author: Turner Lee