For most of our agents, truckload has always been their home base. It’s not only what built their book, but it’s what helped build Tallgrass over the years. While much of our business today runs through full truckload, there’s a wide-open lane sitting right next to it: LTL. So this year, we’re investing in it, and we brought in someone who’s spent 20+ years learning the mode inside and out to lead the charge.
Meet Jacob Ward, our VP of LTL Services. Alongside Bob Brown, our VP of Growth & Development, Jacob is building out a real LTL agent program at Tallgrass, one designed to give agents another service line they can sell with confidence, and another lever to help grow their business.
Why LTL — and Why Now?
Truckload tends to be transactional. A customer calls around, gets some quotes from a handful of brokers, and goes with whoever fits that day. LTL just doesn’t work that way. It’s more relationship-driven, so the agents who can do it well will end up being the one call a customer makes, instead of one voice in a crowd of ten.
“You become more of a supply chain expert when you can add LTL as a mode of solution,” Jacob explains. Agents can start showing up more like a trusted advisor, and someone their customers can ultimately lean on to think through their freight strategy.
Bob sees the same opportunity from the LTL agent program, from a growth angle. “We believe in supporting our agents and their vision of their business, and that’s to grow their business,” he says. Adding LTL shipping helps strengthen the relationships agents already have, while also giving them a whole new way to bring on customers they haven’t worked with before.
Where Jacob Is Stepping In
Tallgrass agents were already selling LTL, and doing it well, but with a pretty limited toolset. That success is actually what made Jacob’s role possible in the first place. To negotiate strong rates with carriers, a 3PL needs volume, and agents had already built that foundation on their own, one relationship at a time.
“It created an environment where now I can come in, negotiate rates, and give the agents even better product to move forward with,” Jacob says. Agents did the hard part first. Now Tallgrass is building the infrastructure to match the effort they’ve already put in.
So what does that support look like on a day-to-day basis in our LTL agent program? The first move for most agents is looking at the customers they already have strong relationships with who are also moving LTL freight. You already know how they operate, and they already trust you, so it’s low-hanging fruit that’s just sitting there waiting for you to pick it. From there, you can be more strategic by tapping into your networks to uncover bigger LTL opportunities, and negotiate on a customer’s behalf the same way you’ve done with your truckloads.
Jacob’s coaching agents through both ends of that, and he’s already hands-on in the field, jumping on customer calls when agents need backup and helping agencies interview and hire dedicated LTL staff. An LTL 101 class is also in the works, which we’re building from the ground up. Jacob wants to see agents walking real freight docks, learning directly from service center managers, claims teams, and dispatch, so the education really sticks long-term.
Building a Healthier Business
For Jacob, short-term success starts with revenue and shipment growth. But long-term success is really about building a business that can take a hit and still keep moving forward. “If you can diversify your freight mix, or you diversify what you can provide to a customer, it allows you to have sustained growth,” he says.
Truckload capacity is forever-shifting with the market, and the agents who also offer LTL can ride those swings in either direction instead of losing business when things get tight. Bob ties the LTL agent program back to what agents care about most, which is ownership. “It’s definitely going to grow their skill levels,” he says. And with that skill comes more room to grow, whether that’s their book or their staff, into whatever they want it to be next.
More Than a New Service Line
Tallgrass developed the LTL agent program with intentionality, Bob explains. “This is something that we truly believe is a game changer for agents when it comes to growing their businesses,” he shares.
That’s the heart and the culture behind everything Tallgrass does for its agents. Whether that’s in the form of one-on-one coaching or via a new mode like LTL, the goal has always been the same. “We’re not thinking about how we can build this great business and step away from it,” Bob says. “We’re thinking about how we can create opportunities for agents out there to come and be a part of something truly meaningful, where they have everything they need for success.”
If you’re an agent looking for a partner who’s genuinely invested in where your business goes next, reach out to us today to talk about joining our team.