Being part of Tallgrass means independent freight agents have the freedom and flexibility to work from anywhere. But quite a few brokers who call Kansas City home, and work from our headquarters! It’s the ideal work-life balance, with the opportunity to work from home part-time and in the office part-time, as it affords them much more freedom in their personal and professional lives.
To give an inside look at what life looks like for our local Tallgrass agents, we followed freight agent Chase through a typical workday in the office to see just what a difference the Tallgrass experience makes for his business.
Morning Check-in: Operations and Follow-up
“One big thing for me is the flexibility of being able to work at home or work at the Tallgrass office,” Chase says. “I love the option of being able to go into the office when I want to, but also the chance to work from home when I need to.”
After arriving at the Tallgrass office in the morning, Chase likes to start his day with organization, getting his ducks in a row and making check calls to all of his current loads. This allows Chase to serve his customers first — by ensuring no orders have been missed and everything he set up the day before is still on track for delivery. By mid-morning, he’s wrapped up his calls and is emailing customers with updates and ensuring they have everything they need.
As any seasoned freight agent can agree, the freight world doesn’t always run smoothly. And that’s when Chase is grateful for the incredible back-office support just around the corner from his desk at Tallgrass. “Anytime I need something changed last minute, I’m always able to get it taken care of immediately.” From enlisting help in increasing credit lines to asking for a hand with adjustments, Chase always knows he can count on the back office to support him in a pinch.
“I’ve always appreciated the freedom Tallgrass gives agents,” Chase says. “Tallgrass respects and acknowledges agents coming in with a good understanding of the industry and lets them work to their strengths. They let us do what we do best. They don’t put you in a box. There’s no ‘this is how we do it and this is our sales process.’”
Lunch Break: Engaging with Fellow Agents
As much as Chase appreciates the quiet and privacy in his part of the local office, he has quickly built friendships with the leadership and other local agents, especially our president Sean Richardson — whose office is right next to Chase’s desk! — and fellow freight broker Cyprian. Chase and Cyprian have a standing weekly coffee meet-up to “talk shop” on everything from family life to the freight business itself. These two freight agents can often be found taking a quick lunch break together, reenergizing Chase before launching into sales calls.
Afternoon Hustle: Sales Calls
If everything is running smoothly with his current loads, Chase focuses the remainder of his workday on sales calls to potential customers. Having experienced growing a freight business at a different freight brokerage for years before coming to Tallgrass, Chase is especially thankful for the autonomy he has in sourcing customers and pursuing relationships with smaller businesses. Chase has found complete freedom and trust when choosing his ideal customer under the Tallgrass name. “Tallgrass is very open to allowing us to serve who we want to serve, and start working with potential customers right away,” he says, which has helped accelerate his growth.
Of course, with that freedom also comes a lot of personal responsibility. Chase will be the first to acknowledge that the fluctuations in his business’s growth over his 14 months with Tallgrass have depended in large part on his own drive and ability to focus. “There’s as much money to make at Tallgrass as you’re willing to put the effort into,” says Chase, who has experienced this first-hand by kicking off 2024 with outstanding sales.
Is Tallgrass Right for You?
This is just a small taste of what life can look like as a Tallgrass agent. Many others live on the other side of the country, and still more choose to work in the office full-time rather than take any time to work from home! Tallgrass Freight is here to support you no matter what your freight experience or how you want your business to grow—the details are up to you!
If you’ve got the drive to grow your own freight business, contact us to learn more about becoming an agent in the TGF family.
