Last year marked six years of Tallgrass Freight Company, and it’s been an astounding ride so far.
When we started Tallgrass Freight in 2012, we wanted to introduce the logistics industry to a new way of doing business — one that’s better for freight agents, carriers and customers alike.
We built Tallgrass Freight on the foundation of our freight agent network, which empowers our agents to be their own bosses. We support them with world-class back office services and an entrepreneurial, goal-oriented culture that gives agents the tools to succeed — and well-deserved recognition when they do.
Our approach to full-service logistics solutions has helped fueled our explosive growth, which hit a new peak in 2018 at 280% compared to our 2017 growth.
The last year also saw the launch of exciting new initiatives, including:
- Club 200, our performance-based incentive group that recognizes our agents’ gross profits
- Our proprietary Decision Engine, which helps our freight agents deliver the best possible solutions
Creating a company culture that helps motivate and challenge our employees and freight agents, while also ensuring they know how important they are to Tallgrass Freight, is a consistent priority. And in 2018, we made significant progress in making Tallgrass Freight an even better place to work. Our Steering Committee celebrated two years of giving our agents and employees a way to not only share their feedback, but also see it implemented.
Throughout the year, we gathered together to celebrate with events like our annual family picnic, the Bounce House Bash, and a booth at the American Royal to show some love for one of our freight agents who co-owns Chase Brothers BBQ. We also helped support several important community organizations, including SAFEHOME, Alex’s Lemonade Stand and the Salvation Army, through a combination of donations and events. We also continued an annual tradition of awarding scholarships to deserving high school seniors. And, of course, we concluded 2018 with our most epic Christmas party yet! (Yes, we’ve started planning the 2019 party! Save the date!)
As a result of this ongoing investment in our company culture, we added close to 40 freight agents to the team in 2018 and have plans to add 40 more agents in 2019. In late 2018, we welcomed Trent Flanary to the newly created role of vice president of growth and development. He brings with him nearly two decades of experience in sales and operations and is already immersed in helping us create a collaborative sales approach that’s focused on helping our freight agents grow and retain their books of business.
Not only did our growth and culture help us attract and retain employees and freight agents; it also prompted the industry to sit up and take notice. Last year, Tallgrass Freight took home a number of industry awards, including:
- Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies
- Ingram’s Corporate Report 100
- Kansas City Business Journal Fastest Growing Companies and Best Places to Work
- Shawnee Economic Development Council’s Major Employer Award
When you have such an incredible year, it’s natural to feel the pressure to do even better the next year! And we’re up for the challenge. We can’t wait to keep you posted on our progress in the coming months.
If you’re ready to make 2019 the best yet in your own career, we’d love to talk to you about joining Tallgrass Freight Company. Learn more about our freight agent network and give us a call if we can answer any questions.