Working in the freight industry is exhilarating and rewarding, but it brings with it a fair number of challenges, including for women.
Before arriving at Tallgrass Freight Company a couple of months ago, Dani McBee said she worked “at a horrible place. There wasn’t a lot of respect for women in the field.”
Lindy Knapp had also experienced frustrations in her freight career.
“I couldn’t take being overworked, underpaid and micro-managed anymore,” she said.
We hear similar complaints from so many freight agents, and that’s one of the primary reasons we launched Tallgrass Freight Company. We believe that professional challenges should result because you’re pushing yourself to new levels of success, not because you’re trying to stay afloat in a toxic corporate environment.
During a job search, Mandi Lohr heard about Tallgrass Freight from a family member and remembered being intrigued.
“He was telling me about Tallgrass Freight’s agent program, their commission, the way they do things,” she said. “It sounded like a great company to work for, and that’s how it happened.”
Our freight agent network is the backbone of our company. We’re passionate about giving freight agents the resources and support they need to succeed, then getting out of the way so they can do what they do best. The result is an environment that not only cultivates success, but also empowerment.
“You can reach David [Barnes, COO] and Damon [Anderson, CEO] 24/7 — their support is huge and they respect women,” said Anna Hanson. “I really want to have my own business and this is the perfect place for me to put my personal guarantee behind my work because they stand for their clients, agents and everyone.”
We’re proud of the company we’ve built, but we’re far from done. We’re constantly keeping an eye on ways we can improve how we do business, including how we work with our freight agents and the resources we provide them. To help make sure we’re on the right track, we actively seek opportunities to hear directly from our freight agents. And because they have a say in what we do, it helps them feel more invested not just in their individual success, but also in the company overall.
“We have a steering committee, which is open to input from everybody,” Lindy said. “I’ve expressed some things I’d love to see and I know Damon supports all of the agents in general, which is welcome. It’s great to know that they’re always thinking of us and trying to make things better.”
It’s one thing to talk the talk of empowerment and equality, but as the saying goes, “actions speak louder than words.” Part of our commitment to building a thriving, supportive business is doing what we can to help our surrounding community. After all, we’re all together in this thing called life!
“As a female freight agent, there’s not a feeling of being treated any differently at Tallgrass,” Anna said. “And they donate to and work with organizations like SAFEHOME, which reaffirms that they walk the walk. It’s so important that, behind the scenes, they’re as passionate about making a positive difference in the community and in the world. I know I’m where I’m supposed to be and I’m glad to be helping Tallgrass grow their business.”
Added Lindy, “Damon and David are building something special here. It’s a privilege to be involved in this ground floor opportunity.”
