A strong company culture isn’t established overnight; it takes months or even years to forge and must withstand hard times. In this episode of Company Culture Update, Indie Bollman, Trailer Bridge’s vice president of organization development, discussed the company’s dedication to trust, safety and flexibility as it pushes through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trailer Bridge specializes in asset-based logistics, providing ocean carriage, integrated logistics and trucking for the U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands. Its diverse workforce challenges the company to keep an ever-open mind to new ideas and perspectives, thus creating an engaging environment for all employees.
Bollman remarked that Trailer Bridge employs a sense of trust and service throughout the company and with vendors and customers, as well as prospective employees. She said the workforce combines the best of both worlds — harboring an innovative and creative-thinking culture and maintaining an “old-school,” personal approach to customer service.
“Trust is really the basis of any culture,” Bollman said, explaining that employees have to trust their employer in order to do thier best. “It’s a beautiful thing when you have an employee that knows you believe in them.”
In addition to trust, Bollman stressed the importance of prioritizing both the physical and mental well-being of staff, especially as COVID-19 affects the personal lives of many throughout the office.
Trailer Bridge has prioritized remote work for most of its staff, introduced mandatory temperature checks for remaining in-office teams and has also reduced vendor access to the premises. The Jacksonville, Florida- based logistics provider also encourages team members to take part in its programs geared toward mental health wellness, including its employee assistance program and its free mental counseling sessions offered both on site and over the phone.
But Bollman argued that it isn’t enough to focus on just maintaining the status quo during trying times but rather to continue providing growth and promotion opportunities. Trailer Bridge invests in “upskilling” initiatives in which organizational leaders identify areas of training best suited for each employee to progress within the company as the company grows itself.
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Trailer Bridge’s upskilling development has prioritized virtual training, which Bollman said has delivered incredible results.
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