3PLs: Self-Made & Dynamic

AT THE END of this month, I will celebrate the one-year anniversary of joining TIA as your President & CEO. I had an inkling that I would respect and enjoy the staff and members for their competence, entrepreneurial spirit, and for being down-to-earth. This all was confirmed, and then some! What a fortunate position I have to lead an organization with members and staff who have such a positive view of what they do every day, and who are constantly motivated to improve themselves and their business.

While I have spent the first year listening, learning, and trying to understand the intricacies of the organization and the industry, I know I have barely scratched the surface. There are a few themes, however, that struck me:

• This industry has never been busier, and our members are pulling a rabbit out of a hat every day to find capacity and get freight moving. The pandemic has really elevated the broker’s role, and you all should pat yourself on the back for how much you are helping the economy with every transaction.
• The logistics business is competitive, self-made and dynamic. This may seem self-evident to those who have worked in the 3PL and logistics space for your entire careers but coming from the Class I freight railroads as I did, I don’t think I knew what competition truly looked like until coming to TIA.
• Our members are motivated to do the right thing, help others in the industry, and engage however possible with TIA. We believe our members to be the best in class, and they strive to maintain that reputation every day. The generosity of our members with their time, resources, advice, and engagement truly makes our organization special.
• Our members are problem-solvers, not complainers. And TIA steps up to address our members’ problems through developing communities of shared interest (TIA Meetings and Events, TIA Connect, and the Modal Logistics Conferences), online education (Lunch & Learn, Small Broker Coaching, and TIA Leadership Academy), and marketplace solutions (TIA Advantage Program). With an industry as agile and ever-changing as ours, TIA works hard to be just as agile with what we can offer.

There is more for me to learn and having additional opportunities to meet in person will further this education. But I would love to hear from you directly too. As we look to renewal season, you will see a letter from me asking your perspectives on TIA in your renewal packet. What does TIA do for you? What opportunities do you think TIA should engage in for the future? What concerns you about your business that you feel TIA could address? What would you like to see out of the TIA Leadership team?

I look forward to hearing more from you—it will enable TIA to do the best job serving our members. Now, we know how busy you are—the freight moving throughout the country is record-setting, and the headwinds of labor, equipment, and raw material shortages have strained the capacity of your business and your people. But hopefully, you will find a minute to offer your views.

Thank you all for your membership and your stalwart support of this industry and TIA. We are blessed to have the members we have, and please know that our focus is and will always be how we can serve you better.