Tony, Author at Premier Global Transportation

Meet Thomas

Local Marine to College Grad

Tomorrow is Independence Day!

It only seems fitting that our staff spotlight today is a local Marine! Today we introduce you to Thomas Gibbs!

Thomas grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from Glen Este High School. After high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. During that time he was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

After the Marine Corps, he attended college at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee where he played four years of football and received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management.

Thomas is married to his wife Alissa. They are expecting their first child in September. They also have two “dumpster dogs” named Carson and Winnie. What is a dumpster dog, you ask? Thomas found Carson tied to a dumpster when he was a puppy and they both like to eat trash!

His main motivation in life is providing for his family. Thomas wants to allow his family to live as easy of a life as possible and is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

He made the jump to join the PGT team this year and he enjoys the atmosphere here the most. “Everyone is fun to work with and it is very much a team-oriented effort,” Thomas explained. “If you like a laid back but motivated workplace, this is the place for you.”

Fun fact about Thomas: he has lived in five different states and two other countries in the last ten years!

June Update

A Message from the President

Here’s a quick message from the president of PGT, Tony Uhrina. He provides you with a company-wide update and everything that has happened in the last month. Give it a quick read!

The PGT team does it again!

Our team has had another record month in a very dynamic freight and transportation environment. Our success wouldn’t be possible without our loyal customers and carrier partners.

That said, the PGT team continues to stick to the basics as it pertains to our customers and carriers. Each individual on the team continues to provide unrivaled customer service and communication. As we continue to interface with our customers and understand the complexities of each of their supply chains, one thing becomes very evident, the service the PGT staff provides is necessary and appreciated. It’s not always perfect but we promise to deliver winning solutions to our customers and carrier partners!

Freight Market & Trends

Operating costs for carriers continue to rise due to increased cost of diesel fuel, while spot market rates have begun to level out from historical COVID levels. New carrier entrants continue to fall out of the market and deactivate MC authorities due to the rising cost of operation, thus slowly thinning capacity. So long as truck capacity remains greater than the number of dispatchable loads, the PGT team will continue to work with our customers to deliver supply chain cost savings, all while keeping our core partner carriers running and happy.

Team Growth & Office Remodel

The PGT team continues to grow at a very rapid pace and is now over 20+ associates in a little over 2 years. With the tremendous growth we’re experiencing, we’ve decided to remodel part of our 11,000 sq/ft office building to accommodate an additional 30 associates. With the addition of these new associates in accounting, carrier management, administration, and account management we look forward to delivering our customers and carriers unparalleled service.

You’ll see more details about this in several blogs over the next few months! Stay tuned.

As always, we appreciate all of our partnerships and look forward to growing those relationships over time. Our success is a direct result of the incredible people we work with on a daily business, both in the PGT office and outside of it.

Thank you for trusting us! We hope you all have a great holiday weekend. Happy Independence Day!

Sincerely,

Tony Uhrina

Power of PGT with Taylor

Do your Research!

We’ve heard from several of our team members over the last few weeks. They’ve given us insight as to why they chose PGT over everyone else- because, let’s face it, everyone seems to be hiring these days! Some explained what they love about coming to work every day, and others shared about themselves and what PGT has done for their families.

Today, we hear from Taylor. He took a different approach and explained what steps he took leading up to accepting a position with PGT. He tells you what he did and why he took the leap of faith.

Give it a quick listen to find out what he’s talking about.

BINGO!

And the Winner is...

25 Jumping Jacks
Paul & Sam T

Got to Work on Time
Brandon

Give Everyone in the Office a High Five
Rob & Thomas

Stand at your Desk for 30 Minutes
Sam K

Worked out at Gym (company membership)
Kandra

Yesterday we participated in National BINGO day here in the office. We created a Bingo card that had some business tasks associated with it, but also some fun challenges to get everyone involved together. It was a close race, but the first with BINGO was….

Meet Pat

Cincinnati Born & Raised

Our first Outsides Sales Executive joined us a few months ago. He is making big strides and setting the standard for the role.

Today, he will introduce himself. Check it out!

Meet Pat!

I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, currently living in Symmes Township. I went to Moeller High School and attending the University of Cincinnati where I was a member of the 2005-2006 men’s basketball team coached by Andy Kennedy.

I have been married for ten years to my wife, Becky, and we have a very talented and wonderful son named Bryson. We have a family dog- Bohdi the Pitbull!

I am just starting my career in the logistics industry. I joined PGT a couple months ago and have no regrets. I pride myself on self-motivations, adaptability, strong self-confidence, professionalism, positivity, honesty, and integrity. My greatest motivation in life is my family and doing everything I can to create the best opportunities and life for them.

I highly recommend PGT for anyone who wants to break into the logistics world, or even for people with years of experience. It is safe to say I fell in love with PGT as early as the interview process. You take one look around and get a great family vibe. Everyone is working together like a true team should. I have all the confidence in the world in our owner and president. The sky is the limit for PGT and its employees.

Power of PGT with Paul

It's All About Opportunity

We’ve heard from several of our team members over the last few weeks. They’ve given us insight as to why they chose PGT over everyone else- because, let’s face it, everyone seems to be hiring these days! Some explained what they love about coming to work every day, and others shared about themselves and what PGT has done for their families.

Today, we hear from Paul. You’ll hear him talk about one thing over and over: HUGE OPPORTUNITY!

Give it a quick listen to find out what he’s talking about.

LIL: June Lady of the Month

June LIL

By: Kandra Dauwe

Each month, we are recognizing the women in the office. I (Kandra) am interviewing these awesome ladies to show that women can work in logistics even with the stereotype that it is a man’s world. So, let’s get started with our first “Lady in Logistics.” She’s the first LIL you think of at Premier Global Transportation. This month, I sat down with our Director of Administration, Cassie Laker.

"A strong woman looks at a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink."

As we said in our previous blog, we are so excited that ladies make up 20 percent of our office, not to mention we are bringing on more as we go. I asked Cassie questions about the industry, her feelings about it, and her experiences.

One of the biggest hurdles Cassie sees that causes lower number of women in the logistics industry is that most people get hung up on the idea that logistics is only doing the dirty work- loading and unloading trailers, transportation, being on the dock, etc. However, there is so much more to logistics and many different opportunities available.

Cassie has been with PGT since the early days, for over a year and half. When asked what advice she had for women considering a career path in logistics, her response was pretty simple. “Just look at all of your options,” Cassie explained. “See if any of those opportunities fit into your goals and if they do, take the leap of faith. Really, that applies to anyone, but I think women are hesitant to step out of their comfort zone when it comes to the unknown.”

As someone who has been in various roles in logistics for almost 14 years, she encourages employers in the industry to make hiring women a priority. “You’d be surprised at the different dynamic women can bring to this industry,” she stated. “Just reach out to them, educate them, and make your presence known in their world.”

Many women feel like they are treated differently in the logistics world, but luckily Cassie has never felt that. “I have always worked for great companies with bosses who value everyone equally.”

That is definitely the norm here at PGT. Cassie’s final comment was, again, pretty simple: “I never thought I’d be in this industry. It wasn’t even something I considered. I was given the opportunity and it has stuck. PGT offers me the ability to do the things I love with the people I love, so I think it will be for the long haul (no pun intended)!”

Cassie with her niece at the Duke vs Louisville game this past season as one example of doing the things she loves with the people she loves most! (GO DUKE!)

As the Director of Administration, Cassie wears many hats. She handles accounting, human resources, onboarding, IT, payroll, marketing, reporting, and anything else that comes up throughout the day. She’s our go-to person in the office and is a key piece in our team’s success.

Interview Tips

What's Most Important to Us?

Whether it be a phone interview, virtual, or in person, there are many things that go through your head as you prepare. It’s hard to cover everything and remember everything, especially through the nerves that generally come through the interview process.

Today we share some of the most important things to do or remember through our interview process.

RESEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH!

It’s important to know where you applied. That doesn’t mean you have to know everything, but you should know what the position entails and the high-level components. You can use our website and social media accounts to get a good picture.

KNOW WHERE YOU ARE IN THE PROCESS

There’s a time and a place to discuss pay. We will be very open and honest with you from the jump, but the reality is, the person doing the first interview probably doesn’t have any power in determining the pay. Hold off on that question, if you can.

ASK INFORMED QUESTIONS

The normal “what are the next steps?” or “when are you looking to hire?” questions aren’t bad, but if you want to separate yourself from other applicants, put some thought into it. Go back to the research you did and ask questions that came up in that process. You may not get an answer, but it won’t hurt anything to ask.

BE YOURSELF (but be professional)

It isn’t good for anyone to pretend to be someone you aren’t. We will find out eventually if you accept a job, so just be yourself. Meshing with our team and culture is extremely important. It needs to be a good fit for both you and our team or it will never work in the long run.

ALWAYS BE ON TIME

It seems like common sense, but unfortunately, it needs to be stated. It’s about respect. We are all busy, and you know what they say- time is money! If something comes up, we get it. Just communicate.

Probably the most important in today’s world- if you don’t want the job, just tell us. We can cancel interviews, we can delete offer letters. Don’t leave us hanging! Communication is key. And let’s be honest- you may want the job/opportunity in the future, so why burn the bridge?