Routing

We can help with that too!

Did you know PGT can help in many areas of your business? It doesn’t have to stop with moving your freight. We have an incredible team with decades of experience in other areas of the supply chain.

Dispatchers. Routers. Data Analyzers. Cost savers.

It’s no secret that some of the largest expenses any company faces are shipping and logistics. It only makes sense to take a step back and see if there are any ways to improve.

One of those low hanging opportunities is generally in the routing of product.

In our experience, even those most disciplined, experienced, and largest companies can improve their routing. By doing so, costs can be reduced drastically.

PGT has multiple members of our team that can help with this, one of them being our Director of Administration, Cassie Laker. She started in the industry almost 15 years ago at a company that was very established as the leader in their market. As she was promoted through her time there, data analysis became her primary role.

“I was tasked with bringing our raw materials in house on our own equipment. Through that process, it became very clear that we could save a lot of money if we routed our trucks differently,” Cassie explained. 

The results didn’t come overnight, but through the years, she managed to save the company MILLIONS of dollars. Yes, millions.

 

“The business changed constantly, but it seemed like our routing was stagnant and just continued the way it always had. Once I got my hands on it, we found ways to save a lot of money. All it took was someone new looking at the data and analyzing it with a different mindset.”

-Cassie Laker, Director of Administration-

Everyone likes to save money, right? Even if you think everything is as good as it can get, let us look at it. You’d be surprised what a new set of eyes can find. What’s the worst-case scenario? We ask a few questions that trigger some ideas that you look into yourself? Sounds like the conversation would be worth it if you ask us!

Training

What it's like at PGT

In May, you’ll be introduced to several of our associates that joined our team at PGT without any (or minimal) industry experience. They are all achieving a great deal of success and doing it quickly.

How? Is the job THAT easy?

Well…yes and no.

The job itself isn’t difficult, however, there can be difficult days, if that makes any sense. The challenges arise with breakdowns, carrier fall-outs, and unexpected issues that arise with moving freight. The good news is, they are all manageable. For someone new to the industry, however, it takes some time to learn the ins and outs of the industry.

One of the perks of joining our team now is that we aren’t a huge company with formal training that everyone goes through. We adapt it to the individual.

Do you have years of experience in the industry?

GREAT!

We will take some time to provide you with hands on training to learn our software and then set you free to start making as much money as you want. For someone coming in with years of experience in the industry, the transition at PGT is very smooth. Our TMS software is customized based on our needs and requirements. The bonus? It’s VERY user-friendly.

We have no doubt that joining our team will have you earning commission in no time!

Do you have a few years of experience, but have been out of the industry for awhile?

AWESOME!

We will give you the opportunity to sit with brokers and logistics coordinators to listen to their daily conversations with customers and carriers. Once it all comes back to you, we will give you the opportunity to switch roles- you will have the conversations and one of our leaders will listen! This will give you the chance to get some feedback and learn the systems in place.

It will only be a matter of time before the money starts hitting your pockets!

What if you’re complete new to the industry?

NO PROBLEM!

You’re not alone. We have established a process that seems to be working. The good news is that the process continues to grow and expand as we learn what works best for everyone. Everyone learns differently, so we adapt to the individual. You’ll get to listen, do it yourself, and will have the opportunity to learn from the president of the company. He takes time to break it down in a classroom setting.

The best part about it? You’re in control from day one. On average, it takes less than three months start seeing those bigger paychecks! Totally worth it!

No matter where you fall, we will make it work! It’s all one on one (or two 😊) training! You’re free to ask questions anytime. Everyone is given the time to learn at his/her own pace because the ultimate goal is for you to be successful!

Come join us! At least give us a call and talk through any doubts you may have- no commitment required!

Partner with PGT

Table Talk- Customer Edition

In today’s Table Talk with PGT episode, Kandra, Taylor & Jake explain why shippers/manufacturers should partner with PGT. They touch on several important pieces to the industry. Check it out in the video below.

Earth Day

Make the Earth Smile

Happy Earth Day! Shouldn’t it be every day? We think so! But did you know that the first Earth Day wasn’t celebrated until 1970 and didn’t go global until 1990? That’s crazy if you ask us.

If we’re being honest, sometimes it feels like having an impact is impossible. It seems like such a huge task to help save the planet. Well, it is. But it starts small. All of us can do little things to help make the world a better, safer place to live.

At PGT we recognize that we don’t have the reach necessary to make a huge impact, but that doesn’t stop us from doing everything we can to help.

 

"If you do enough small things right, big things can happen!" - John Wooden

So that’s where we start…small.

We talked about a piece of the puzzle that is directed toward the transportation industry in last week’s blog. PGT has gone through the process of becoming a SafeWay Transport Partner to work with carriers who value protecting the environment. We make those carriers a priority because their values match ours.

Is it much? No, not really. We could probably do more- and we will! It’s important to all of us at PGT to take care of the world we live in! Happy Earth Day!

On a daily basis we do small things to help our environment- a lot of which people don’t even realize.

Paperless: for the most part, our company is entirely paperless. Our files are stored electronically, we opt for ACH payments whenever possible, and we utilize our software systems to build our databases.

Recycling: when we can’t be paperless, we recycle it. We make weekly trips to the recycling center to dispose of carboard, paper, cans, bottles, etc. We believe it is important to reuse as much as possible!

Energy-Efficient: we have installed energy-efficient lighting throughout the building to help keep energy usage as low as possible. We also keep our furnace and air conditioner units serviced and maintained to ensure they are running efficiently.

LC Needed

Immediate Opening

The logistics industry isn’t only for those in sales. Some would argue that one of the most important people in the industry are logistics coordinators (LC). They are the ones that keep things moving between customers, brokers and carriers.

Guess what? You’re in luck! We are hiring for the LC role with an IMMEDIATE opening! You can check out what two of our LC’s love about working at PGT in our Table Talk from Tuesday.

This position will work directly on a broker’s account. You’d be the lead LC on the account and will be responsible for covering freight, doing daily check calls, updating carriers and customers, collecting paperwork, and updating our TMS. The best part? The faster you help the broker’s business grow, the quicker you’ll have the opportunity to be promoted! You control your destiny!

The million-dollar question everyone wants an answer to- What does it pay?

We take pride in our work here at PGT and want you to as well. This role offers a competitive base salary plus a lucrative commission structure. How much you take home is really up to you and how hard you choose to work. Ultimately, it is entirely in your own control.

What else does PGT have to offer? Let us break it down for you by highlighting some of the most important parts.

The atmosphere. Relaxed. Casual. Fun. Sound good yet? PGT is all of those things and then some. We want everyone to enjoy coming to work. Sure, there are always going to be bad days, but we believe there are more good days than bad here. There are TVs going, music in the background, and often jokes and stories flying back and forth. We enjoy simple things like casual attire, walks around the building, flexibility, and team events outside of the office.

The benefits. Our list of benefits continues to grow as we grow. We currently offer a 401k with a 401k match! We want you to be with us until you retire, so let us help get you there. We pay a cell phone stipend and paid time off at time of hire. In addition, we can get you set up with medical, dental and vision insurance. Not bad for a company less than two years old, right?

Growth potential. New company = endless opportunities. We have a solid staff that has laid the groundwork for success, now we just need you to help build the foundation of our future. As we grow, so do the opportunities. The potential to move up into various other roles is endless. You can do as much as you want with us and go as far as you want to go. You control your destiny when you work at PGT. How far do you want to go?

Sounds good, right?

Come join our team! Check out the job description on Indeed and apply while you are there! Or just give us a call at 513-453-6046 to set up an interview.

What’s New at PGT?

New Happenings

Where do we start? So much has changed since we opened our doors almost two years ago. As we continue to grow, change is inevitable.

We’ll give you a look inside the happenings of PGT today.

One of the biggest changes we made at the end of 2021 was to our TMS system. We upgraded to a software that was built around our needs and functionality but is also scalable to continue to grow with us. We have a great relationship with the developers of our TMS and they are more than happy to work with us to customize features to match our customers requirements.

We already talked about our MBE certification in a previous blog. That was quite the process, but ultimately, one that is worth it in the end because of all the advantages it gives our customers.

Our marketing efforts were expanded in 2022 as well. Check us out on social media! We are active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (admittedly, our Twitter following needs some work HA!).

So, what's on the horizon?

 

The most important piece of the puzzle: PEOPLE. We added three knew associates this month and look to do the same in May. We are working to fill out our sales floor and expand our operations teams. More people means more space! Our sales floor is big, but the operations and support staff need their space also. The next step is to expand into our back office and build our customer service and accounting teams. The good news is that we have the space to do it! Let the build-out begin!

Technology is always changing, and our goal is to continue to stay current with modern technology. Our TMS is ahead of the game, but our next step is to update the rest of our IT system and security setup. The details of all of that are boring (and over our heads, if we’re being honest), so we will leave it at that. Just know that the more advanced our technological systems are, the better we can serve you!

One of the biggest changes happening at PGT comes on the business side of things. We are looking to get at least one, if not more, assets on the ground in 2022. This will allow us to begin using our own trucks to move your freight! Stay tuned for more about this at a later date.

Big things are continuing to happen at PGT- change is just one of them!

Why PGT?

Jobseeker Edition

Have you ever thought about changing careers but are too afraid to take the leap? Or maybe a career change isn’t the problem, but joining a new company brings some new hesitations? Fear of the unknown is a real thing. In this week’s Table Talk Tuesday, Kandra, Taylor & Jake tell you why they joined the PGT team. 

They all have different reasons, but one reason they all have in common – the pay.

SmartWay Transport Partnership

PGT partners with the EPA

Did you know PGT has been a SmartWay partner since 2020? In case you don’t know what that means, we’ll explain that here.

In 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a voluntary program to track, document and share information about fuel use and freight emissions across supply chains. The SmartWay Transport Partnership is an innovative collaboration between the EPA and the industry. The SmartWay Transport Partnership provides a framework to assess the environmental and energy efficiency of goods movement supply chains.

The SmartWay program helps “companies identify and select more efficient freight carriers, transport modes, equipment, and operational strategies to improve supply chain sustainability and lower costs from goods movement.” With the support of major transportation industry associations, environmental groups, state and local governments, international agencies, and corporate communities, SmartWay helps offset environmental risk for companies and reduces freight transportation-related emissions.

As a SmartWay partner, we have access to carriers who have also committed to the SmartWay initiatives. We can then combine our partnerships with carriers and the EPA to measure and improve logistics operations so we can reduce our environmental footprint. As a 3PL, we believe it is important to work with carriers who take the environment into consideration and work to improve in any way possible.

Partners rely upon SmartWay tools and approaches to track and reduce emissions and fuel use from goods movement. The Partnership currently has nearly 4,000 Partners including shipper, logistics companies, truck, rail, barge, and multimodal carriers.

We are proud to align our mission with the SmartWay Transport Partnership goals and continue working together to improve the industry’s environmental mark on the world.

For information about the SmartWay Transport Partnership click here.

Sales Openings

Sales openings galore

Okay, so the reality is, we will always be hiring sales associates. It’s just the industry we are in and as we plan continuous growth, we need more people to reach those goals. 

We’ve already posted about our open sales positions, but because the role is so great, we thought we’d do it again. Don’t worry, we won’t repeat ourselves. Instead, check out our video below. If this doesn’t answer all of your questions, just contact us. You won’t regret it!

Let’s Talk Changes

Industry & Pricing Changes

Table Talk Tuesday is back!

Today, Team Jake talks about industry changes over the years and how prices/costs have increased over the years. Better yet, they talk about how we handle them and how our customers should navigate the ever-changing dynamics of shipping freight. Enjoy today’s video below.