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TQL has reintroduced a $2,000 resignation incentive, offering employees cash to leave if not fully committed.
Total Quality Logistics (TQL) has offered employees $2,000 to resign if they are unwilling to fully commit to the company. The program was disclosed in a companywide email from CEO Ken Oaks, shared on social media this week, in which he told staff that TQL’s fast-paced business demands an “all in” commitment. Employees were asked to either recommit to the firm’s vision or accept the payout to walk away.
This is not the first time TQL has experimented with cash incentives to encourage voluntary exits. In 2015, Oaks offered a one-day, $2,000 resignation deal that 53 employees accepted, according to the Cincinnati Business Enquirer. Former staff said a similar option resurfaced in 2019. While it is unclear whether the latest announcement represents a permanent program or another limited initiative, the message signals a consistent strategy: keeping only employees who are willing to endure the demands of freight brokerage.
TQL has grown into one of the most prominent leaders in U.S. freight brokerage, reporting more than $8 billion in annual sales and employing over 9,000 people across 60 offices nationwide. The resignation incentive comes at a time when brokerages are contending with industry-wide challenges, from margin pressures and overcapacity in trucking to competition from digital freight platforms. Programs like this may be intended to strengthen company culture by encouraging self-selection, ensuring that only the most committed employees remain.
TQL is not alone in offering employees a payout to quit. In 2023, Chattanooga-based Steam Logistics confirmed it had periodically extended the same $2,000 offer. “It’s simply an offer to anyone in the company, and it’s meant to help people move on if their heart is not in it for the long term,” President Steve Cox told FreightWaves. While Cox said “it’s rare that anyone opts for it,” some employees did accept during difficult market conditions.
The latest offer reflects a recurring approach at TQL, one that has surfaced multiple times over the past decade. Whether viewed as a cultural filter or a practical retention strategy, the $2,000 resignation incentive signals that the company continues to prioritize commitment in a business defined by high pressure and rapid pace.
Source: FreightWaves
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Ken Oaks, the man behind TQL, is now the richest man in Cincinnati with a net worth of $980M.
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