Trinity Logistics President on Leadership, AI, and Future

In this week’s episode of the FreightCaviar Podcast, we sat down with Sarah Ruffcorn, President of Trinity Logistics. Sarah walks us through the process of becoming an agent at Trinity, discusses the company’s potential use of AI, and gives us a look at what's ahead for its future.

The Origins of Trinity Logistics

The company, founded by the Banning Family, first opened its doors to customers in 1979. For the next four decades, it thrived under Ed Banning’s vision of a people-centric approach to transportation. In 2019 Burris Logistics came into the picture and bought Trinity. Today it continues to thrive and operate thanks to Ed's vision.

A Standout in the Freight Brokerage Industry

Trinity Logistics proves that freight brokerages don’t have to be toxic. With top ratings on Google and Glass Door, it’s one of the highest-rated companies out there.

It’s all thanks to their core team and strong belief in Ed Banning’s original vision. Despite not having the “flashiest marketing”, they continue to grow and are regarded very highly in the logistics space. 

Leadership Spotlight: Sarah's Journey

People like Sarah are the reason why the company is so successful. Drawn in by the vision, she joined fresh out of college when Trinity had just 60 employees, and worked her way up to become the President in 2019.

The Agency Program: Driving Revenue and Culture

We asked her to tell us about the agency program that makes up 60% of the company’s revenue. With so many agents and locations, this is how they maintain the culture while continuing to grow:

“We have some agents that are independent, as well as agencies that have over a hundred employees under them. It’s interesting to see that dynamic and how those independent businesses want to grow. We’re there to support them in any way that we can, through the technology and all these different areas of business that they don’t necessarily need to focus on.”

Key Differentiators

What really sets them apart from other companies is the work they do to be a business partner. From LTL education and business development to a 24/7 support team, you have everything you need to grow and succeed.

Prioritizing Data Security

She also talked about some of the solutions they use to keep their client’s data safe. 

“It’s super imperative to have a good technology that is optimized as best as it can for the types of freight that they move. The last count that I saw was about sixty different technology vendors that we work with who make sure that everything is protected.”

Looking Ahead: AI and the Future

Sarah also shared her thoughts on AI and whether or not the company is thinking of implementing it in the future.

“There are a few key things that we’re focused on- you brought up AI and technology- figuring out the dynamic and balance of the right amount of technology to enable, but not take the place of our team, is a huge piece of where we’re headed.”

It’s not surprising to see such positive reviews on Trinity Logistics, with the amount of care they put into customer relationships. We can’t wait to see what they have in store for the future.

Listen to the entire interview on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or watch it on our YouTube Channel.