People First, Pt. 8: Meet the Results Core Values Award Winner, Carrie Merrigan-Johnson

We’re back with another post in our series recognizing TA Service’s award-winning employees. Last week, you met Lauren Mollencupp, our Innovation Core Values Award winner. Today, we’re introducing you to our Results Core Values Award winner and cold chain solutions provider extraordinaire, Carrie Merrigan-Johnson.

We recently launched our Core Values Awards, an annual series of awards recognizing TA’s exemplary team members who embody our core values: people first, service, safety, results, and innovation. The winners of these awards are chosen from an exceptional pool of employee of the month honorees.

Carrie is part of our cold chain logistics team with our Canadian brokerage office – and she was an easy choice for TA’s Results Core Values Award. Carrie consistently goes above and beyond to deliver extraordinary results for her high-volume customer. She understands the urgency when dealing with time critical shipments like fresh produce, ensuring the safe and timely delivery of each load she handles.

Carrie is a problem solver who always strives to meet the lofty demands of our industry. She communicates to the highest standards of professionalism and never lets stressful situations get the best of her. Her customers count on her to have a positive, friendly, and approachable attitude. Carrie’s willingness to go the extra mile and her commitment to TA’s values makes it an honor to present her with this award.

We were lucky enough to speak with Carrie about her background and how she delivers incredible results to our customers every day.

Q: Could you describe your role at TA Services?
A: I work as an account manager with TA’s Toronto, Ontario brokerage office where we mainly haul temperature-controlled products like fresh produce and frozen goods. My day-to-day responsibilities include accepting loads, building loads, and tracking and tracing. I work with one of our largest accounts by volume, which means at our busiest times I handle over 50 loads in one week. An important part of my role is also flagging any potential issues such as a truck breaking down or other equipment issues. I have a mechanical background, so I’m usually the person people turn to when dealing with those types of issues.

Q: Can you tell us more about your mechanical background and how it helps you in your role at TA?
A: Before getting into logistics, I worked at a motorcycle, ATV, and Ski-Doo dealership for two years as a service advisor. Prior to that, I worked at a truck mechanic facility. So, I know the lingo and the ins and outs of a truck. Understanding truck manufacturers, parts, and service has been vital to dealing with carrier breakdowns and speaking with mechanics about diagnostics, parts, and repairs. This allows me to appropriately communicate with my customer about issues that arise and determine the best course of action to deal with time-sensitive products for both the customer and the carrier.

You can learn the basics of logistics, but it takes time to learn the mechanics behind a truck. Having that knowledge in my back pocket has helped me a lot in my role at TA.

Q: As the winner of the Results Core Values Award, what does the results value mean to you?
A: Being a cold chain solutions provider, it’s about getting the job done right and on time. A lot of the work we do is time sensitive, and you need to know how to prioritize things. You have a very limited window of time in which you can deliver a load, and you need to get it done right every time to provide those results to your customer.

Q: Logistics can be very unpredictable. How do you navigate unexpected changes or issues for your customers?
A: Because we work with items that begin to deteriorate the moment they’re harvested, there isn’t a lot of room for error or delays. To help combat that, we are very strict on keeping communication flowing with our customers. We’re not the ones physically picking up or delivering the load; everything we do is based on information and data. So, it’s incredibly important to communicate that information and strive for accuracy in everything we do. I double check every load I build to ensure the information is entered correctly and we’ve chosen the right carrier for the job.

Q: Do you have any advice that has stuck with you throughout your career?
A: Don’t take things too personally; it’s just business. But you do have to be accountable for your work. For me, that means if I ever make an error, I will be the one to fix it. Doing so allows me to learn from my mistakes and strive to be better than I was yesterday. And if I don’t know how to fix it or find myself having the same problem more than once, I know I need to ask for help.

Q: What has been your favorite thing about working at TA?
A: TA has provided a lot of opportunities to people like me who are new to the industry. Even if you don’t have reefer trucking or other logistics experience, TA offers training that gets you up to speed and helps you feel comfortable in the role. They look for people who are the right fit culturally — people who are ambitious and detail oriented.

Please join us in congratulating Carrie on winning the Results Core Values Award. Check back next week to meet another award-winning TA employee.

Ready to start your career in logistics? Reach out today!