Arrive Logistics – Six Years In

It is incredible to think that six short years ago Eric Dunigan and I quit our jobs, moved across the country and created Arrive Logistics. Our organization has come a long way since our first ten employees joined us to work in our office above a downtown bar in Austin, TX. Celebrating the six year milestone alongside the 900 members of the Arrive team is especially meaningful this year as I am acutely aware of how fortunate we are.

Since 2014, Arrive has changed tremendously, but this year alone, with the pandemic and resulting impact to the economy and logistics industry, Arrive has risen to the occasion to demonstrate our commitment to our employees, customers and carrier partners. While focusing on service, we have expanded Accelerate, our in-house TMS; debuted several new divisions including Arrive Fresh, Strategic Partners, Arrive Insights and Arrive Edge; and deployed an extensive employee engagement and feedback platform. We have remained nimble in a challenging market and pivoted our entire company, across all offices, to work remotely. There is no question that 2020 has been painful, disruptive and exhausting for us all. I am also aware that by adapting to so many dramatic changes we are undoubtedly a stronger organization better positioned to serve our employees and partners for years to come. I have been humbled in more ways than one but am grateful to have a richer perspective.

2020 has also brought some much-needed and important change. The Black Lives Matter movement brought global attention to the injustices that Black and other minority populations experience due to institutional racism. Companies and brands took public stances to support this movement, but at Arrive, we took this moment in history to look inward and confront our own shortcomings. We’ve not made a public statement about Black Lives Matter up until this point, because we strongly believe that words without action are simply lip service. Since June, we’ve focused on what we are actually doing to be a part of this much-needed change, focusing on: cultivating and supporting an inclusive culture; establishing an-employee-led diversity and inclusion (D&I) committee; requiring D&I training for company leadership through Cornell University; auditing and improving our recruiting practices; and conducting an adverse impact study to identify our internal biases and areas that need change. We are committed to learning, living and upholding anti-racism as a company. We have a ways to go to get us where we could be, but I’m committed to making progress and improving constantly.

This time last year I reflected on the journey from startup to established service provider. Today, I want to share our priorities and strategy for the future.

• People First. We recognize that with the events of this year, our role as an employer is not only to provide career support and opportunity but support employees overall well-being. We recently launched a program, Peakon, that gives our management team hundreds of thousands of data points on employee feedback, engagement and sentiment. Additionally, we have established brief ongoing all-hands meetings to showcase team/company wins while also reiterating company goals and the role employee’s play in our business. With expanded employee/manager training and executive leadership training through Cornell University, we have heavily invested in career development and will continue to expand into the rest of the year with our teams in mind.
• Agility and Resilience. 2020 has forced us to take risks, make difficult decisions and trust our team to execute in unfamiliar circumstances. In January, I never imagined we could pivot our entire workforce to remote work within a few short weeks. When COVID-19 hit, Arrive Edge, our in-house technology team, jumped at the challenge to help every employee have the technology and support they need to do their role successfully within the safety of their own home. The Arrive team has shown time and time again their ability to pivot and dig in to create results. It’s inspiring, and as we look at the second half of the year, we see this ability to adapt as a major competitive advantage.
• Strategic Partnerships. In logistics, strong relationships make or break companies. We want our customers and carrier partners to feel like they are part of Arrive and we want to operate like an in-house resource for them. We leverage technology to maximize these bonds. As we think about our core customers and carriers, we have always known it’s quality over quantity. But this is especially true in challenging market conditions. We are committed to investing in the customers and carrier partners who want to have an ongoing relationship by building technology and processes that best serve them.
• Culture of Service and Accountability. A culture of customer service excellence starts internally with how we collaborate across cross-functional teams. We are committed to holding ourselves accountable to the highest standard; rewarding our employees for good service and collaboration; and will continue to hire the best and create an environment where employees thrive when our clients thrive.

2020 has been a pivotal year for Arrive full of challenges and bright spots of opportunity. The market and economy may be uncertain, but I am confident and inspired by the Arrive team. We will overcome obstacles, take on new challenges and continue to build a best-in-class brokerage. 2020 is only half over, and I can’t wait to see what we do next. I strongly believe our best work is yet to come.

Matt Pyatt, Arrive Logistics CEO